Which person invented the batting cage, used today for baseball and softball practice?

Wellington Titus of Hopewell, New Jersey, United States, was the forefather of the batting cage. He worked as a mover of houses- an unconventional trade at which, according to legend, he was phenomenally talented! Titus also played catcher for his local amateur baseball team, the 'Hopewell Athletic Club'. Like many players, Titus disliked having to chase down pitches that had gone astray and far-off foul balls when he was a catcher during batting practice.

This resulted in his invention in 1907 when he developed what he called a "baseball back stop". This device, essentially a portable batting cage, quickly found a following, and the demand for it proved so great that Titus immediately applied for a patent. He signed a contract with the company 'A.G. Spaulding and Brothers' to mass produce his device before its patent had been approved.

The game of baseball was taking America by storm in the early 1900s and his invention at the same time was portable, stationary wherever it was placed, and suitable for use both indoors and outdoors. The batting cage also had the advantage of providing a secure setting that still exists today- it is harder for others to steal balls when they are kept inside the cage.

Donald Cameron Cunningham, a football player, invented the dugout. Doug Allison, is one of the first players to use a baseball glove. Henry Chadwick advanced the development of the game of baseball by editing the first guide that was sold to the public.