Save Dad’s Arm: Baseball Pitching Machines

I’m going to talk to all the kids out there. Let’s just get one thing clear: a baseball pitching machine won’t prevent dad from getting old. There’s nothing we can do about extending that storied career of his as he starts turning gray and that six pack gels into one massive reason to never leave the couch. But it just may save his arm well into his grandkids’ young baseball careers while giving him the motivation that “batting practice” is fun, not painful. My father, on the other hand, learned this lesson the hard way.

Before coming to Pitching Machines USA, I was an avid ball player with a dad that arguably could’ve made the pros, following in the Phillies great Larry Bowa’s footsteps as the groundball vacuum of the 1980’s. In other words, he could play ball. Stepping onto the backyard field with him, I knew he could double as a backstop as I perfected my curveball as well as a tremendous hitting coach and pitcher. Little did either of us realize that 20 years of playing baseball daily, combined with another 10 years with your son, can really take a toll on your body. We certainly didn’t take the necessary precautions of stretching, warming up or taking pitch counts into consideration; like many of you, we played until our legs gave out!

Well Cole Lay, the founder and inventor of Heater Sports, had it right. He grew up the son of a coach and although his motives were financial, he realized the potential in an at-home pitching machine. Up until a few years ago, there was nothing on the market to satisfy a backyard pitcher (other than dad’s progressively deteriorating arm). Not only were existing pitching machines expensive but lugging around a 100 pound machine could be both laborious and dangerous for a youngster. And again, dad’s arm certainly wasn’t getting any younger! That’s when Heater stepped in to satisfy a growing middle class of sports enthusiasts and the rest –as they say – is history. Today they’re known as one of the premier consumer pitching machine and batting cage companies in the country.

So the moral here is to ensure the safety and longevity of both you and your dad. The durability of a baseball pitching machine is reason enough to get one for the home. But beyond that, it keeps your dad young (at least his arm, anyway) while ensure you still get your needed cuts. Looking back, I wish my dad had the opportunity to pursue this route as his arm is useful for little more than a mouse clicker today. So take care of our dads out there – buy them a much deserved baseball pitching machine!