Two pitching machines worth about $7,000 were stolen from Long Beach Pony Baseball’s skybox at Whaley Park this week, prompting league officials to seek the public’s help in identifying those responsible.
League officials discovered the theft when a coach arrived at the park and found a security door to the skybox had been forced open.
“One of the doors on our security door on one side of the skybox was basically crowbarred open,” said Matt Heavin, Long Beach TB Quakes owner and Whaley Park board member. “Both of our machines were taken.”
According to Long Beach Pony, the stolen equipment included two JUGS Mini 3 pitching machines that were donated to the league by a local family last year. The machines are used regularly by hundreds of players throughout the organization and are a critical part of player development.
Heavin said the theft appears to have been targeted.
“We had other stuff in there,” Heavin said. “Electronics, hot spots, different things. It’s kind of crazy that’s the only thing they took out of there.”
League officials believe whoever stole the machines may have been familiar with the facility and knew where the equipment was stored.
“It looks like someone kind of planned to go in there and take them out,” Heavin said. “They must have drove their car up and kind of just took them.”
The loss comes at a particularly difficult time for the league as all-star teams have begun summer tournament play.
Long Beach Pony’s all-star teams have been practicing nearly every day in preparation for big tournaments and the pitching machines had become a centerpiece of those workouts. Heavin said the machines had been used almost daily for the past six months.
Modern pitching machines can do far more than throw batting practice. They can be programmed to simulate fly balls, ground balls and a variety of pitches, allowing coaches to run multiple drills at the same time.
“Almost every kid has hit off that machine in the last year and a half,” Hensley said. “They are very important to our league.”
The machines also represented a significant upgrade for the program. Prior to receiving the donation, coaches often relied on an older machine that is roughly 25 years old.
“These new ones have definitely helped us kind of take our league a little bit more to the modern age of things,” Hensley said.
For now, coaches will rely on that older machine to continue preparing players for upcoming tournaments.
“We’re trying to scramble to at least get through,” Hensley said. “Both of our all-star teams have their first two big tournaments this weekend.”
The theft is the second incident this year where a baseball field was targeted. At Stearns Champions Park in January, the copper wiring was stripped from nearly all of their lights. A few days later the lights were fixed.
Long Beach Pony is asking anyone who witnessed suspicious activity near Whaley Park or has information about the theft to contact the league at info@longbeachpony.org or (562) 445-5971.
League officials said even the smallest detail could help investigators and potentially lead to the recovery of equipment used by hundreds of young athletes throughout the Long Beach area.
