The National Center for Disability Services (NCDS) has selected Jim Abbott, the former New York Yankee and California Angel standout pitcher who overcame the disability of being born with one hand, for the prestigious Roy Campanella Memorial Award. NCDS last gave out the award in 2001.

Abbott will receive his award at a ceremony at the 39th Annual Celebrity Sports Night, scheduled for Thursday, May 19, on the NCDS campus in Albertson. Fifty of the world's most recognized current and former sports stars will be at the event, which is expected to host more than 800 guests.

NCDS established the Roy Campanella Memorial Award following the Hall-of-Famer's death in 1993. It is given to unique athletes who have inspired others through their dedication and courage to defy the odds and achieve success.

Campanella's illustrious playing career for the Brooklyn Dodgers was cut short by a car accident on Long Island's North Shore in 1958. The accident left him paralyzed in all four limbs, but Campanella applied the fight he showed on the field to overcoming his disability. He went on to serve as Community Relations Director for the Los Angeles Dodgers for more than two decades.

Abbott, a left-handed fireballer who pitched and fielded with one hand, broke into professional baseball in 1989 with the California Angels. He was only the 15th Major Leaguer to bypass the minor leagues, and won more games as a rookie than any previous pitcher without minor league experience. His resume at the time included pitching the United States to its first-ever Olympic Gold Medal in a 5-3 victory over Japan in the 1988 Seoul Summer Games.

Abbott's Major League career highlight was his no-hitter as a New York Yankee at Yankee Stadium in 1993.

At Celebrity Sports Night in May, Abbot will join a host of former New York baseball greats, including the Mets' Keith Hernandez and Tom Seaver and Rich "Goose" Gossage, the Yankees reliever.

Attendees will have the opportunity to chat with the athletes during a lengthy reception. A dinner will follow, featuring an original musical spoof under the lights, performed by celebrity athletes and students with physical disabilities at the K-12 Henry Viscardi School at NCDS.

Tickets are still available for Celebrity Sports Night, which gets underway at 6 p.m. on May 19. More information is available by calling 465-1520 or by visiting www.abilitesonline.org.