Lorenzo Ponza, 86, Invented Pitching Machine
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Lorenzo Ponza Jr., who developed and perfected the modern pitching machine, died Wednesday at his home in Santa Cruz, Calif. He was 86.
Ponza grew up in Santa Cruz County on a farm-sawmill operated by his immigrant parents. He later operated a fix-it shop where many of his baseball products were created.
Ponza’s 1952 invention, the “Power Pitcher,” became the prototype for pitching machines he and others later built. His 1974 machine, “The Hummer,” became a batting practice staple for players from Little League to the majors because it could be set to imitate fastballs, grounders and pop-ups.
But Ponza kept tinkering with his designs, producing the “Casey” in 1983, the “Ponza Swing King” in 1987 and the “Rookie” in 1988. He sold his company in the early 1990s to Athletic Training Equipment Co., of Sparks, Nev.
