If baseball is in your field of dreams, then take a whack at your local batting cages. Batting cages offer a way to practice safely and effectively.
   From beginners to the advanced, the cages provide consistent and repetitive pitching. Because of the repetitive nature, it allows the hitter to develop "muscle memory"; a way for the body to become accustomed to the pitch and in turn, a stronger hitter.
   Butch Davis, coach of the Rochester Red Wings and frequent host of batting clinics at The Golf Tee in Webster, agrees. "In order to become a better player, one must take advantage of as many swings as possible. Batting cages offer the consistency a batter needs".
   Batting cages have been in operation for approximately thirty-five years. The first cages had baseball pitching machines only. The early cages were set up similar to the current day golf driving ranges with the ball being hit into open fields.
   The equipment available during this time consisted of "arm-style" machines. The balls were gathered by hand and fed to each machine, since the ma-
chines had no way of retrieving the balls.
   In 1978, the owners of Automated Batting Cages, Inc.(ABC) developed the first

"retrieval/  /conveyor" system to lift and sort both baseballs and softballs from a sump area. This system also fed each machine within the batting range. This development revolutionized the industry.
   Batting cages, like the ones at The Golf Tee: Family Fun-Tastic uses the automated system and has many different levels for the players to choose from. The Golf Tee: Family Fun-Tastic has 35, 45, 65 and 75 (Nolan Ryan) m.p.h. pitching machines, as well as slow and fast-pitch softball. Tokens are $1.00 per 15 pitches and helmets and bats are available.
   The "buzz" from many of the parents that join their children in the cages say that they are an enjoyable and inexpensive way to spend an afternoon.
   These batting cages also promote family togetherness since any families come down to play for fun and with a competitive spirit.
   Calvin Pickering, the Red Wings' leading home run hitter, added, "Parents can have the option of either playing with their kids in the batting cages or pitching the ball to them in the backyard, the batting cages allow for another avenue of fun".
   The Golf Tee: Family Fun-Tastic is located on 1039 Ridge Road in Webster.