TRENTON, NJ…Southern Indiana State Commissioner Mark A. Watkins of Evansville, Indiana, was chosen as the recipient of the 2004 Babe Ruth Baseball "Vernon 'Lefty' Gomez Volunteer of the Year Award". This award was established in 1991 to continue the great name of the late Lefty Gomez, who served as a member of the Babe Ruth League, Inc. Board of Directors for 25 years. Gomez was extremely fond of the many volunteers in Babe Ruth Baseball who put so much of their time and effort into making the total program successful. Lefty always said it was the volunteer who was the backbone in making Babe Ruth Baseball the number one amateur baseball program in the world.

Selected from over 1 million volunteers throughout the United States and Canada, Watkins was chosen to receive this prestigious award because of his outstanding contributions to the Babe Ruth Baseball program and the youth it represents.

Under Watkins' leadership, Southern Indiana continues to grow in leagues and teams. His enthusiasm for the program is highly contagious. Watkins is committed to making sure all potential baseball participants in Southern Indiana are given the opportunity to play. He continually reminds the leagues and commissioners in his state that the most important level of play is local league play. 

"The 'Lefty Gomez Volunteer of the Year Award' is the highest award bestowed in Babe Ruth Baseball," said Babe Ruth President/CEO Ron Tellefsen. "Its recipient must embody the spirit of the Babe Ruth League philosophy, which is to provide the best possible sports experience for every child that has the desire to play. Mark Watkins certainly exemplifies this philosophy."

Babe Ruth League, Inc. is a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to developing better citizens by providing properly supervised baseball and softball competition for 5 through 18-year-old players. It is the basic intent of Babe Ruth League, Inc. that every candidate be given the opportunity to play in the program.