The Big Dog Can’t Wait For The Batting Cage to Open Friday

It is not officially baseball season, even if the Major Leagues got underway last week, until the Quincy Park District opens the Batting Cage at Moorman Park. That will take place this Friday at 3 p.m. when the machines will be turned on for the season. I look forward each year to two things at the Batting Cage. The second thing I look forward to is taking my swings for the first time this year. That can't happen though until the teenage employee gives me my tokens needed to activate the pitching machine.  So the first thing I enjoy is watching is the kid's face when I ask for batting cage tokens.

He's usually ready to hand me a colored golf ball and a putter to play that "old man's" game, miniature golf. What I'd really like to do is be a fly on the wall and hear the conversation after I walk away with my tokens.  I know they are watching to see if I can even hit one pitch while I am there.  What they don't know is I played baseball for 24 years and I still have a little boy left in me to step in there and smack a few baseball around.

Unfortunately, over the years my smacking a few baseballs around has led to one broken toe and a fractured tibia from fouling the ball off myself. Even with those calamities, the little boy in me won't leave.

I can see myself in the cage in my 80's. I probably won't be able to swing the bat, but I will be able to bunt all while looking over at the "old people" playing miniature golf.

The hours for the Batting Cage are 3:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and 12 noon to 9 p.m. on Sundays.