Vista, CA (WFN) -- Inventors are a lot like baseball players -- they have a lot of strikeouts for every home run.

That's the lesson learned by Tim Minniear, who is the man behind the "Hit-A-Way," a popular device for baseball buffs who want to practice their hitting.

Minniear designed the prototype back in 1998 in order to practice for a big hitting contest -- which he won.

He admits his good fortune was a long time coming. Minniear's previous inventions never made it to market, such as the U-turn signal that's placed on the driver's side of a car and the portable closet that let surfers change without exposing themselves.

Now, thanks to the Hit-A-Way's success, Minniear now spends a lot of his time surfing.

Many folks would be content at this point but Minniear isn't resting on his Hit-A-Way's laurels. The 36-year-old "surfing inventor" is now trying to market surfboard wax in roll-on deodorant bottles.

Hunt your way across North America's most breathtaking environments. Your American Dream Starts Behind the Wheel of Your Own Big Rig!

More Weird News From 2003-05-19 The day's offbeat stories from around the world. • 500-Pound Elvis Impersonator: 'I'm The King's Offspring' • Flash Lites: Rip 'N' Read Pop Culture Recap • Home Haircuts: The Cutting Edge Of Style • Contest: Kids Can Win A New Head Of Hair For Dads • Hit-A-Way Inventor Proof It Pays To Keep Swinging • Classical Pianist Keys In On Radiohead • Dog Trainer Gives The Straight Poop On Picking A Dog • All Of Life's Occasions At The Bottom Of A Glass • It Takes A Great Artist To Make An Ugly Necklace • 'Bitter Poet' Wants Your Bitter Poems • Around The Weird: Bizarre News Briefs   « Current Weird News Stories