Abbey first began playing baseball as a freshman in college when he recruited fellow students to form the Vermont Catamounts (UVM) team. At UVM, he made the baseball and training program progress fast with his presence as player, coach and captain. He graduated in 1891 from UVM and the year after, Abbey’s team at the University won almost every game they played including games against professional teams.

After his graduation, Abbey was drafted by the Washington Senators where he pitched 14 games before being sold to the Pittsburgh Pirates. For five seasons, he played with the Washington Senators in 1892, Chicago Colts (1893-95) and Brooklyn Bridgegrooms in 1896. He finished his career with a record of 22 wins, 40 losses, 52 complete games, 1 save, 161 strikeouts and a 4.52 earned run average.  He was then sent down to the farm team in Macon, Georgia. In 1893, the Chicago Colts bought his services and he remained there until 1895 when he moved to the Brooklyn Grooms  Abbey remained with the team (renamed the Bridegrooms) for one more season. His last game was played on September 23, 1896, in Montreal, Quebec.  Abbey died at the age of 92 in Essex Junction, Vermont less than a year after suffering a heart attack. He is buried at the Mountain View Cemetery in Essex Junction.  He was posthumously inducted into UVM’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1969.