The Super Bowl has come and gone. The NHL is still on Olympic break. March Madness is still a month away. And we have been coping with the coldest, snowiest winter in recent memory. These circumstances beg for one question to be answered:

Is it baseball season yet?

While we are still enduring this most bitter of winters, Spring Training has kicked off for the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater, Fla. This offseason has been a somewhat tumultuous one for the Phitins—fans have been clamoring for General Manager Ruben Amaro, Jr.’s head after his latest effort to reunite the Phillies ’03 outfield (seriously though, Marlon Byrd and Bobby Abreu?) and not pack up and rebuild the franchise with fresh, young talent. Fans also fear the worst for one-time projected opening day starter, pitcher Cole Hamels. The former World Series MVP showed up to the Sunshine State injured and scratched for start of the regular season.

However, there is still reason to get excited—Amaro shook up the league by signing the aging yet effective A.J. Burnett to a one year deal in an effort to sure up the starting rotation, and former MVP Ryan Howard actually stuck to his Subway diet for an offseason and arrived to spring training lean and in shape. Will that mean another 35+ homerun season for Ry Guy? This writer and Phillies fans nationwide that still slap themselves at the slightest mention of Howard’s immovable (read: absurd) contract sure hope so.

So now you’re all fired up for the baseball season. And you’re welcome—this is America’s pastime after all. But for those of us who can’t get down to sunny Florida, there’s a little urban oasis for you Phanatics jonesing for high heat and smell of pine tar.

Everybody Hits Philadelphia is a unique indoor batting cage in Northern Liberties. Located at 529 W. Girard Ave, the business is founded, owned and operated by David Gavigan. The cages, which opened in May 2013, can be found in a non-descript storefront in the middle of the block, acknowledged only by a white sign reading “BATTING CAGES” in bold, block lettering.

“Yes, we actually do exist!” Gavigan said as I walked into the large room and laid my eyes on the large, expansive space that reminded me of a vintage 1950s lunch box—retro baseball cards act as wallpaper and old coin operated pinball machines and arcade games welcome you at the door. As for the actual cages, Everybody Hits offers a 3-stall, automatic batting cage that can deliver anything from slow-pitch softballs to fast pitch hardballs for baseball and softball players of any and all skill levels.

“It’s been busy,” Gavigan said. “I’ve seen all different types of baseball and softball players from youth baseball to slow pitch softball leagues. We have a kid who is training for AA spring training right now and comes in twice a week to work with his grandfather and practice on his swing. I’ve also had another grandfather in here hitting fastballs—he was an older baseball man hitting 60 like it was nothing. Age is just a number, man.”

Gavigan grew up playing baseball in year-round travel leagues and tournament teams in Reading, Pa. before taking some time away from the sport in college. When he moved back to Philadelphia in 2009, Gavigan fell in with a group of people playing informal pickup baseball at 8th and Poplar Streets.

“The idea (for Everybody Hits Philadelphia) really sprung from that—that there were a lot of people playing baseball in the city and I was making my best friends playing the game,” Gavigan said. “It was an idea that got more serious until eventually I found this location, some equipment and the time to build this place with my friends.”

Everybody Hits also hosts a BYOB Baseball trivia night, usually held last Thursday of every month in conjunction with Phillies fan blog, Phillies Nation. The quizzo match also incorporates batting cages into the trivia to test both the brains and brawn of contestants.

“Between each round of questions, each team selects a designated hitter to the cage,” Gavigan explained. “If you put your first pitch down for a bunt you get two bonus points. If you hit the machines with a line drive you get four bonus points.”

Gavigan is also looking to expand on the building’s utility, as he aims to set up a monthly farmers market in the space.

“This place used to be an indoor farmers market in the 1890s and I have a couple of friends who are doing interesting food business startups,” Gavigan said. “There will be a food truck out front, coffees, desserts… we’re trying to build a little community and take the building back to its roots. Hopefully in the spring we’ll bring in local farmers and sell actual produce here too.”

Can anyone say farm team?

To those who love baseball but feel as though their swing resembles that of a baby’s rather than Babe Ruth’s, fear not—the business also offers coaching clinics to anyone looking to improve their game.

Ramon Castro is one of the coaches you can work with at the cages. Born in the Dominican Republic and drafted by the White Sox in 2002, Castro runs clinics that focus on the fundamentals of a good swing.

“After I was done playing, I stuck around and kept helping develop lot of baseball players,” said Castro. “You see a lot of kids with potential out here, they just need the right coaching to take the right approach for the game.”

“I met Ramon through a cousin of his who plays in a Wednesday night league in Port Richmond,” Gavigan explained. “It was totally serendipitous–his cousin told me, ‘you’ve got a batting cage? Well I’ve got a cousin.’”

Ramon has been coaching for nine years now and acknowledges how important the sport can be to a youngster, especially in the city.

“I think this is an area and community that needs a lot of help, kids needs to be involved in sports rather than staying in,” he said.

Take just one step inside Everybody Hits and you’ll see that local children are buying into that. The cages were filled with kids hanging out, running around, playing baseball after school and talking it up with both Castro and Gavigan.

According to the owner, that’s what putting these cages are all about—just hanging out with friends, enjoying the timeless game that is baseball and creating a sense of community.

“Easily the coolest people I met in Philadelphia where the ones I met through pickup baseball. That’s continued to be the case. I will see groups of friends enjoying themselves here. Baseball brings back a lot of memories for people and it seems to be a uniting thing with all kinds of people.”

Everybody Hits is open to the public year-round, 7 days a week, through all kinds of weather (yes, even blizzards.) The cages’ winter hours are Monday to Thursday 3PM to 9PM and Friday to Sunday from 12noon to 9PM. Located at 529 W. Girard Ave. You can find out more by visiting http://everybodyhitsphila.com/