University of La Verne pitcher with one hand continues push towards big league dreams

Despite being born with one hand, a University of La Verne pitcher continues to thrive against the odds as he fights towards his dreams of playing in the big leagues.

Justin McFadden, a right-handed junior, was born with a condition called symbrachydactyly.

"We had no idea, we were shocked," McFadden's mother said. 

It affects about one in every 50,000 newborns who are born with missing or misshaped fingers, according to the National Institute of Health. Typically, it dissuades those children from pursuing sports, but baseball is in McFadden's DNA. 

"My grandpa played professional baseball," McFadden said. 

His grandfather, Thomas McFadden, signed with the then-California Angels in 1966 before going on to coach high school baseball for nearly three decades. The love of the game was then transferred to Justin's father, naturally falling to him as he grew up. 

"From the age of two, Justin slept with his baseball glove," McFadden's mother Patricia said. "Everywhere he went, he had a baseball in his hand."

His passion led to success through little league and high school, even though he was treated differently for his condition. 

"I did get talked about a lot, and bullied. ... It was really tough," he said. "But, I just knew that baseball was my outlet, and I knew I would keep going — no matter what."

Unsurprisingly, he drew much of his inspiration from Major League Baseball legend Jim Abbott, who also had one hand. Abbott spent a decade in the big leagues, hurling a no-hitter with the New York Yankees in 1993. 

The two met seven years ago, marking what was a monumental occasion for the young pitcher. 

He has the same unorthodox windup, ending with a quick switch of his glove once he hurls his pitch. McFadden's performance last summer, along with his 91 mile per hour fastball, impressed current La Verne University Head Coach Scott Winterburn. 

"Good fastball, good two-seam run, had a feel for the breaking ball," Winterburn said while giving a short but sweet scouting report on the starting pitcher. 

The team is currently in the midst of a program-best season, ranked No.1 in Region X for NCAA Division III baseball. As they work to get better every day, McFadden does the same, reviewing the fundamentals with slight tweaks to fit his unique style. 

"If he starts clicking the way we think he can, Justin's best baseball is in front of him," said Winterburn. 

He's still got at least one season of collegiate ball remaining as a junior, but he's already looking ahead to what may come. 

"One day, hopefully I can be in the Major Leagues," McFadden said. "Definitely for the next generation of kids that are born different, I want them to know that not only can I do it, but they can do it, and that anything's possible."