Local dads enjoy free Lima Locos admission for Father's Day

LIMA, OH (WLIO) - When dads across the area said, "Take me out to the ball game," the Lima Locos listened. 

As a special treat for Father's Day, all dads were given free admission to see the 7-time champion Lima Locos in action. For over 100 years, baseball has been a favorite sport among dads, whether they're taking their kids to watch or teaching them to catch and throw in the backyard. We caught up with a few fathers at the game and asked, "What does being a father mean to you?"

"One of the most important things is you give them the proper environment with which to grow up, you make sure that they understand who God is, and then you support them all through life. No matter how old they are, you always want to be there for them. I take pleasure in having the opportunity to be able to do that," said Keith Cheney, who has two children. 

"It's just amazing. I like to see them when they're little and as they grow up, and see how they come into being an adult. Actually, I'm real creative, so I've taught some of them how to work with wood and some of them how to use wrenches and stuff like that so they can be fathers themselves," added Charlie Rayl, who has four children. 

Many of the players on the field have their dad to thank for their athletic success. 

"I couldn't tell you how many countless nights my dad spent there, getting shots in the gym, watching film in football, or even just hitting in the cage and throwing. He's always been there every step of the way, so to have that from your dad, it means a lot to you," said Ryan Yingst, a left-handed pitcher for the Locos. 

For his Father's Day present this year, Yingst bought his dad a yeti cooler.