Tags
baseball, batting cages, Castle Park, Castle Park Batting Cages, family, hitting, Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, Sherman Oaks, softball, summer, summer camp
Castle Park Batting Cages, located at 4989 Sepulveda Blvd, Sherman Oaks CA 91403, Photo courtesy of imageevent.com
SECOND IN A SERIES
After checking out the Torrance Batting Cages, and enjoying myself there,
Three days later, to further break in my new bat and batting gloves, and to further prepare for my pick-up softball game the next day,
I went to the batting cages that I have frequented for roughly a decade, located nearly thirty miles north of Torrance:
Castle Park Batting Cages in the San Fernando Valley – Sherman Oaks to be precise.
Located about 14 and a half miles from where I live in Culver City, a stone’s throw from where the 101 and 405 freeways meet and bordering the Los Angeles River, I partake in hitting balls at Castle Park an average of three to five times a year, when I have time to.
As much as I liked the Torrance Batting Cages, I have to give Castle Park the edge because it offers more than just batting cages as an arcade and a miniature golf course is also featured.
Plus, while a token at Torrance is worth ten pitches, though the tokens cost a bit more at $4.00 at Castle Park as opposed to $1.00 a token at Torrance,
In the grand tradition of “You get what you pay for”, those $4 gets you 25 pitches at Castle Park; I usually pay $24 for six tokens, and I get a full and satisfying workout hitting both straight and high arc pitches.
Another significant plus for Castle Park is that it’s a great place for a family outing, or for a summer camp field trip, or to take a date.
While such is the case for the Torrance batting cages as well, unlike there if your family, summer camp kids, or the date whom you’re trying to impress and show a good time isn’t necessarily into baseball/softball, the arcade and mini golf course at Castle Park takes care of that.
In other words, Castle Park has a bit more to offer than Torrance.
And in fact, I have said to folks that in order to find out if anyone I date is someone I could really like and get serious with, I would take her to Castle Park and see how much fun she has there; whether she really enjoys herself or gives off that “Oh my goodness, just let me get through this” vibe.
A good shot of the batting cages at Castle Park; I do my hitting at the two cages on the right. Photo courtesy of castlebattingcages.com
Here’s a really good anecdote of an experience I had at Castle Park…
A couple of years ago I was at Castle Park doing my hitting workout.
I had just finished and was on my way home when someone of MUCH interest emerged from one of the baseball batting cages next to the softball cages.
That someone was a guy that in a big sense I grew up with…
Todd Bridges – famously known as “Willis” from the classic sitcom Diff’rent Strokes!
Being that Diff’rent Strokes was one of the shows that I grew up watching as a youngster, it should go without saying that I was thrilled to meet a child star icon from my formative years.
I was particularly thrilled in this case because unlike his co-stars Gary Coleman and Dana Plato (RIP to both), not to mention the numerous other former child entertainers who didn’t turn out so well after their shows, movies, and glory days were done,
I admired Todd because he was a survivor, the perfect illustration of such as he overcame a heavy drug addiction and well documented run-ins with the law; I told him such.
Todd, as I was glad to find out, was a real friendly and down-to-earth guy who I found out played second base in an adult baseball league.
Now while I’m not going to state that Castle Park is a place where you’ll likely to encounter celebrities, unlike places such as the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica,
I will say that meeting someone who I grew up a fan of in my childhood and adolescence was a treat.
Bottom Line:
I highly recommend Castle Park Batting Cages for a fun family or summer camp outing or a date.
However, I would be a bit careful in the afternoon during the summer months, as Sherman Oaks, being part of the San Fernando Valley, can reach triple digit temperatures during that time; When I go to Castle Park in June, I make sure to go when it opens at 10:00 a.m. and be out of there by around 11:00 or 11:30 to beat the heat.
Other than that, it’s a really good fun place which I consider a highlight of things to do in the Valley.
The arcade (inside the castle structure) and the miniature golf course at Castle Park Batting Cages. Photo courtesy of montereyconcessions.net