You see it at every level, from Little League fields to Major League stadiums.

You will see it on display at the Hall of Fame inductions in Cooperstown, N.Y., on July 29, when honorees Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn speak about the role their fathers played in their careers.

And the connection between fathers and sons was very much in evidence in the First-Year Player Draft held at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.

The sons of three Major League managers -- Sam Perlozzo of the Baltimore Orioles, Ozzie Guillen of the Chicago White Sox and Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels -- were selected during the two-day Draft.

There were a number of other high school and college players who were drafted who have
family connections to Major League Baseball.

No one can tell where the road in professional baseball will lead, but one thing is certain -- the bond between fathers and sons has been a vital part of many careers.

One man who has a full understanding of this bond is Jack Cust Sr., the father of Jack Cust of the Oakland A's, who put his name into the headlines in early May with six home runs in his first seven games.

To many fans, the A's new slugger seemed to be an overnight sensation after his contract had been obtained in a trade on May 3 with the San Diego Padres.

In reality, Cust's success with the A's came after a full decade in professional baseball with almost all of that time spent at the Minor League level.

It was hardly the road the Cust family envisioned when younger Cust was selected in the first round of the First-Year Player Draft in 1997. He was the 30th player selected in the Draft when his name was called by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

"I still remember the reports from our scout who saw Cust in a workout at Yankee Stadium," recalls Mel Didier, who was a member of the Diamondbacks staff at the time. "The scout raved about the big-league type of power this young man showed at Yankee Stadium."

Unfortunately for Cust, most of his power during the past 10 seasons has been on display in Minor League stadiums as he moved from one Major League organization to another: from Arizona to Colorado, Baltimore, Oakland, San Diego and, finally, back to the A's.

The one thing that never changed was the support from his family.

"My dad has been my biggest fan," said Cust. "He has always been there for me."

Jack Cust Sr. knew from the very beginning that the road to the Major Leagues could be difficult. He had been a top college player at Seton Hall and helped his team reach the College World Series in 1974.

"We have always given our support to Jack just as we have to our other sons, and we are proud of their accomplishments," the senior Cust said.

Kevin Cust was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2000 in the 11th round and spent two years in the Minor Leagues, and Mike Cust was selected in the 35th round by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2001 but did not play professional baseball. Both enjoyed outstanding amateur careers.

When Jack Cust Jr. was gaining attention as a high school hitting sensation, his father decided it was time to take a small step into the baseball business himself and purchased a vacant building in Flemington, N.J., to set up a batting cage and a pitching machine.

"I knew if we had a batting machine set up that would keep Jack out of any possible trouble when he started his career because he loves the game and loves to hit," said Cust Sr.

That early step to give his baseball-playing sons and their friends a place to work out has now developed into the Jack Cust Baseball Academy with a full staff of professional instructors and rates as one of the top baseball facilities in the Northeast.

"We are very proud that a number of the young men who have been a part of our program have gone onto careers in college and professional baseball," says Cust. All three of his sons now serve on the staff of the academy.

When Cust's flurry of home runs produced a lot of media attention, the A's slugger recalled the time when he was five years old and his father took him to Yankee Stadium.

The younger Cust has told the media he remembers looking at the stadium and thinking, "This is where I want to be."

A father and a son at a big-league stadium and the youngster looks at the field and dreams. It's a story as old as the game itself.

Jack Cust Jr. has survived a lot of stops along the way before gaining some attention at the Major League level.

His father has been there offering encouragement every step of the way.

It seems rather fitting that Father's Day should follow baseball's Draft by a matter of days.