Play Ball! Indoors

As an aspiring catcher and first baseman, preferably for the New York Yankees, Jayden Velez, 9, could barely contain his excitement.

It was 15 minutes before Saturday’s grand opening of an indoor baseball facility in a warehouse on 31 Fulton St. The space, which includes four batting cages, is the brainchild of Angel Ramos, founder of the City Angels Baseball Academy (CABA) youth baseball league.

CABA’s mission is ​“to use the sport of baseball as a vehicle to foster positive character development, academic achievement and improved health among youth from underserved communities,” according to its Facebook page.

CABA currently has an enrollment of 72 players. One of them is young Velez, who was clad in a purple City Angels hoodie and baseball pants on the crisp, sparkling morning.

“This is going to be great,” he said. ​“Everyone here is a good coach, and they try hard to keep us safe and help us get better.

“Now we can practice even in the winter.”

Inside the no-frills, artificial-turf-carpeted, 3,430-square-foot facility, also furnished with protective netting, pitching machines, and weight training equipment, Ramos was conferring with board members Elmer Rivera Bello, Pastor Abraham Hernandez, and Nathaniel Bonilla.

The opening of the nonprofit facility (which the kids use for free) comes after the Board of Zoning Appeals granted the CABA a use variance to permit a baseball practice facility with a batting cage at the industrial site.

“This is something we’ve been trying to do for years, and it’s something that New Haven has never had before,” said Ramos, who’s also the baseball coach at Wilbur Cross, amid the strains of lively music in the mellow light of the warehouse.

“It’s going to help get kids off the streets because now they’ll have a place to go after school and it’s going to help the New Haven baseball community become more competitive.”

Yabdriel Gonzalez, who plays shortstop for Wilbur Cross and aims to make it to the pros, said the facility will help ​“get my game to the next level. It’s not easy to make it to the major leagues and this means we can work on our skills all year long.” 

As dignitaries assembled for the opening ceremony, CABA coach Mike Dwyer stood alongside his fellow instructors.

“There’s a reason we coach for Angel,” said Dwyer, a former standout player at Hamden High who’s now the head junior varsity baseball coach for his alma mater. ​“We know Angel has this passion to help kids, not just on the baseball field, and this facility has been his vision for years. We want to see him succeed.”

“Once the high school season ends, we’re going to be coaching for Angel’s kids.”

Andres Rivera, another CABA coach, agreed. He was born and raised in New Haven and played under Ramos from the time he was 13.

“Now being next to him, I see the passion he’s always given to the kids in the city, and I want to give back what was given to me,” he said. 

“This will help put kids in a good direction,” said Jorge Velez, a senior who plays first base for the Wilbur Cross baseball team. ​“This is good for all of us.” 

With that, the ceremony began. Before a jovial group of roughly 80, Hernandez recognized the new space as ​“a safe haven for kids, where they’re going to be playing ball, but where they’re also going to be encouraged in all that they do in academics and beyond.”

Mayor Justin Elicker called the facility ​“one example of the work that we need to do to give so many more young people the opportunity to succeed.”

“What’s important is the mentorship, the underscoring of the hard work,” he said. ​“What’s important is people telling these young men that even if you don’t make it to the pros, into the league, you will make it into the professionals as a successful human being who’s able to take care of your family, who’s able to support your community.”

New Haven resident Waldo Williams called the facility ​“an absolute game changer.”

“This is something that’s been a glaring absence in the community,” he said, as a young player, standing off to the side of his fellow Academy members, quietly practiced his pitching motion. ​“Baseball is not an easy sport to play, it takes lots of hard work. With this place, kids can develop, can grow, and most importantly, have the opportunity to maximize their potential.”

“It’ll also give us an opportunity to turn out more kids who are not only ready to compete and play at the upper levels of baseball, but also at the upper levels of life.”

Once Ramos cut the ribbon, officially opening the facility, Berenice Irizarry, whose son Justin, 15, pitches and plays first base for Wilbur Cross, welcomed players and their families to indulge in sandwiches and cookies.

“This brings opportunities to kids and especially the Latin community,” she said. ​“I am so happy about it.”

Beside her was Miriam Colon. Her son Joshua Santiago also plays baseball for Wilbur Cross.

“He wants to go pro, that’s his dream, that’s his plan,” she said later, when joined by her son.

“But first things first, school, grades,” Joshua said, as his mother beamed. 

City Angels Baseball Academy indoor facility is located at 31 Fulton St. For more information, call 203 – 645-3838 or 203 – 444-7527 or visit the website or Facebook page. To donate to City Angels Baseball Academy, visit cityangelsba.com, scroll to the bottom, and click on donate now.