Challenging conventional wisdom, stirring debate, has always been an important part of what we try to do through WebBall. If you have opinions on the topics of the day, we want to hear from you.

• Results Posted on the help sought for Tom Hanson's 6 year old son.
• Results Posted on the controversy involving Ron Wolforth and the USSSA.
• For results of all other surveys from this year and past... click here.
  

Here's our latest Nose 2 Nose debate...

Q Should pitchers who hit batters be ejected?   

Dan Donovan in Georgia needed your help. As with many of our best Nose 2 Nose polls/surveys/debates (call them what you like), this came from a real situation with a real youth league. We have tried to reveal enough but not too much about the specific situation because, really, this is something we should all be concerned about. We thank Dan for suggesting the topic by asking us for our opinion.

Essentially the question was this... Should a league have - and enforce - a rule about removing pitchers who are unable to avoid hitting batters? We're not assuming intent here, but under any circumstances ...lack of control, lack of experience, lack of focus. The incident which triggered the question was a young pitcher who was left in the game by his coach after he had already hit 5 batters in a game. Voting Closed - results to be posted soon.


Q What do you think of the jury award in a metal bat death suit?   

A Montana Jury awarded a significant damage claim of $850,000 against Louisville Slugger for the death of a pitcher who was hit by a ball coming off one of their aluminum bats. The verdict was reportedly because the ball came off the bat at a faster speed than the pitch and the player was not adequately warned of the dangers. The death occurred in 2003 but the jury award was just handed down on Oct 23, 2009. Clearly this may have far-reaching implications and we want to know what you think.
Read the news story. Voting Closed - results will be posted soon.


Q Is team jumping really the problem?   

This question came out of our survey below and it will be an upcoming Nose 2 Noise debate. We want to look at the problem of team building as both a competitive challenge for the teams and academies themselves, but also as a tough decision faced by parents and players. Watch for it to appear here within a week or two. If you have preliminary experience or  an opinion you want to share with us before voting gets underway, please contact us now.

Q How can Tom Hanson best help his son?   

Tom Hanson is one of the leading sports psychologists specializing in baseball, and an expert on the mental challenges of the game. His works from "Confidence Conditioning" to "Success Secrets" are the best there is. But now Tom faces a dilemma. He has a 6 y.o. of his own. And he's confronting the same decisions you go through - how much baseball is too much? Yes, he knows 6 is early to worry about this stuff. But he wants to start on the right path.

The survey just closed and your votes and suggestions have been tabulated and reviewed.... Click here for results

Note: While this survey focuses on Tom - and we got his okay first to mention him specifically - this is really also a general survey which can help everyone in baseball make the same decisions.

Q How well do you hit tough pitches?  

Formal voting has closed. We're preparing a special report which will include your experience and tips, combined with those of other voters - and experts. We'll tell you more about the report once it's prepared. In the meantime, if you have insights to share, please email us.

POLL CLOSED - RESULTS TO BE POSTED IN SPECIAL REPORT

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If you have something you'd like to see us put out there, send us a note.

• For the results of previous surveys, click here.
• To suggest a future Nose 2 Nose survey topic click here.
• Or check out the "forum" links to see what other topics visitors are interested in.
  

Other open topics...

Q How well is our Team Site service working for you? 

The following link takes you to a feedback form to help us improve our team-site hosting service.

Provide Feedback


Q How well should players perform at each age?  

This is an on-going reporting system for the Player Norms chart under SCOUTING > Statistics.
The Player Norms Survey is currently available for WebBall Team Site Managers only. They can submit their team stats on an annual or monthly basis. For more information on the Team Site service, click here.