Batting Cages ...so fun

So 20 yr old said “let’s go hit some” and we went. Hitting is a good reminder of how fun baseball used to be. And hitting one hard? Hard to find a better feeling.

 

Love the batting cages. I've always prided myself on still being able to hit a BP fastball. It doesn't go very far -- I'm a singles hitter; can't seem to get the ball in the air very much -- but I can at least make contact most of the time.

That said, the last time I went was a few years ago and it was an embarrassment. It was the batting cage from hell. The machine had absolutely nothing to indicate when the ball was coming. Usually you can see the ball drop through the feed tube or there's a light or something. This one, you could see the ball drop and then there was a little delay before it came rocketing out from about 50 feet. I tried four different cages, all the way down to 45 mph, in an effort to get my pride back and foul tipped two balls. I looked like a jackass.

 

No cheating!!

 

This is a great way to blow off steam when you’re pissed. There’s a cage a couple miles from the house but I don’t go often enough.

 

When I lived in Pennsylvania and within walking distance of City Island in Harrisburg, I loved heading over and getting in some hacks. I think you got 10 or 12 pitches for a buck. Ours is outside a 24-hour bowling alley; unfortunately the cages are only open 10-10, because I’d love to take some swings at 2 a.m. (as would every drunk around here).

 

Went on the 4th for the first time in about 15 years. We have an old-school spot that has a quality mini-golf course that costs $2.75 for 18 holes, and batting cages adjacent to it. Forget how much the cages were, but my wife and I, plus 2 teenagers, all played a round of mini-golf and all took multiple sessions in the cages, and we got out for less than $30 total.

The cages have every option from slow-pitch softball to little league baseball and up to about 70-mph speeds. Something for everyone. The mini-golf place also hosts a "City Championship" tournament later this month, where they have 2 or 3 rounds of stroke play open to all who enter and pay the entry fee, then the top 16 individuals advance to a bracket competition, and the winner gets a big Ryder Cup-style trophy they keep for a year.

 

Worked as an attendant at one when I was a teenager.

Location was right along the main tourist drag. If the cages were empty, the owner wanted me in there tacking hacks trying to attract business, I guess.

Taught myself how to switch hit.

 

When I was a teen in the '70s we paid 25 cents for eight pitches, so we kept feeding quarters into the machines. Buddy's Bat Away in the San Fernando Valley labelled the machines Koufax, Gibson, etc. based on the speed of the pitch.

By the time my son was playing around 2010, there was a cost for a block of time. I recall the first time we paid for 15 minutes and he was tired after about 5, so I hacked away for the final 10 to get my money's worth.

 

It's amazing how fast your stamina level goes from "ready to mash" to "how many more pitches do we have?"
Every now and then a couple of the local high school teams would let me step in the cage or get in the box during BP. You usually hit a bucket of balls, maybe 2o or so, and then hand it off to the next guy. After about 10 or 12 pitches my arms would start to get heavy. If there were 25 balls in the bucket I could barely move the bat by the last one.

 

How hard are good, non-D1 type high school pitchers throwing? What's an MLB batting practice fastball?

 

A good, non-elite high school pitcher is usually in the 87-89 mph range. I've seen a lot of guys with that type of velocity get juco offers. I've even seen plenty of D1 college guys in that range. Average might be closer to 85-87 mph. Not too many high school pitchers worth a damn are below 82 or 83 mph, unless they have wicked off speed pitches or great location.
I'd assume an MLB batting practice fastball is around 84-85 mph.