For those who know me, Kyle Schwarber drives me crazy and I’d love to “Ask Why 5 Times,” because he hit 45 home runs in 2026, but also struck out 220 times, led the league, almost set the all-time strikeout record. His problem is breaking/off speed pitches where his whiff rate was 38.8% against sliders, 40.7% against curves, and 46.1% against sweepers. His fans love to say, “All HR hitters strike out a lot.” Not true! So indulge me and pretend we ask him: You: Kyle, why do you swing at so many breaking balls down that you can't hit? Schwarber: Because sometimes I recognize the pitch too late. You: Why are you recognizing it too late? Schwarber: Because out of the pitcher's hand it looks enough like a fastball that I'm already committing. You: Why are you committing that early? Schwarber: Because if I wait too long, I'm afraid I'll be late on the fastball. You: Why are you so concerned about being late on the fastball? Schwarber: Because driving the fastball is one of the things I do best. If I start sitting back on breaking stuff, it could take away one of my biggest strengths. You: So why are you trying to eliminate those swings completely? Schwarber: Maybe I shouldn't be and maybe the real question is whether I can get a little better at recognizing the breaking ball without screwing up what makes me dangerous. So, now that we know the real question is: How do we improve pitch recognition without diminishing one of Schwarber's greatest strengths? I would ask a 6th question: “What’s your plan for getting better at recognizing the breaking ball without screwing up what makes you dangerous” What do you think he'd say? What would you suggest he do?

“Bench him!” We hear it whenever an Eagles player isn't performing, "Maybe embarrassment will motivate him." But is that really how elite athletes are wired? Trea Turner makes about $27 million a year, $168,00/game. You think sitting on the bench suddenly makes a guy at that level try harder? So what DOES motivate an elite performer who's struggling?

I think what complicates this in sports and the workplace is that there's a game going on that needs attention. What I often find frustrating is fans want the manager to "kick ass," on the player that's not performing when sometimes the player is kicking himself for what happened and doesn't need to be further humiliated. What I like to do when a negative incident happens in the workplace is call the employee in and hear their side of the story and see if there is remorse. Are they defensive or do they feel bad about what happened. If they feel bad (remorse) we can discuss a plan of correction so it doesn't happen again.

OK people...I want to hear from you, but in the meantime: I think peer feedback may tell us something a coach or manager can’t. We throw around phrases like “great leader,” “makes everyone better,” “fires up the team,” and “gives 110%.” But what do those clichés actually mean? I want to ask the younger teammate: “What does this team leader specifically do that makes YOU better?” Maybe the answer is, “He worked with me every day on recognizing the curveball.” Or, “He took the walk instead of chasing a pitch because he knew I was coming up behind him.” Now we’re talking about observable behavior instead of labels. I see the same thing outside sports: A bartender clears tables when things are slow. The hostess sees entrées waiting and brings them out. Nobody has to announce that they’re “team players.” You can see it! So what does someone actually DO that contributes to the success of your organization and perhaps more importantly, who should we be asking?

Baseball may be one of the most measured activities on earth, but some of the things we say matter most are the hardest to measure: “Great clubhouse leader.” “Makes everyone around him better.” “Fires up the team.” "Gives 100%" Okay, show me how those things occur and matter to the outcome of the game. I don't care about total HR's I want to see HR's that mattered to the outcome of the game! I want to ask a younger player: “What does this player I'm evaluating specifically do that makes YOU a better player?” Now we’re getting somewhere if we start measuring what matters, rather than what can be measured. And forget baseball for a minute, what matters most in your workplace that nobody has figured out how to put on an evaluation form?

Ethan, that’s a brilliant question because it gets at the difference between a group of people working together and a truly high-performing team. In the best organizations, everyone is following the same map. They share the same values, behaviors, and commitment to winning, or in business, to exceeding the customer’s expectations rather than simply “doing their job.” You can almost feel it when you walk through the door: these people are on the same team. But that doesn’t mean everybody should freely say whatever they’re thinking. Great teammates are honest with each other, but they’re also committed to helping each other get better. Honesty and kindness aren’t opposites, the best feedback has both. None of us are perfect, and sometimes being a great teammate means having the courage to speak up and other times it means pausing long enough to ask, “Is what I’m about to say going to help this person and help the team?” That pause may be one of the most important skills a great teammate can develop. Great question and a reason why we play the games because when it all clicks, it's almost magical.

When does helping become over coaching? How do you know when your job as a leader is to step in and when it's to get out of the way and let someone figure it out for themselves?