Patent ID: 7273428

Claim:
An apparatus for supporting a tethered baseball in position for batting practice and retrieving the baseball after it has been hit with a bat, comprising: (a) a hollow structure and a ball support for holding the baseball, the ball support being connected to and positioned above the hollow structure; (b) a modified fishing reel having a line attached to the reel, the end of the line distal from the reel being attached to the baseball, the reel being housed in the hollow structure, an opening defined in the hollow structure for receiving the line extending between the reel and the baseball; the baseball being placed on the ball support prior to being hit, wherein said end of the line extends downwardly from the baseball to said opening in the hollow structure; (c) a motor for rewinding the line onto the reel, the motor being connected to the reel; and (d) means for activating the motor so as to retrieve the baseball.