Two high‑value pitching machines, each appraised at $7,000, vanished from the skybox of Long Beach Pony Baseball at Whaley Park early Tuesday morning.
The theft came to light when a coach, Matt Heavin, opened the security door and found it forced open, a sign that the intrusion was deliberate.
A Targeted Heist Amid Tournament Season
Investigators believe the crime was targeted, noting that nothing else in the skybox was disturbed, suggesting the thieves knew exactly what they were after.
The machines, donated by a local family just last year, had become the league’s primary tool for player development, being used almost daily for the past six months and helping nearly every participant perfect their swing.
Their loss arrives at a critical juncture as all‑star teams have entered summer tournament play, forcing coaches to revert to an older, less capable unit for upcoming games.
Long Beach Pony Baseball is now appealing to the community for any information that might lead to the recovery of the equipment, emphasizing that the machines represent more than gear — they are a cornerstone of the program’s growth.