Abbott beyond grateful for his mom -- and her 'fiery' pregame tradition

When Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott received word in the early days of June 2023 that he was being promoted to the Major Leagues, he knew who must get the first call to learn the big news.

It had to be Jeanette, his mother, and David, his father. Since Abbott was Drafted in the second round by the Reds in 2021, they were first to be informed about each promotion on his way up the organization.

There was only one problem this time. When it was time to tell her the next promotion was to the big leagues, Jeanette was on the riding mower at home in Halifax, Va.

"Unfortunately they didn't pick up the phone the first time I called. It's kind of cliché, she was cutting grass like all of us do down South. It was surreal," Abbott said. "I kept calling. I think it was the third or fourth time I picked up the phone to call."

Once connected, excitement flowed -- and then some.

"She was ecstatic," said Abbott, who became an All-Star for the first time last season. "And then she immediately went into a kind of panic like, 'What are we going to do for tickets? How are we going to get up there? We've only got two days.' Then it turned into, 'All right, calm down. We'll get it figured out. We have a lot of good guys up here that will help us.'

"It was definitely a fun phone call, and if I could go back, it would be one of the best things to do again. But you only get one chance to do it."

There was nothing Jeanette Abbott wouldn't do for her son to help him succeed and move forward in the game. Whether it was transportation, spending time together going from point A to point B somewhere -- Jeanette was usually there, and then some, for Andrew.

"Dad was working all the time, so Mom was taking me to swim meets when I was swimming, to baseball games, baseball tournaments, to the airport if I had to fly somewhere, practice, school -- all of the above," Abbott said.

During Abbott's college career at the University of Virginia, that "without limits" attitude extended into a unique practice -- downing a good luck shot of Fireball before the left-hander pitched.

"There's a tradition that started at the College World Series in 2021," Abbott explained. "My cousin, my aunt and then my mother took a shot in the lobby of the hotel in Omaha the day I was pitching. I did well, and it's been a tradition ever since. There's been a few drops on social media that include a photo of her with her Fireball. Now, other people do it."

Abbott became the first Virginia pitcher to log 10 strikeouts at the College World Series and did it over six scoreless innings.

Not only has the tradition continued, it’s since expanded.

"Lindsay, my girlfriend's family, does it, so it's grown into its own little momentum thing," Abbott said. "You'll see a comment every once in a while, 'Oh, there's Miss Fireball,' which is pretty cool. [My mom] hates all the noise, but I like it.'"

This year for Mother's Day, Abbott's parents will be in Cincinnati, where the family will celebrate Jeanette. As coincidence would have it, he is pitching on Sunday vs. the Astros.

Perhaps a Mother's Day shot of Fireball will be on the menu.

"She's just selfless and doesn't want anything. She doesn't ask for anything," Abbott said. "You feel like you should give her the world, plus a little extra if you can. She's done a lot for me, so whatever she needs is just one ask away.

"It's so true that moms are the rock of the family. They hold everything together. Without her, I wouldn't be in the situation I am, obviously. I'm proud to be her son and ever thankful. I try to let her know how much I appreciated that."