Hoping for a Home Run

Marine Corps veteran Roc Rothchild, owner of Home Run Stadium Batting Cages in Mesa, is seeking help from the community to pay for needed repairs to his business after lost revenue from the light rail project and pandemic. (Photo by Pablo Robles)

Marine Corps veteran needs help for his batting cages

BY ZACH ALVIRA Sound of Freedom Staff Writer

The owner of a local batting cage that has become a staple in the Mesa is asking for help to fund much-needed repairs aft er losing money because of light rail construction and the pandemic.

Home Run Stadium Batting Cages is owned by Marine Corps veteran Roc Rothchild, and located near Gilbert Road and Main Street in Mesa. It has long been a go-to destination for amateur and professional baseball enthusiasts. Local high schools, including nearby Mountain View, have used the cages in previous years for batting practice. Several pro players have come through at various times, most commonly when preparing for spring training both in the Valley and in Florida.

But perhaps most importantly, it’s become a destination for families to enjoy time with their loved ones while getting a small sample size of America’s greatest pastime.

“People love it,” Rothchild says. “I’ve had people reach out to me and tell me some of their favorite memories from the batting cages. It means the world to me to hear that.”

Home Run Stadium opened in Mesa in 1986. Rothchild, the current owner, took over in the 1990s while looking for a business venture aft er retiring from a bank.

According to Rothchild, Home Run Stadium was an easy choice to purchase. Not only did he enjoy baseball and play growing up, but he saw an opportunity for those in the community to enjoy the venue together.

But, aft er over three decades of service, the cages have suff ered wear and tear.

Rothchild in the last year repaved the concrete behind the pitching machines — which are still the originals from when Home Run Stadium fi rst opened.

He’s also had to replace some of the netting on the dome, which serves as the largest of its kind in the state and country. Th at alone has become an attraction to many as it allows the balls to carry farther, simulating what could be a home run on an actual fi eld.

Rothchild also recently replaced all the baseball and soft balls for the machines, about 2,000 in total.

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Phil Stenholm, a 66-year-old Tempe resident, has been going to Home Run Stadium at least three to four times a week since the 1990s. To him, it’s a community gem he doesn’t want to see go away any time soon. (Photo by Pablo Robles)

BATTING CAGES FROM PAGE 18

But there is still more to be done.

“There’s a lot of routine things you would normally keep up every year,” Rothchild says. “We are working on some electrical repairs now and then will work on some of the netting.”

Typically, Rothchild would have no problem making the necessary repairs in a timely manner. But business has slowed considerably since 2017, when the light rail project began.

The start of the light rail project, which ends near Home Run Stadium, made it difficult for everyday batters to navigate through construction and into the cages. Rothchild says it was a daily battle keeping the machines and cages clean while dust was kicked up into the air during construction. As a result, Rothchild says his business saw a 50% drop in revenue.

When construction finally finished in 2019, Rothchild began to see more traffic into his venue. Then the coronavirus hit.

“It was hard on the batting cages,” Rothchild says. “I even have a T-shirt that says, ‘I survived the light rail.’ Now I’m looking for one that says, ‘I survived the pandemic.’ Nobody wanted to come out of their homes. It was a difficult time.”

Despite virtually no customers throughout much of the start of the pandemic, Rothchild managed to keep Home Run Stadium in business and pay his three employees.

But as traffic has once again begun to pick up, he recognizes the need to complete repairs to not only provide a safe environment but an enjoyable one.

Rothchild set up a GoFundMe for community members to donate toward repairs. So far, over $10,000 of $45,000 has been raised — all of which went toward the new balls and other small repairs.

The donations have been a welcoming sight to Rothchild and several of Home Run Stadium’s faithful customers.

Phil Stenholm, a 66-year-old Tempe resident, has been a regular customer of Home Run Stadium since the 1990s.

During his 27 years working the night shift as a dispatcher for the Paradise Valley Police Department, Stenholm would routinely go to the cages as a way to workout in between his sleep schedule.

Stenholm retired in 2015 but has continued his tradition of hitting balls in the cages at least three to four times a week.

“This is a unique place where people can come here of all ages,” Stenholm says. “If you came out here and started doing this regularly, you would realize how special this place is. This is something, as a community, you don’t want to lose.”

An avid baseball lover growing up, Stenholm’s father played semi pro ball for several years in the 1930s.

Stenholm will take batting practice in various throwback uniforms.

“I like to honor the memory of the old players,” Stenholm says. “This is what they wore when they were playing, and I like that. It’s a way to honor the difficult path they took to get to the majors.”

The batting cages at Home Run Stadium bring families, teams and the community together to create memories.

“People are coming back now,” Rothchild says. “But of course, as people come back, things start to break down. It means everything to have support from the community.”