PORTAGE PARK — Inside a large corner storefront with blurred out windows, Jesus Quintana coaches young baseball and softball players as upbeat music thumps in the background.
Quintana is the co-owner of The Cage Chicago, an indoor batting cage at 4334 N. Central Ave. that opened in December to provide more activities for Northwest Siders at an affordable price and accessible location, he said.
Its two batting cages have been constantly occupied since The Cage opened, with travel teams and athletes taking advantage of the new spot, Quintana said. Neighbors have also walked in, eager to grab a bat and practice indoors while it’s cold outside, he said.
“One of the reasons we started this, too, was so that people have somewhere to go to and practice in the area,” said Quintana, whose children play baseball and softball and practice at The Cage. “They don’t have to drive out to the [suburbs].”
Quintana, who lives in Belmont Cragin, is a big baseball fan. He’s been coaching softball and baseball for about 10 years, beginning at Hiawatha Park and then at Dunham Park, where he is the director of the travel team.
That’s where he met his business partner, whose daughter Quintana coaches. Sharing an affinity for baseball, the two teamed up to open The Cage and began looking for big storefronts on the Northwest Side, Quintana said.
“It was both of us with the same idea so we decided to join forces,” Quintana said. “The only thing we don’t agree on is the sports team — I am a Cubs fan and he’s a Sox fan.”
Finding a local spot that was the right size proved challenging, Quintana said. They scouted numerous locations that were too small until the duo spotted a “for rent” sign on the Central Avenue corner storefront one day.
The location used to be a carpet store but has been vacant for about seven years, Quintana said. The owners rehabbed 90 percent of the store on their own, adding fresh paint and walls, opening the ceiling and putting up a fence to protect the windows and give it a baseball park vibe, Quintana said.
The facility has two batting cages that rent for $40 an hour and two pods available for $20 per hour.
Quintana also teaches routine hitting and pitching clinics at The Cage. The owners plan to add more sessions soon, which will be announced on their Facebook page.
“We do plan on having some summer camps during the summer days just so that the kids aren’t stuck at home,” Quintana said. “They can come over here and hopefully learn a skill or practice their skills they already have.”
Albany Park resident Monica Aguirre brings her 12-year-old daughter to practice at The Cage every week. Quintana has coached her daughter in softball for about five years at Dunham Park, but having a location closer to their home is an added bonus, she said.
“It’s really cool that we have something so close to our house because everything’s more in the suburbs,” Aguirre said. “I think it’s about time that he opened something up because he’s an amazing coach.”
Quintana’s dedication to coaching young girls who don’t often see themselves in the sport and having positive role models is important to Aguirre, she said.
“Supporting women’s sports is the way to go because if nobody supports it, then it’s nothing,” she said.
As The Cage builds up its clientele, the owners hope to partner with more local parks and schools to further build the area’s youth baseball and softball resources, Quintana said.
“We had an 18-year-old kid who rented [a cage] by himself and wanted to get some practice in before the season started, so he came here,” he said. “To me, I love that.”
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