Tarik El-Abour, an outfielder who was raised in San Mateo, California, is a unique individual in the diverse world of Major League Baseball.
Tarik El-Abour is a unique individual in the diverse world of Major League Baseball. El-Abour, an outfielder who was raised in San Marino, California, recently signed a deal with the Kansas City Royals after spending the last two seasons with the Empire Pro Baseball League. In 2016, El-Abour was named the Empire League’s Rookie of the Year after batting.323 in 122 plate appearances and in 2017, he won a championship with the Plattsburgh Red Birds. However, it’s not his rise from humble beginnings that make his story so improbable.
He’s not an elite prospect. He’s expected to remain in the minors for the 2018 season. However, El-Abour’s deal is significant because he’s considered the first individual with autism to sign with a major league club.
His mother, Nadia Khalil, recounted the ways El-Tabour’s mind operates differently and how those differences accentuated his drive to pursue a baseball career.
Remarkably, that passion for numbers extended to baseball, a sport built on the importance of numbers. Whether El-Abour ever reaches the majors is irrelevant. Autism is a condition that affects 3.5 million Americans in a variety of ways and his presence on the baseball diamond is an inspiration to them all.
(Photo via Kansas City Royals)
