Adrian Gonzalez moved from Tijuana to San Diego in the fifth grade, and shortly after his family settled into a house in the South Bay suburb of Chula Vista, they built a batting cage in the backyard. It was 80 feet long, 14 feet wide, 14 feet high. David Gonzalez, Adrian's father, made sure to place the pitching machine precisely 60 feet, 6 inches from home plate. "It could throw 95 miles an hour," David said. "It was just like what they had in the pros." Two major leaguers -- Adrian and his older brother Edgar, both of whom now play for the hometown Padres -- were basically raised in that cage.

When the boys moved out, David and his wife sold the house, but stayed in the area. Two years ago, Adrian was back in Chula Vista when he was approached by a man who claimed to have bought his childhood home. The man's name was Andy Rios and he explained that his son, also named Andy, was now hitting every day in the same backyard batting cage. "He told me that if I was ever around, I should stop by," Gonzalez said.