Former pitcher an inspiration to Schaumburg Business Association
He was born with two club feet, but Jim Mecir successfully pitched in the major leagues for a decade.
On Tuesday, he brought his optimism, and his views on leadership and team-building, to the monthly Schaumburg Business Association breakfast meeting as guest speaker.
A right-hander, Mecir started his career in 1995 with the Seattle Mariners. The next five years were with the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays, before he settled in with the Oakland Athletics for 4½ years. He finished his career in 2005 with the Florida Marlins.
Despite several surgeries as a child that enabled Mecir to walk, he has gone through life with a right leg that is an inch shorter than his left, and a right calf that is half the size of his left calf.
In 2003, Mecir received the Tony Conigliaro Award, given annually to a player who must overcome significant adversity to play major league baseball.