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Field notes

The batting cage playbook

Field notes on building cages, finding cage time, and doing youth baseball right.

The pillar

Build a batting cage

Every decision in order, from “will it fit” to “it’s earning”. The part of a cage build nobody else has written down end to end.

All build guides
  1. Space & costWhat it costs, what fits, permits and HOA.
  2. FramePortable vs permanent, poles, slope, anchors.
  3. Netting#21, #36 or #42, and what fails first where you live.
  4. SurfaceTurf, mats, drainage, mound and plate work.
  5. Lights & machineEvening reps, L-screens, machine selection.
  6. Rent it outSelf-entry, pricing, and what it actually earns.

Latest Guides

Newest from the cage

A youth baseball player in a glove walks across the infield dirt of a park field in the evening
Field Notes

Little League Fundraising Calendar: Fall to Opening Day

What a volunteer league should plan each season before opening day: budget, sponsor banners, concessions, donated items, state rules, tax and insurance questions.

October 19, 20267 min read
A high school pitcher in a red cap and black jersey follows through on a pitch from the mound during a game
Field Notes

High School to College Baseball Recruiting Timeline

A grade-by-grade recruiting timeline for baseball parents, plus what NCAA D1, D2, D3, NAIA and NJCAA each mean and the questions to ask coaches.

October 19, 20267 min read
Night view of a major league infield from the upper deck, with a pitcher on the mound, a batter at the plate and fielders spread across the grass
CageList News

World Series 2026 Watch Guide for Baseball Families

The 2026 World Series starts October 23. Here is how to turn each game into coaching moments for a young player, plus one honest note on the December 1 labor deadline.

October 19, 20265 min read
Black and white photo of Dodgers first baseman Steve Garvey leaping over the Atlanta catcher to score at home plate in 1976, with a packed crowd behind
Field Notes

The Baseball Gods Are Real

Game 7 of the 2025 World Series came down to one stumble, one throw and one foot. Isaac Hess on why he believes the baseball gods give the calls to the people who earn them.

October 15, 20267 min read
A young volunteer umpire in mask and light blue shirt signals a strike with his fist while a spectator watches through the backstop fence
Field Notes

Everybody Thinks the Umpire Is Bad

Without umpires, baseball does not exist. Isaac Hess on the one season he wore the mask, what the job pays, what a day looks like and what we say to the people in the gear.

October 13, 20268 min read
Isaac Hess coaching a young hitter at a Los Angeles park at sunset
Field Notes

I Was a Coach With Nowhere to Coach. So I Built CageList.

For years I gave baseball lessons in Los Angeles, and the hardest part was never the coaching. It was finding a place to do it. Isaac Hess on why he built CageList.

October 12, 20266 min read
A young hitter in a batting stance at home plate at Penmar Park on a sunny afternoon, with the pitch in the air and a coach pitching from the mound
Field Notes

Hustle Ball: The Missing Middle Between Little League and Travel Ball

Hustle Ball sits between Little League and travel ball. I made it up with tennis balls in 2020. Here is why, how a session runs, who it fits, and how another coach could run it.

October 11, 20267 min read
A coach standing with two young players holding bats on a youth baseball field
Training & Hitting

How to Become a Private Baseball or Softball Coach

We found no national license requirement to teach lessons for pay. Here are the credentials, background checks, insurance and taxes to look into, plus a first-month plan and how to find a place to teach.

Updated October 20266 min read
A pitcher delivers during a 2021 College World Series game in Omaha, seen through the backstop netting
Field Notes

College Baseball Transfer Portal: What Parents Should Know

Your 17-year-old is not just competing against other 17-year-olds anymore. A former pro pitcher breaks down the transfer portal, the 34-man roster, NIL and JUCO, and what serious families should do about it.

October 11, 202616 min read
Night view of a packed Dodger Stadium from the upper deck, field lights on
Field Notes

MLB Lockout 2026: What It Means for Your Player

The MLB labor deal expires December 1, 2026. Here is what a lockout is, what happened in 2021-22, and what it does and does not change for your kid.

October 11, 20266 min read
CageList News

CageList Is Now an Authorized JUGS Sports Dealer

CageList is now an authorized JUGS Sports dealer. Real JUGS machines, nets, screens, and practice balls, sold and shipped directly at real JUGS pricing.

September 21, 20263 min read
Batting Cage Equipment

Buying a JUGS Machine Online? Here's How to Tell a Real Dealer From a Reseller

Not every JUGS listing online is what it looks like. Here's how to tell an authorized dealer from a reseller before you spend $2,000+ on a pitching machine.

Updated September 20263 min read