City to close batting cages

NORWALK — Anyone looking to sharpen their swings for the baseball and softball seasons at a popular public place will be out of luck. On Thursday, Norwalk's parks and recreation department announced the city intends to permanently shut down the existing batting cages at Baines Park, off Austin Shadle Drive near Walmart. Officials, who've kept locks on each entry area since this past fall, cited "many compounding factors," forcing them to "make the difficult decision to keep the cages closed." "Due to the age of the mechanisms, pumps and enclosures, repairs feasibly cannot be made to the existing system," according to a department statement, noting this structure opened 20 years ago in 2006. Since then, however, "The pitching machine and accompanying elevator system had been purchased used, substantially adding to their age," the statement continued. "Original parts are no longer available, and the system is incompatible with newer parts on the market. Failures in the pit pumps and freeze/thaw issues with the cement and netting are compounding factors that have led to the hard decision to close the cages." Baines Park represented one of the area's only public, automated/self-operating batting cage systems. The system — which required tokens people needed to purchase — automatically delivered, retrieved and sorted balls for continuous hitting. The statement did note how "replacement of the cages or repurposing of the space will be considered as we look to the future needs of Baines Park," the statement read, adding how people can email lramsey@norwalkoh.com or pshober@norwalkoh.com for more information.