Batting Cages

[Classicblast]

I do batting cage at the City Carnival. It's an annual thing which is starting Tuesday through Sunday.

I assemble a cage with a mechanical pitcher and I accept challenges from anybody who is willing to pay $5.00 and by the end of each day my arms are shot but there are three charities who will receive proceeds.

Carlos, a friend of mine who was born in the Dominican Republics and was a teammate at one time will take a few hours each day to give me some reprieve.

Carlos was very helpful to me in my beginning times. When he was released at about 33 years old. *Squints grists teeth and says "uh-oh"*

He started an electronics store. Selling and repairing tvs computers cameras and everything.

That's a good story in and of itself.

So I might not be on too much next week because I'm about shot when I get home after the carnival days.

We use Aluminum bats for this and the feel is a little different but they wont break and they're more universal for cage use.

[rylan]

aluminum bats are awsome, my favourite is my dads demarini.

the only thing that sucks about them is they really vibrate on the hands when your jammed inside, and since I have long arms and a long swing, that happens a lot. It does have a big sweet spot though.

[Classicblast]

Yeah they do vibrate. So do wood bats if you get hold of a fast pitch and it's not where you think you're getting it.

I have different bats I probably own 300 of them some of them are still at my parents house if they haven't thrown them out. I have bats I'll never use again but I give some away once in a while otherwise they're in a rack. and a very overloaded one at that.

For cages I usually use an Easton Aluminum.

[grape]

Aluminum bats are fun. But a lot of them were recalled before (for returning the ball back painfully at the pitcher.)

Anyways, I'm left handed so I have trouble with that stuff. I can't really play baseball because I get confused when I'm supposed to run. So as you can see, I don't play baseball because I don't know how. I know how to swing (and its fun) and hit the ball. But I don't understand the rest. lol.

[Blastgirl]

There having a tournament where teams assemble for a three inning game and it's round robin style and a price for the team that wins the tournament.

Its just who ever wants to enter a team. A team asked Classic to play for them but he said he would only do it if some other guys from his team were willing to play for the other teams entered just to have balance.

He's right though it would make it more fair.

[Phil]

Classic, play for the most disadvantaged team and kick everybody else's butt.

[Classicblast]

I will if some other guys will do the same.
I don't want to be anybody's ringer. The proceeds have to be for a charity not for their beer fund.

I can't really play for a recreation or municipal team unless it's for a charity.

[Mahnarch]

Growing up I lived near a 'Craig's Cruisers' (not sure if that's a national or local thing) but, they have batting cages.

I used to be the king of those..and best part? I'm a switch hitter. (is that what it's called? Lefty or Righty?)

Left or Right, I can/could point and deliver.

I used to challege the other kids and I'd hit the same side they did.

They'd usually be in the cage next to me (as opposed to being in the same cage with me? lol) and if they hit the auto-pitcher, I'd hit the auto-pitcher.
They went long, I went long.

My buddy Bob used to get so excited about me being able to move to the other side of the 'plate' in between pitches, he'd actually bring friends just to see it.

Classic, do you think I should have gotten into this baseball thing?

You see - I could swing and send balls to their fiery deaths, but I didn't understand anything else about the sport.

I knew which way 1rst was, but the rules on 'stealing'? Running? Walking? Batting Average?
Can you legally punch an ump in the face?

My folks weren't really sports people, so I never learned any.

In football, I can (apparently) throw a 'perfect snap', too.
Don't know what that means, but it sounds good.

In golf, I've won several awards for longest drive. It's my short game that hurts.
I'm the real life 'Happy Gilmore'.

At our last company picnic/golf outting I won $175 in Best Buy gift cards:
Longest drive.
Closest to the hole off Tee.
Finishing with the same ball started with (first balls are marked)
Nearly beaning the boss (who was on the fairway, Par 4) [co-worker endorsed gift]
Lowest 'Bottom 10' scores
and, Best Sportsmanship. (I let alot of the other guys cheat by 'scrambling')

Maybe I should've been a golfer.

[Phil]

Mahnarch it looks like you're a closit athlete. Winning money on a company golf outing is great. Probably shut up all the brass of the company too.

I think Classic would be more fit to answer most of the baseball questions, but I have no doubt it is illegal to punch an umpire in the face.

[Classicblast]

Counterclockwise Mahnarch. That's what the train switch hitters who can't seem to remember which way they're batting that day.

Run counterclockwise. No matter what base you're on it works. There's all kinds of defensive technique. If you're interested I can give a crude summation of positioning.

Nothing is etched in stone but for an example if there's two out the play is to throw to first. That's because the batter has the longest distance to run and you have the best chance of getting him out.

So if I'm playing 3rd with two away, and the ball is hit to me I would throw to first generally speaking. But if it happened to be right next to the base and I was closer to it than the runner I might just pounce on my pillow and end the inning that way.

You can run just about anytime but smart running for base stealing is to take off just as the pitcher is into his wind up where he can't change his move without a balk called. If he gets into his motion and you go he will usually try to pitch outside even if that's not the pitch called for so his catcher has a chance to throw you out.

If your batter is on his toes, and there's not two strikes already he should swing whether that's a possible hit or not because that's another distraction for the steal.

[rylan]

grape said:

Aluminum bats are fun. But a lot of them were recalled before (for returning the ball back painfully at the pitcher.)

Anyways, I'm left handed so I have trouble with that stuff. I can't really play baseball because I get confused when I'm supposed to run. So as you can see, I don't play baseball because I don't know how. I know how to swing (and its fun) and hit the ball. But I don't understand the rest. lol.

I dont care how old you are, you learn to pitch right now. if you want to play baseball, being a lefty is the most precious gift you can recieve... unless you want to play in the infield.

lefty pitchers are always good though.



I too am a switch hitter. im a natural righty batting, golfing, and hockey when I play goalie. if im not playing goalie I hold the stick lefty though. also when I shovel dirt or chop wood im a lefty... so one day I just decided to go up and bat lefty... I took a few swings, it felt really funny, but it started working out. I cued one of the end of the bat to the 3B and got my first hit of the year lefty, and now I cant relly tell the difference, except I hit high stuff better lefty, and low stuff better righty. I hit more fly balls lefty and more ground balls righty.

[Kimm]

Switch hitters are awesome.

Imagine an ambidextrous pitcher against a switch hitter. The batter comes up right handed, so the pitcher turns around, so the batter turns around and so does the pitcher.

What would happen?

Like Ali G said pitchers are always at a premium especially lefthanders.

[Mahnarch]

I'm also a lefty bowler, which lets me have the most oil down the lane throughout the game.

The rightys on my team (and opposing team) constantly accuse me of cheating, since the right side of the lane dries out and starts catching about half way through the second set.

Of course, my ball is usually the one with the oil streaks in the ball return, too, which works great because I have a wicked hook - right into pocket.

Best game:

X X X X X X X 9/ X 7- = 277 (if I remember correctly.)

Third and final set, and 4rth piture of beer.

[Kimm]

You remember the exact breakdown.

Youre a good bowler.

[Mahnarch]

I have a wierd ability for stuff like that - numbers and orders.

I can recall my childhood phone number (772-0515), but not my locker number in highschool (but I can tell you the combo of my sophmore year gym locker[3R-34L-16R])

That bowling score I broke down is also 2 years ago.
My current average is 172.
I use a Scorpion Poly, 14lb - drilled for a lefty.

[Phil]

I assume these people know they're challenging a pro. Does anybody every actually out bat a pro in the cages?

And if so can you stand them afterwords? I am curious.

[Blastgirl]

The thing is he will be out there doing it for hours at a time and sometimes fatigue factor sets in so sometimes he doesn't win.

[Blastgirl]

Classic was kind of whipped tonight so he didn't get to the computer at all.