If you’re thinking you’d like to give your child the opportunity to play baseball, but don’t know how to get started, keep reading. We’ll pitch you the info and walk you through the things East Bay parents need to know – step by step.
Where to play baseball | Where to watch a baseball game | Recreational baseball leagues | Baseball classes and camps | Batting cages | Where to buy baseball gear locally
Learning to throw and catch requires practice. The first step is to buy baseball gloves and a few softballs to practice catching and fielding. Here’s an Amazon (affiliate) link to some affordable supplies so you can hit it out of the park with your new hobby. Get one for everyone in the family!
Where to Play Baseball and Softball in Town
Make playing catch a regular habit. My son is motivated by the theatrics of the game, so while plenty of public grassy fields make sufficient backgrounds for playing catch, a real baseball field is even better.
Check out these fields of dreams, where you can practice and play when school and baseball practice are not in session:
Alameda Little League Fields in Alameda
Albany Little League Fields in Albany
Albany Middle School in Albany
Bushrod Fields in Oakland
Chabot Field in Rockridge
Caldecott Field in the Oakland Hills
Coaches Field in Piedmont
Central Park Sports Complex in Fremont
Glendale La Loma Park in the Berkeley Hills
King Middle School in Berkeley
Krusi Park in Alameda
Montclair Park in Montclair Oakland
Northgate Community Park in Fremont
Ocean View field in Albany
Owen Jones Field at Pinto Playground in Oakland
Roberts Regional Park in Oakland
San Leandro Ballpark in San Leandro
Washington Park in Alameda
More favorite Oakland baseball fields from NOLL/SOLL >
Batting Cages in the East Bay
Ready to take some swings? Batting cages offer automated pitching machines that can be adjusted to kid-appropriate speeds. Call ahead to learn if you can reserve a cage before you step up to the plate.
Oaktown Baseball Batting Cages in Oakland (also classes and private lessons)
Oaktown Ballers Facility in Oakland
Payless Batting Cages in Concord
East Bay Sports Batting Cages in San Ramon
ITA Batting Cages in Emeryville
Where to Catch a Baseball Game in the East Bay
Professional and Semi-Pro Ball Games
Oakland Ballers games at Raimondi Park include a festive vibe and a playground on your way in and out.
College Baseball and Softball in Oakland, Berkeley, and Hayward
Cal baseball and softball games are cheaper than professional games, offering close seating and a more intimate atmosphere (for a fun and memorable family outing).
Local college baseball and softball teams to cheer for:
- Cal State East Bay Pioneers Baseball (Hayward)
- Cal State East Bay Pioneers Softball (Hayward)
- Laney College Eagles (Oakland)
- Chabot College Glads Baseball (Hayward)
- Chabot College Glads Softball (Hayward)
East Bay High Schools Baseball and Softball
High school teams fall somewhere between tee-ball and the major leagues. Their games are typically free and filled with excitement. If your family wants to attend a high school game, look into the larger schools including Berkeley High, Oakland Tech, Skyline High, Bishop O’Dowd, Head Royce, or St. Mary’s High School.
Little League makes for a cheap evening outside
Little League games are not as action-packed as college-level ball, but they’re free, so you can easily drop by and stay for an inning or two. Check the NOLL/SOLL, Piedmont Baseball Softball Facebook page, or the Albany Little League for activities and events.
Pro-tip: The Albany Little League Snack Shack sells hot dogs and organic chicken apple sausages for $2. You can feed and entertain your whole family outdoors for less than $10 if you show up at the right time of night. There is a playground for bored spectators next to the bleachers, too.
Recreational Leagues for Spring Baseball Season
Spring baseball and softball sign-ups often happen in the fall. Did you miss a registration date? Visit the websites of these recreational leagues to join their email lists and stay in the lineup for next year’s season.
NOLL/SOLL (North Oakland/South Oakland)
Albany Little League
Albany Berkeley Girl’s Softball League
Alameda Little League
Alameda Girl’s Softball Association
Babe Ruth Little League (Oakland)
B.O.E. Pony Baseball and Softball (Berkeley, Oakland, Emeryville)
Castro Valley Little League
El Cerrito Youth Baseball
Floresta Baseball League
Fremont Centerville Little League
Oakland Girls Softball League
Piedmont Baseball/Piedmont Softball
San Lorenzo Little League
Washington Manor Junior League
But hold the pitch—why wait? You can start honing your baseball skills and drills right now with the specialty programs we’ve found below!
Local Baseball Classes and Camps
There are a few terrific programs that offer baseball skills around the East Bay, not centered on a team/game model. Piedmont Recreation Department introduces kids as young as 3 to the basics of baseball. Junior Giants offers free non-competitive baseball classes for boys and girls in Oakland, Richmond, Hayward, and Newark starting at age 5. And Next Level Softball & Baseball Academy in Alameda provides expert lessons to help elevate softball and baseball skills to the “next level”.
Find a summer baseball day camp >>
Parent tip #1: Coach Ben at Future Star Baseball offers drop-in classes throughout the year, skills clinics, and customized (private) lessons in addition to camps.
Parent tip #2: Another great resource in the East Bay is Archie Gilbert. He is a retired professional baseball player who teaches kids baseball skills. My son has been taking lessons with him for 6 months and has improved in everything – fielding, pitching, hitting. Plus he has learned game strategy! I highly recommend Archie to anyone who wants to improve their baseball skills.
Where to Buy Baseball Equipment in the East Bay
Gear up to Batter Up! If you know the type and size of gear you want, Amazon and Walmart are a good source. If online shopping isn’t your style, and you need the guidance of a salesperson, love to shop local, or want your kiddo to try things on, here are some go-to East Bay shops that really hit it out of the park (last pun, I promise!) when it comes to baseball and softball gear:
Big 5 Sporting Goods – South Shore Center, 325 Park St, Alameda, CA – (510) 865-6486
Dick’s Sporting Goods – Multiple East Bay Locations including Pleasant Hill and Fremont
Sports Basement – 2727 Milvia Street, Berkeley – (510) 984-3907 plus Walnut Creek and San Ramon
Mary and Joe’s – 911 San Pablo Avenue, Albany, CA – (510) 525-1597
Play it Again Sports – Multiple East Bay Locations including Concord and Dublin
West Coast Sporting Goods – 1855 Alvarado St, San Leandro, CA 94577 – (510) 351-6644
Did I leave out your favorite baseball resource? Tell us in the comments and we’ll update this post.
4 thoughts on “A Rookie’s Guide to Kids Baseball & Softball in the East Bay”
UCNLL in Union City is still signing up for softball and baseball ages 4 and up
Do any baseball groups or teams in Alameda have sign-up for kids 4+ for spring?
For Alameda, you can visit https://www.alamedalittleleague.org/. Registration usually begins in September and ends in January, but you can still give it a try!
https://www.eastbayoaksgirlsbaseball.com/. Check out this league for girls baseball