Fans 'Call Your Shot' For the Ultimate Baseball Experience

State Farm(R) and Major League Baseball(R) offer fans the chance to call
    the shot for slugger David Ortiz before the 2008 State Farm(R) Home Run
    Derby(R) at Yankee Stadium(TM)BLOOMINGTON, Ill., May 22 /CNW/ -- Most baseball fans have the same dream
-- it starts with the roar of the crowd as they step into the batter's box,
point the bat to the outfield and call their home run shot.  On July 14, 2008,
State Farm, Major League Baseball (MLB) and David Ortiz will make this dream a
reality for one lucky fan at the State Farm Home Run Derby.
    Today, State Farm and MLB unveiled the Call Your Shot platform, which
gives one fan the ultimate baseball experience during All-Star Week in New
York. In addition to a trip for four to the All-Star Game and State Farm Home
Run Derby, the grand prize winner of Call Your Shot will stand beside famed
baseball slugger David "Big Papi" Ortiz before the State Farm Home Run Derby
to call a memorable home run shot.
    If the fan and Ortiz connect on the called shot, the consumer wins a 2008
Chevrolet Tahoe hybrid vehicle, the official vehicle of MLB, and a 2009 season
ticket package for his/her favorite MLB team. Win or lose, the fan will take
home memories of a once in a lifetime baseball experience from historic Yankee
Stadium in its final year.
    "Since its creation, America's pastime has brought fans, neighborhoods
and communities together in a fun, family oriented atmosphere," said Mark
Gibson, assistant vice president of advertising for State Farm. "The title
sponsorship of the Home Run Derby provides an opportunity for State Farm to
honor the National pastime and give back to fans by helping them realize a
dream almost every one of us has had as a child."
    Fans can enter the promotion daily through June 24 at
http://www.sfcallyourshot.com/2008.

    The grand prize package includes:-- Call Your Shot fan experience on-field before the State Farm Home Run
       Derby
    -- Four tickets to the State Farm Home Run Derby and MLB All-Star Game
    -- Meet and greet with MLB superstar David Ortiz
    -- Round trip air transportation for four to New York
    -- First class hotel accommodations in New York (five days/four nights)
    -- Broadway night in New York (dinner and a show)
    -- A $1,000 MasterCard(R) Gift CardAdditionally, 10 fans will win a first place prize consisting of a $300
MLB.com Shop gift certificate and 25 second prize winners will be awarded a
$100 MLB.com Shop gift certificate.
    The 2008 State Farm Home Run Derby is the pinnacle event of the State
Farm partnership with MLB and one of the many historic events happening during
the MLB All-Star Week(TM) celebration in New York (July 11-15). The State Farm
Home Run Derby will be broadcast live on ESPN, 8 p.m. EST, July 14, 2008.
    "The State Farm Home Run Derby continues to grow in fan popularity each
year and we expect there to be an unprecedented amount of excitement for the
historic event in Yankee Stadium," said John Brody, senior vice president MLB
corporate sales and marketing. "We applaud State Farm for its continued
partnership with Major League Baseball and creative activation around the
State Farm Home Run Derby for Major League Baseball fans."
    For more information about the Call Your Shot ultimate fan experience and
for official rules, please visit the promotion's Web site:
http://www.sfcallyourshot.com/2008. No purchase necessary. Void where
prohibited.About State FarmState Farm(R) insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the
U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in
Canada. State Farm's 17,000 agents and 67,000 employees serve over 77 million
auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and more
than 1.9 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No.
32 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please
visit statefarm.com(R) or in Canada statefarm.ca(R).About Major League Baseball PropertiesThe Major League Baseball Clubs formed Major League Baseball Properties
(MLBP) in 1966 as the Club's agent for marketing and trademark licensing and
protection. Major League Baseball Properties is responsible for managing
consumer licensing activities, developing national advertising campaigns,
cultivating sponsorship opportunities with major consumer brands and
corporations, growing the game and the business of baseball outside the United
States and creating national marketing programs in conjunction with Clubs,
broadcast rightsholders and national sponsors. MLBP also operates a full-
service video and audio production unit (Major League Baseball Productions), a
publishing division and stock photo licensing agency, and manages logistics
for the All-Star Game and World Series as well as all other special events.
For more information on Major League Baseball, log on to http://www.MLB.com.

For further information: Rich Pingeton of State Farm Insurance, 
[phone], [e-mail]; or Jennifer Barone of 
GolinHarris, [phone], [e-mail], for State Farm; or 
Matt Bourne of Major League Baseball, [phone], [e-mail] Web
Site: http://www.sfcallyourshot.com/2008