Paul Abbott

Paul David Abbott was born in Van Nuys, California, on September 15, 1967.1 He attended Sunny Hills High School in Fullerton, California, where he was an outstanding pitcher and hitter. In a game on March 29, 1985, he led his team to an 8-1 victory over La Habra. In that game, he struck out 16 and allowed just a single hit. He was masterful in striking out the side in three innings and recorded six consecutive strikeouts. As a batter, he went 3-for-3 with had a double and two RBIs.2

On May 1, 1985, he recorded a come-from-behind 5-3 victory, as he allowed only four hits while also scoring the go-ahead run. His strikeout of the final batter gave him a season total of 117, while his batting average improved to .464. Scouts in the stands were impressed with his fastball that hit 86 miles per hour.3

At the end of the season, Paul was named the Freeway League’s Player of the Year on the basis of his 9-2 pitching record, and his batting average of .467, with 35 hits and 29 runs driven in. At that time, he had signed a letter-of-intent to attend Cal State Fullerton.4 He still holds the single-season league record of 11 pitching victories and is in the top 10 in hits in a season with 39 and runs batted in with 31. 5

The Minnesota Twins drafted Abbott at age 17. He signed on June 6, 1985, bypassing college baseball, and was assigned to the Rookie-level Elizabethton Twins; he played there for a year before moving to the Class-A Kenosha Twins of the Midwest League. He admittedly struggled for a couple of years until he put on some weight and gained confidence in his ability to pitch. In 1988, he moved to the Visalia Oaks of the California League, where he logged 172 1/3 innings, the highest total in his minor-league career, and compiled an 11-9 record. By 1989, he was playing for the Double-A Orlando Twins of the Southern League and started 17 games, with a 9-3 record.

Abbott began the next season with the Triple-A Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League 6and was called up to the Minnesota Twins on August 21, 1990. 7 His first start was an unfortunate one that day, as he yielded seven earned runs in just three innings and bore an 8-7 loss to the Royals in Kansas City. He started seven games for the club and went 0-5, with two no-decisions and an earned run average of 5.97. He struck out 25 but walked 28. However, things improved in subsequent years. 8

A right-hander, Abbott stood 6-foot-3 and was listed at 185 pounds.

Abbott earned his first major-league win during a middle-relief appearance on June 10, 1991, against the visiting Cleveland Indians. He worked the third through the sixth innings without allowing a run, as his teammates scored eight runs to overcome a 4-1 deficit.9 His record for the year was 3-1, and he posted a 4.75 ERA in throwing 47 1/3 innings over the course of 15 games.

Abbott signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Twins in March 1992.10 However, he was placed on the disabled list at the end of the month after he dislocated his right shoulder when he dove while trying to make a catch during batting practice.11 In his return to Portland on June 8, he walked six batters in the first five innings but recovered and threw strikes when he needed them. He allowed only three hits as the Beavers won the game, 2-1.12 By the end of June, he had a 3-0 record. In his best work of the season, he no-hit the Vancouver Canadians over 10 innings on July 8, 1992, but was pulled from the game because he was near his maximum allowed pitch count.13 The game ended in the 13th inning with the Beavers winning 3-0, with the only hit surrendered by a reliever.14 In late July 1992, he had compiled a 4-1 record for the Beavers and the Minnesota Twins purchased his contract from Portland, but he was injured again in mid-August and was back on the disabled list.15As a result, he worked only 11 innings for Minnesota with a record of 0-0 and a 3.27 ERA.16

He continued to pitch for the Twins until 1993 but was released in spring training because “the doctors didn’t hold much hope for him.”17 The Cleveland Indians signed him as a free agent. Though splitting most of his time between Double A and Triple A, he started five midseason games in the majors and worked 18 1/3 innings with a 0-1 record. He finished the season with the Canton-Akron AA team, and his future did not look good. He said in an interview that he wasn’t sure of anything in his future.18

In 1994, he was signed by the Kansas City Royals organization. They sent him to Omaha,19 where he compiled a 4-1 record with a 4.87 ERA. He pitched 57 1/3 innings in 15 games, with 10 starts. He missed some time with back spasms20 and was released on June 30, 1994.

The Chicago Cubs signed him as a minor-league free agent during the offseason. In 1995, he allowed no runs in nine consecutive games between April 15 and May 7, while pitching in Des Moines.21 He continued to have success both as a starter and out of the bullpen and finished the season with a 7-7 record and a 3.67 ERA. He worked 46 games, starting 11. After the season ended, he was signed by the San Diego Padres and invited to major-league spring training.22

Once again the injury bug struck, as Abbott suffered a right elbow injury during winter ball, delaying his workouts at spring training.23 However, he recovered and pitched the entire season for the Las Vegas Padres, with 28 relief appearances, a 4-2 record and 4.18 ERA. It was his first complete season since 1991.

Abbott was signed by the Seattle Mariners on January 10, 1997, to a minor-league contract.24 In order to bring consistency to his pitching, he worked with Tacoma Rainiers’ pitching coach Jeff Andrews to correct his delivery.25 By May 25, he was leading the PCL in strikeouts with 70.26 He went on the disabled list with soreness in his elbow in late May but returned on July 12 after a rehabilitation stint in Arizona, where he started three games and had a sparkling 0.93 ERA and 13 strikeouts.27 His season ended with an elbow problem on August 21, 1997. During his time in Tacoma, he had an 8-4 record, worked in 17 games (14 starts) and had 117 strikeouts. He pondered his future in baseball, noting, “This is my sixth team in six years. At the end of every year, I’ve been a free agent. I hope it works out here because I don’t want to move around anymore.”28

In September 1997, Abbott had reconstructive elbow surgery, commonly known as Tommy John surgery, and did not return to active pitching until mid-August 1998 when he compiled a 1-0 record and 20 strikeouts in three starts for Tacoma.29 Out of the playoff picture, the Mariners called Abbott to Seattle, and he earned his first major-league victory in five years when he allowed six hits and two runs in 5 2/3 innings as the Mariners defeated the Devil Rays, 5-2.30 He went on to start four games for the Mariners and went 3-1 with a 4.01 ERA. His good results showed he was ready to pitch at the big-league level, and he had a chance to stay there. All he needed to do was to stay healthy, but he tore his ACL in winter ball and was dropped from the Mariners’ roster.

When the Mariners offered Abbott a minor-league contract in the spring of 1999, he accepted. He had three starts for Arizona in a rehabilitation assignment.31 He then logged two starts for Tacoma and posted a 1-1 record and with 10 strikeouts. He was expected to join the Mariners as the fifth starting pitcher on June 20, but his knee was not ready.32 He took the mound on June 25, becoming the 21st different pitcher used by Seattle during the season.33 By August 23, he was 5-0 after throwing 128 pitches in eight innings against Cleveland. He allowed three hits, struck out 12, and walked four. His teammate, Álex Rodríguez said, “He’s arguably our best pitcher.”34 He aggravated a groin injury in late September but was cleared to play.35 Abbott compiled a 6-2 record with Seattle, with an ERA of 3.10 and 68 strikeouts.

For the first time in years, Abbott reported to training camp as a healthy pitcher in 2000. He was pencilled in as a reliever but also could be used as a starter.36 In a game in Baltimore, Abbott was lucky to escape a bizarre situation with only minor injuries.37 He threw a pitch to Harold Baines, then knelt down to field a ground ball when the barrel of the bat hit him in the temple and face, breaking his nose and needing stitches to close one cut on the bridge of his nose and more for a second wound above his eyebrow.38 As he didn’t remember much about the incident, he had a video technician play it for him in slow motion.39

Having been an outstanding batter during his high school career, Abbott yearned to get a chance to hit in the major leagues. With the designated hitter used in the American League, pitchers were not required to bat. However, in a game at San Francisco on June 10, 2000, he got his first major-league hit with a double and later scored on a bases-loaded groundout. He told a reporter, “I’ve dreamed of that at-bat since I was eight years old. When I was growing up, all I wanted to do was hit. It was nice to get that opportunity. I’ve kept trying to tell people that I can hit. … It’s been 15 years since I’ve hit in high school, and as much fun as it is, I can’t take it too seriously. I’ve seen guys get their first hit and keep the ball, so as soon as I got to second, I yelled, ‘I need the ball! I need the ball!” he added.40 He started July in the regular rotation and continued to be successful. After his team suffered a mini-slump in the second half of August, he held Boston hitless over 7 1/3 innings, leading the Mariners to a 5-0 victory on September 3.41 He made his first appearance in the postseason when he started Game Two of the American League Division Series against the White Sox, a 5-2 win.42 The Mariners advanced to the League Championship Series, with Abbott starting and losing Game Four to the New York Yankees, when Roger Clemens threw a one-hit shutout.

Abbott pitched 99 games for the Mariners during his time there, but the 2001 season was clearly his most productive. He started 27 games, worked one complete game, and had one relief appearance. His win-loss record was 17-4 as both he and the team excelled that year. Baseball Weekly named him the Top No. 5 starter in baseball in early 2001.43 He signed a one-year contract after arbitration and hoped to remain healthy for the season.44 In early April, he again suffered stiffness in his shoulder and was placed on the 15-day disabled list.45 His place in the rotation was taken by Brett Tomko.46 After throwing in Peoria, Abbott moved to Tacoma, where he made one start, allowing one hit and striking out four as the Rainiers dumped the Sacramento River Cats, 9-1.47

Abbott was back pitching for the Mariners by April 28. He worked in 28 games, starting 27 and recording 118 strikeouts. His first victory of the season came in Toronto when he worked 5 1/3 innings against the Blue Jays and allowed two runs while the Mariners plated seven.48 Seattle’s 30th win came on May 16 against the Chicago White Sox. Abbott worked 6 1/3 innings, surrendering two runs on three hits and striking out 10. He struggled early in the game and fell behind 2-0 after two innings, but manager Lou Piniella noted, “He threw a lot of pitches early, and then he settled down and got into a nice rhythm. He got us into the seventh inning. Early in the ballgame I wasn’t so sure.”49 Following a poor start against Minnesota, Abbott bounced back with his first career complete game as Seattle defeated Kansas City, 13-3. He never faced more than four batters in an inning until the ninth. His efforts gave the overworked bullpen a day off, something that Piniella appreciated.50 Seattle extended its winning streak to 15 behind Abbott’s third consecutive win, a 7-1 decision over the Padres. On nights when he didn’t have his best stuff, his teammates often came together and poured on the offense.51 In an extensive article on his baseball career, he was described as “the kind of pitcher who gets better in the latter innings. He has so many different pitches, he can go through a lineup four times and give each hitter four different pitches.”52

By the end of July, he had a 10-2 record; he had never won more than nine games in a season53 and was on his way to a career high. Abbott’s 12th win of the season came in early August against the Indians as he worked seven innings while throwing 124 pitches.54 Tragedy struck the world with the September 11 terrorist attacks, and baseball games had to be rescheduled. By the beginning of October, Piniella set the pitching rotation so that the top four starters – Freddy García, Jamie Moyer, Aaron Sele, and Paul Abbott – would get six days of rest before their first playoff start.55 In the record-tying 116th victory, Paul Abbott was one of five pitchers who combined for a 1-0 decision over the Texas Rangers. 56

In the American League Division series, Abbott pitched in a game the team likely would rather forget. He was the second pitcher of four who combined to give gave up 17 runs and 19 hits in an embarrassing 17-2 Game Three loss. However, the team rebounded, winning the next two games to win the series in five games. In the American League Championship series, Abbott worked Game Four against Yankees-legend Roger Clemens. He walked eight batters but allowed no hits, striking out 2, while Clements walked four and struck out seven. Both were pulled after five innings with the Mariners leading 1-0. However, the bullpen could not hold the lead, and the Yankees prevailed 3-1 to take a 3-1 lead in the series.57 The season ended sooner than the Mariners wanted when the Yankees won Game Five to win the series.58 It was a sad ending to a wonderful season.

When asked about that magical 2001 season, Abbott said there was some uncertainty initially.59 It was unknown if Ichiro Suzuki could continue the high level of success he had in Japan. He was, after all, replacing a very popular Jay Buhner in right field. Spring training was such a small sample that his skill was not clearly evident until the season began. There were also questions about Bret Boone replacing Álex Rodríguez. Could he match A-Rod’s hitting production? That he would become a great hitter became apparent early in the season. Abbott said that Edgar Martínez was a good influence on Boone and helped to turn him into a superstar player. Abbott was on the injured list until May but still traveled with the team as they got off to a great start.

Teams in that era had 25-man rosters, with three or four ready to come in. It was also essential to have the players from Triple-A come in and produce. That 2001 Mariners team had a solid bench so that they could give Mike Cameron or Carlos Guillén a rest; Mark McLemore and Stan Javier filled in, and the team didn’t lose a beat. Both were switch-hitters and great on defense. The team was built to thrive, and everybody had fun coming to the ballpark. When you are winning far more than you lose and win every series except for one in September, everyone is in a good mood.

The team was aware of the history they were chasing as their progress was shown on the scoreboard at every game. They were compared to the 1908 Cubs and the powerful Yankees teams of 1998 and 2000. It started in May and continued throughout the season. Abbott tells a story about the series against the Athletics in June. At that time, the Mariners had a 15-game lead in the division, and the A’s players were told to concentrate on the wild card. Ironically, Oakland finished with a record of 102-60, which might have won the division in any other year.

The strength of the 2001 Mariners was their depth. The hitters in the bottom of the lineup were not putting up big numbers in the offense at the beginning of the season but were still moving runners along and driving in runs, in addition to making spectacular plays in the field. The top of the order produced huge numbers and never cooled off. Then there was the pitching. The starters often worked into the seventh inning, which kept the bullpen fresh, adding to the magical year. Then 9-11 happened and added to the surreal season. The team finished with a 116-46 record, driving fans into ecstasy. That there was no World Series victory at the end of that season disappointed everyone.

In Abbott’s opinion, the key to the season was manager Lou Piniella. He was larger than life with a very polarizing personality. He was the perfect manager to guide that team and the most honest manager Abbott ever had played for. As a player, Piniella had worn his heart on his sleeve, and he managed the same way. All his players loved him and thus were successful.

Abbott’s career was plagued by injuries. He underwent reconstructive surgery in September 1997 but was pitching again by August 1998. That winter, he tore his ACL and had cartilage damage but was pitching again by the middle of the 1999 season. He talked about working his way back from injury and, when asked about the Division Series games against the New York Yankees, said, “These starts aren’t half as big as the ones at the end of 1998. If I didn’t do well in those games, I probably would not have been heard from again. I was pitching for my life back then. In these games, I’m pitching for my team, trying to get more hardware for my fingers. [The media] thinks these are the biggest starts of my career – they’re not even close.”60

The Seattle Mariners signed Abbott to a one-year contract in February 2002, avoiding arbitration.61 He struggled early in the season with control and was moved to the bullpen.62 In early May, he was given time off to rest his inflamed shoulder, then began to throw near the end of the month.63 He was off the team by July and was released on November 19.

Abbott took a year off to recover from arthroscopic surgery on a torn labrum. It took far too long to heal, and he no longer had the arm strength to throw a 93-miles-per-hour fastball, one of his trademark pitches. He expected to receive an invitation to spring training but did not, so he signed a minor-league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. On June 9, 2023, he got the start with the Tucson Sidewinders. Ironically, they were playing the Mariners’ farm team, the Tacoma Rainiers. He won that game, working five innings and surrendering one earned run on seven hits. He continued to hope for a chance to return to the majors. On August 8, 2003, he was traded to the Kansas City Royals, for whom he pitched in 10 games, but on October 15, he was granted free agency. He signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on November 14. He was released by the Devil Rays on June 3, 2004, and signed with the Philadelphia Phillies on June 7. When he was released by the Phillies on September 8, 2004, his major-league career was over.

Since retiring from professional baseball, Paul Abbott has been coaching. In 2006, he coached at the junior college level for four years – the Fullerton College Hornets, where his sons, Lance and Trent, played. He joined the Orange County Flyers of the Golden Baseball League in 2009 as a pitching coach and was promoted to manager for the 2010 season. He travelled with the team to Victoria, BC, where they played the Victoria Seals, which Bret Boone had managed for a short time that season. He now lives in Fullerton, California, with his wife, Yvette, the sister of one of his American legion teammates.64 They have two sons, Lance and Trent, and a daughter, Chloe.65

From 2011 through 2023, he coached in the Red Sox organization. He passed along some advice he gives his young players. They need to be able to handle the pressure of playing virtually every day and not let personal problems affect their production. They must remember that somebody is always ready to take their place if they don’t produce, so consistency is the key. The chance of making it into the majors is not that high, and more than talent alone is needed. For pitchers, the key is winning even when they don’t have their best stuff and not panicking if things don’t go well. Players must believe they can make it to the majors and that getting there will take a lot of work. They go to spring training and find that other players have as much talent as they do, and their attitude and work ethic will make the difference. Abbott feels that a coach’s job is to inspire players; they have to motivate themselves. He adds that they likely will not be successful if they can’t self-motivate. After all, baseball is a game of failure. Even the best hitters fail two-thirds of the time. Young players must also work on both sides of the ball. What good is an excellent batting average if you can’t play well on the field?66

In 2024, the Athletics hired him to coach their Double-A affiliate in Midland, Texas, then promoted him to pitching coach for their Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators.

Paul Abbott considers himself a “lifer” and will be involved in baseball in some way for the foreseeable future. He told reporter Richard Breen, “I signed at 17. My passion was baseball. I always thought I’d just be a lifer.” One has to wonder how long and successful his career would have been had the injury bug not plagued him.

Last revised: April 8, 2026

NOTES

1 Numerous attempts to contact Paul Abbott for further information on his family and other details proved fruitless.

2 “Prep Baseball: Abbott Strikes Out 16 in Sunny Hills’ Victory,” Los Angeles Times, March 30, 1985.

3 Tom Hamilton, “It Was Another Typical Day for Abbott: Sunny Hills Ace strikes Out 10, Gets Two Hits in Title-Clincher,” Los Angeles Times, May 2, 1985.

4 “Abbott is Freeway League Player of Year,” Los Angeles Times, May 23, 1985.

5 Posting on sunnyhills_baseball Instagram page. https://www.instagram.com/sunnyhills_baseball/

6 “Sports at a Glance: Baseball,” Seattle Times, April 3, 1990: 25.

7 Associated Press, “Twins Win 9th in a Row,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, August 20, 1990: 22.

8 Information confirmed in an email from Paul Abbott dated December 19, 2023.

9 Associated Press, “No decision no-hitter,” Seattle Times, June 11, 1991: 47.

10 Oregonian, March 4, 1992: 32.

11 Oregonian, April 1, 1992: 36.

12 Jim Beseda, “Beavers split pair with Tacoma,” Oregonian, June 12, 1992: 49.

13 Seattle Times, July 9, 1992: 60.

14 Lyndon Little, “C’s Lose 13-inning Marathon,” Vancouver Sun, July 9, 1992: 9.

15 Jim Besada, “Twins Call up Bevos Pitcher Trombley to shore up staff,” Oregonian, August 18, 1992: 25

16 “Abbott signs,” West Central Tribune, February 20, 1993:11.

17 “Twins give up on Abbott,” Bismarck (North Dakota) Tribune, March 3, 1993: 18.

18 Bill Nichols, “Pitcher Abbott falls back to Class AA,” (Cleveland) Plain Dealer, August 9, 1993: 45.

19 “Royals send down 4,” Omaha World-Herald, March 27, 1994: 49; Omaha World-Herald, July 1, 1994: 25.

20 “Richardson’s Bar Helps Louisville Gain Split,” Omaha World-Herald, May 26, 1994: 29.

21 “Cubs can count on their pitching staff,” Kenosha, Wisconsin Sunday News, May 21, 1995: 32.

22 Daily Nonpareil (Council Bluffs, Iowa), November 10, 1995: 12.

23 “Spring Training 1996,” Californian, February 26, 1996.

24 Anchorage Daily News, January 12, 1997: 31.

25 “Abbott seeking consistency,” News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington), April 27, 1997: 9.

26 “Notes from the farm:” News Tribune, May 25, 1997: 26.

27 News Tribune, July 13, 1997: 23.

28 “Tough luck for Paul Abbott,” News Tribune, August 31, 1997: 46.

29 News Tribune, September 6, 1998: 43.

30 “Abbott makes most of his chance,” Longview (Washington) Daily News, September 10, 1998: 17.

31 News Tribune, May 30, 1999: 39.

32 “Abbott on the rebound,” Everett Daily Herald, June 2, 1999: 2.

33 “Twenty-one and counting,” Daily Herald, June 26, 1999: 45.

34 “Abbott masters Indians; Junior, A-Rod provide fireworks as M’s avert a sweep,” Longview Daily News, August 24, 1999: 25.

35 “He’s not finished,” Daily Herald, September 27, 1999: 23.

36 News Tribune, April 24, 2000: 23.

37 John Hickey, “One day later, Abbott is ‘good’,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 27, 2000: 58.

38 Larry LaRue, “Mariners can’t get out of town fast enough following bizarre injury, three-game sweep,” News Tribune, May 26, 2000: 27 and 31.

39 Larry LaRue, “Abbott able to laugh through pain,” News Tribune, May 27, 2000: 25.

40 “Abbott’s first hit a dream come true,” Redding (California) Record Searchlight, June 11, 2000, https://www.newspapers.com/image/794908831/?match=1&terms=Paul%20Abbott.

41 “Mariners’ Paul Abbott flirts with no-hitter,” News Tribune, September 4, 2000: 13.

42 Dave Boling, “Abbott: Persistence of a pitcher/poet,” News Tribune, October 5, 2000: 11.

43 News Tribune, January 10, 2001: 24.

44 Larry LaRue, “Abbott confident he can start,” News Tribune, February 25, 2001: 40.

45 Don Rulz, “Roster shakes out as M’s lose,” News Tribune, April 2, 2001: 24.

46 News Tribune, April 3, 2001: 16.

47 Jim Van Villet, “Abbott hurls gem, Rainiers thump Cats,” News Tribune, April 24, 2001: 21.

48 News Tribune, May 12, 2001: 19.

49 Don Rulz, “Pitching and Defense: Seattle’s victories total 30 after textbook triumph over Chicago White Sox,” News Tribune, May 17, 2001: 17.

50 News Tribune, May 29, 2001: 25.

51 Don Rulz, “Mariners’ streak reaches 15,” News Tribune, June 9, 2001: 21.

52 Steve Kelley, “After many pitch stops, Abbott has found a zone,” Seattle Times, June 25, 2001: 25.

53 Larry LaRue, “Career years already do the lineup,” News Tribune, August 3, 2001: 23.

54 News Tribune, August 7, 2001: 21.

55 News Tribune, October 2, 2001: 25.

56 John McGrath, “Savoring wins over some wine,” News Tribune, October 7, 2001: 47. The victory went to Joel Piñeiro.

57 Dave Boling, “A wild and weird night for Abbott,” News Tribune, October 22, 2001: 19.

58 John McGrath, “Sele fails when M’s need him,” News Tribune, October 23, 2001: 21.

59 Much of this information was obtained during the author’s online interview with Paul Abbott on November 29, 2023.

60 Mike Digiovanna, “Well-Traveled Abbott Has Taken Some Painful Hits,” Los Angeles Times, October 13, 2000: 244.

61 Larry LaRue, “Abbott, Mariners avoid arbitration,” News Tribune, February 13, 2002: 20.

62 Don Ruiz, “Struggling Abbott moved to pen,” News Tribune, April 27, 2002: 21.

63 News Tribune, May 24, 2002: 33.

64 Dan Raley, “Mariners: Persistence pays off for Abbott,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, August 20, 1999: 61.

65 Paul Abbott player page, MLB.com, https://www.mlb.com/player/paul-abbott-110015, accessed March 4, 2026.

66 Much of this information was obtained during the author’s online interview with Paul Abbott on November 29, 2023.