It’s one, two … 30 strikes and you’re out

THREE kinds of parents attend Little League games: the ones who slouch shame-faced behind the backstop bleachers, the ones who deceive themselves into saying and thinking that plate performance counts for nothing, and the sort who at least occasionally accompany their children to the batting cages.

Hard-core enthusiasts ought to seek out a focus-fest like Baseball Central (1858 S. La Cienega Blvd., [310] 559-9782). This dark collection of cages offers six instructors to go along with its five areas for batting. In those cages, prospective sluggers will find swing aids such as batting tees and throwing machines, which throw real baseballs at velocities of up to 80 mph ($12 for 15 minutes of hitting).

“We’re definitely about the business of the game,” says Heath Caslin, a Baseball Central instructor. Still, a sizable number of youngsters at these cages are dropped off by their parents for what he calls baby-sitting.

At the other end of the spectrum is the arcade alternative that is hitting at Castle Park in Sherman Oaks. The cages (4989 Sepulveda Blvd.) are grouped among miniature golf holes and, yes, banks of video games. For $3, your child gets pitched 30 baseballs or softballs. Thirty pitches in a bit under five minutes might seem expensive, but, hey, have you played Dance Dance Revolution lately? Not cheap.

Parents in search of a power-hitting third way will prefer South Pasadena’s All-Star Baseball School. Nestled in the bucolic confines of Arroyo Seco, All-Star has a skate park to its immediate east, a par-three golf course across the street and striking vistas all around.

Even kids who learn they’ve got zip aptitude for stroking leather will be hard-pressed for a glum time.

“We set it up as a fun activity,” says co-owner Dylan Gaines. His school also features two pitcher’s mounds, where he throws live batting practice. “Not a lot of kids who come through here are going to play professional baseball, but they’re working toward a goal, improving a skill.”