MODERNERABASEBALL.COM ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF SEVENTH ANNUAL FATHER'S DAY CONTEST

SAN DIEGO, CA (June 17, 2007) - - Modernerabaseball.com is pleased to announce that Willie Ayala, Jr., has been recognized with the winning entry honoring his Dad, Willie Ayala, Sr., as part of the modernerabaseball.com 7^th annual Father’s Day Contest. For the seventh straight year, fans from across the country submitted their most memorable father-son, father-daughter baseball memory to modernerabaseball.com for a chance to win some great prizes.

To hear Willie Ayala Jr. tell it, Willie Ayala Sr. displayed an amazing, unselfish ability to find time for his son’s amateur games despite the fact that his line of work often had him working several hundred miles away. In making the long commutes on a frequent, regular basis, these actions demonstrated the unique bond the two shared – a baseball bond that continues to this day.

 “My Father, Willie Ayala, is…the ‘Best Dad in the World!’ Willie Ayala Jr. wrote in his submission. “I played baseball since I was five years old…He coached, helped during practices, and supported me...In 1997, my Dad was stationed in Tulsa, OK, but that did not keep him from flying back and forth to Los Angeles, CA to see me play on weekends. Our team was selected to go to Cooperstown, NY, in 1999, and again, my Dad was at every practice and every game…(Later, during a family relocation) he drove 180 miles round trip to see me play…I am now 20 years old, and the love of baseball is one of the topics of conversation when my Dad and I get together. Baseball will always be a part of both of our lives. I love my Dad, and I know now how much he has sacrificed for me and my sister, and he means the world to us both.”   

Don Allcock was recognized as second place winner for honoring his late father, who was a Dodgers fan but his son, a Yankees fan, dreamed of one day seeing his idol, Mickey Mantle in person.

“There eventually came a time when he felt I was old enough to go to a game and have it be worthwhile,” Allcock wrote in his submission. “I was about seven (years old) and had been playing in Little League for about two years. The time came and he surprised me with tickets that he'd gotten…front row seats. Like every kid in the 50's we all had our heroes. Mine happened to be Mickey Mantle and now I had a chance to be there as close to the Mick as any kid would only dream about. The day came and there was nothing like it, from the smell of the freshly cut grass to the peanuts, hot dogs and all the sounds of the people, the players – the ball slapping into the mitts, the ball hitting the bat in batting practice. Not only was there Mick, but also Yogi, Scooter, Bauer and all the rest of the Yankees. I was there and I was in Heaven.”

“Dad died in 1967 when I was still in my teens,” Allcock continued. “I've taken that love of baseball and passed it on to my daughters. My oldest played Bobby Sox for seven years and played on her freshman high school team. My younger daughter developed some medical problems and wasn't able to play, but never misses a chance to go the ballpark and keep score. Dad gave me the greatest gift I could've ever gotten...the love of baseball. I now coach Little League myself. Guess which team?”

"I would like to thank all those who took the time to write and honor their Dad's, as well as Autotrader.com, Bionic Gloves and King of the Road Music for their prize package donations,” said Joe Connor, whose Web site is dedicated in memory of his late father, who was his guiding light to the game. “A lot of submissions were received as they have been every year. I chose to be selective toward those that put the game in its proper perspective and context in capturing the simple essence of how a father-son, father-daughter relationship through baseball highlights valuable life lessons like mentoring, commitment and unselfishness, important values carried into adulthood and then passed onto future generations. These entries most demonstrated that."