Dan Ninemire rarely =
hesitates to step=20
up to the plate. Recently, he swung at a =
possible foul=20
but came up a hero for area baseball stars.=20
He opened The All-American Baseball Center a =
few=20
months ago in Trafford's commerce park. The =
former=20
Pinnacle Studios had deserted the warehouse, but =
Ninemire's quick-thinking attorney knew it was a =
perfect=20
fit for his client's vision.=20
story continues =
below
"It was just =
a basic=20
shell of a building," Ninemire said.=20
After a year of renovation and restoration, =
Ninemire=20
was happy to get back to baseball instruction =
instead of=20
hammering nails and hanging tarps.=20
It was "a lot of work" with a lot of late =
nights, he=20
said.=20
Today, the center provides players with seven =
60-foot=20
batting cages, a 70-foot-long bullpen, an indoor =
field,=20
a pro shop and a conference center.=20
Ninemire's continued success and impressive =
resume=20
have helped parents and players realize that his =
year-round facility will be a frequented pit =
stop for=20
many youths.=20
He and his staff help players hit a round =
ball square=20
and also seek to improve their foot speed, arm =
strength=20
and fielding ability.=20
"They know what they're talking about," Ryan =
Bills=20
said of the staff.=20
Ninemire knows that football traditionally =
dominates=20
the area, but he is determined to help young =
baseball=20
stars shine.=20
"Western Pennsylvania has tremendous =
athletes," he=20
said.=20
National players from the South and West have =
more=20
noticeable long-term success, he said, only =
because=20
Mother Nature delivers sunshine for them all =
year.=20
His indoor facility should help players 365 =
days a=20
year.=20
"You can hit and field during the winter," =
Bills said=20
of the facility.=20
A 90-foot regulation infield stretching 80 =
feet high=20
allows players to hit pop-ups, field fouls, =
pitch balls=20
and maintain general conditioning. Overhead, 80 =
bulbs=20
pump out 1,000 watts apiece for superior =
lighting.=20
On the surface, players walk on a Pro-Grass =
XPS=20
surface, commonly installed at the high school =
and=20
collegiate level.=20
At 14, Bills appreciates the playing surface. =
"It's a lot of fun playing on the turf."=20
The base consists of crushed-up tires and=20
high-mileage shoe soles.=20
Ninemire gets the benefit of a grass field =
for his=20
players without the upkeep.=20
"It plays identical to grass," he said.=20
Color-coded markers are hung above the field =
at=20
designated intervals to signify an earned =
single,=20
double, triple or home run for batters.=20
Mike Banaszak, 13, loves the facility as a =
whole, but=20
he appreciates the multiple batting cages that =
spit=20
balls out to players at speeds ranging from 40 =
mph to 75=20
mph.=20
He credits Ninemire's knowledge and =
personality as=20
the foundation of success for players and the =
facility.=20
"He's real nice and he's a real good coach," =
Banaszak=20
said.=20
Other activities for players include =
supervised camps=20
and clinics, individual instruction and field =
rentals.=20
The 20,000-square-foot facility is ideal for=20
real-life baseball situations.=20
"I don't know of another facility where you =
could=20
field balls," Ninemire said.=20
He also highlighted his facility's location =
because=20
it draws players from many nearby school =
districts and=20
communities.=20
Penn-Trafford, Gateway, Elizabeth Forward and =
St.=20
Vincent College all use the facilities from =
January=20
until their spring season gets under way.=20
Periodically, Ninemire tries to lure the "big =
boys"=20
to his facility for clinic instruction.=20
"I try to bring in as many pros as possible," =
he=20
said.=20
Recently, baseball card giant Topps took =
pictures of=20
Ben Copeland, last year's top pick for the San =
Francisco=20
Giants, at the baseball center.=20
Ninemire and his staff have all played =
college ball,=20
several played pro ball and some scout for the =
major=20
leagues.=20
All operate under one patriotic red, white =
and blue=20
logo referred to as the revolution, which =
identifies the=20
strength and determination of the program.=20
Carson Seaman, 14, of Greensburg, can attest =
to the=20
fact.=20
"If you love baseball, then they'll teach =
anybody."=20
A love of baseball prompted Jim Buccilli, of=20
Murrysville, to move his Batter-Up facility to =
Trafford=20
three years ago. Before that, the facility was =
located=20
in Murrysville for about three years.=20
Buccilli has a bit of a baseball background =
he can=20
pass on to aspiring players. He played college =
baseball=20
at Point Park College (now Point Park =
University) in=20
Pittsburgh. His teams went to the College World =
Series=20
in 1978, 1979 and 1980, finishing third in the =
nation in=20
1979.=20
Buccilli also managed a 15-and-under team to =
a=20
seventh place finish in a 2005 national =
tournament held=20
in Roanoake, Va.=20
Batter-Up has four batting cages, banners and =
seats=20
from Three Rivers Stadium, a small turf area, =
and=20
birthday facilities.=20
The highlight: One of the batting-cage =
machines can=20
throw either a fastball, slow, curveball or =
change-up=20
ball to the batter. It is computerized and can =
catch=20
batters off guard.=20
"You can set it up so you don't know what =
kind of=20
pitch it is," Buccilli said. "You can see all =
the=20
different pitches."=20
The All-American Baseball Center can be =
reached at=20
412-380-7000, or visit its Web site, http://www.allamericanbaseballcenter.com/.=20
Batter-Up can be reached at 412-380-4323.=20