We have compiled votes and charted the results of our initial survey on this controversy. Later this year we plan to explore the next level of the debate, by tracking/comparing warm-up pitches to game performance.

• Click here for Survey Results
• Click here for Voter Comments.
• Post Survey PodCast - After the survey was completed, the Wolforths interviewed WebBall's Richard Todd. Unfortunately the voice quality sounds like a 50's era phone line, but if you can listen through the compression you might find out some stuff about WebBall not covered anywhere else.
  

On Aug. 17, when WebBall received an email from the respected and influential pitching guru Ron Wolforth with the headline above, we knew something big was up.  (Ron as you know is one of many guest authors on WebBall.) In the weeks since, the controversy has spread. To help you through the concerns, controversy, and consequences, we at WebBall joined the battle ...with a number of linked pages and, in the best WebBall tradition, a Nose 2 Nose poll.

The debate centers on a decision by the USSSA for its Elite 32 tournament (Aug. 09) to limit on-mound warm-up pitches to just 3... whether at the start of a half-inning or when a new pitcher enters mid-inning. This is in sharp contrast to the standard policy in youth, high school, college and pro games to allow 8 pitches, including U-Trip itself...

USSSA: 8.08.C: When a pitcher takes his position at the beginning of each inning, or when he relieves another pitcher, he shall be permitted to pitch not to exceed eight (8) preparatory pitches to his catcher during which play shall be suspended. Such preparatory pitches shall not consume more than one minute of time.  If a sudden emergency causes a pitcher to be summoned into the game without any opportunity to warm up, the umpire-in-chief shall allow him as many pitches as the umpire deems necessary.

WebBall could find no reference as to where this rule could be changed by any USSSA official "not to exceed three", but it was ...apparently announced only at the pre-tournament meeting, with discretion given to the umpires to limit the pitches whenever they wanted. Why? To speed up the games.

As you know, Ron Wolforth is not merely a parent at the Elite 32, he is one of the top pitching instructors in the world, widely recognized for his intense approach and his success with pitchers of all ages.

Wolforth felt he had no choice but to complain. The USSSA's reaction was to call out the lawyers. To date the only response to Ron's complaint was his family's suspension and a demand for a legal letter promising that the Wolforths would not sue. Well, that was all the resolve Ron needed - he felt the safety issue was too great, and the heavy-handed response by the USSSA needed an attitude adjustment. For the record, we have given their executive a chance to respond, so far they have not.

The response from many others in the baseball community has been much more vocal.


We wanted you to a) understand the topic and b) participate in the process. And you did! The first phase voting is complete. But it's also important to understand the concerns, controversy, and consequences, so the links provide before the voting remain here as a permanent record.

• Survey Results and Voter Comments from the first round.
  

• Chronology - this page (from Ron Wolforth) outlines the events and communication as it occurred. (It also includes his opinions.)
• To the USSSA - this is Ron's initial open letter to the organization executive, following the complaint to the tournament director.
• Press Release - this is the first document WebBall and others received after the USSSA failed to respond to the open letter in any positive way.
• Ron & Jill Wolforth Podcast - in which the suspended couple talk about the impact this is having on their lives, and their resolve to stick with it.
• Expert Reaction - WebBall informally polled a number of pitching/training gurus on the topic to see what they thought of the imposed warm-up limitation and the U-Trip reaction. WebBall members and subscribers can add their own comments, too.

Other websites and discussion threads have raised this issue...

• The ASMI Discussion Thread - initiated by WebBall's Richard Todd has unfortunately strayed off topic. We thank the American Sports Medicine Institute for providing the opportunity.
• HS Baseball Web - while WebBall is referenced on this one, we did not start the thread.
  
• Baseball Fever - an effort to get that forum's membership engaged in the battle has also gone in another direction on protest procedures and fees.
  

  If you hear of any others, on either side of the debate, please let us know.