ABOUT THE DEDICATION

On April 23, 2001, Joe Connor dedicated modernerabaseball.com in memory of his late father. The dedication came on the two-year anniversary of his father's passing from cancer. Instead of reliving the anniversary in total sorrow, Joe decided his father's passing should be a dedication - a tribute, even a celebration if you will - of his father's life.

Joseph Patrick Connor III, Joe's Dad, was born in Connecticut. He served in the U.S. Air Force and later became a successful sales executive with WFSB-TV in Hartford, Conn., where he raised Joe and his other son, Chris, with his wife, Joan. From sun up to sun down, Joe's Dad lived each and every day to the fullest. Whether it was taking his wife out to dinner, watching his sons' athletics or just cruising over to Block Island on his boat - Joe's Dad was one guy who didn't stand still very often!

Joe's Dad was also an avid sports fan, so much so he had season tickets to the Hartford Whalers (now Carolina Hurricanes) of the National Hockey League. Of course that took a lot of dedication, you see, because the Whalers - um, Failures - lost A LOT more games than they won!

Joe's Dad's love of sports extended beyond the hockey rink, where he also coached both his sons in the local youth program in suburban West Hartford. During his "hey day," Joe's Dad was one of the most feared slow-pitch softball pitchers in the fruited plain! His stuff was no nasty that he helped the Peter Pan Cafe to multiple championship victories over the rival, Beacon Cafe in the sweaty Hartford summers! Little Joe was the BatBoy on those teams and it was then that his father became his "guiding light to baseball."

When the Peter Pan Cafe wasn't playing, Joe and his Dad were either watching baseball on television together, practicing hitting or pitching in the back yard or heading up to Fenway Park to catch the Red Sox. It's these memories, and so many others, that helped shape Joe's fascination with baseball. The incredible opportunities Joe has had - to travel the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia - are because of two people: his mother, who always encourages him to reach for the stars, and his Dad, his guiding light to baseball.