Baseball has a tradition in this country unlike any sport – it is known to be America's pastime. And while it may be the sights, sounds and smells of the ballpark that give the game an aura that so many fans grow to love from a young age, it is the numbers that baseball its perspective. Numbers provide the game substance and represent its longevity and its progression and fuel the passion for history and debate.

For example - Who was better? Babe Ruth or Barry Bonds? Willie Mays or Ty Cobb? Walter Johnson or Roger Clemens? And, what if? What if Pedro Martinez pitched against Honus Wagner? What if Hank Aaron hit in Coors Field? What if Brooks Robinson, Ozzie Smith, Bill Mazeroski and Gil Hodges all played in the same infield?

At WhatIfSports.com's these questions and more can be answered using SimLeague Baseball, a game run by the sports simulation website which allows fans to create dream teams that try to answer some of the sport’s greatest questions.

Not only does SimLeague Baseball answer these questions, it allows fans to build their own dream teams of past and present stars and then use those teams to compete in full-season leagues with other fans online.

SimLeague Baseball gives users the chance to play both general manager and manager. That means a lineup could start with Ty Cobb in center and continue with Joe Morgan at second, Babe Ruth in right, Lou Gehrig at first, Ted Williams in left, Mike Schmidt at third, Johnny Bench catching, Ozzie Smith at short and Christy Mathewson on the mound. Every player from 1885 through the present is available to choose. In SimLeague Baseball, owners can play with teams comprised of the greats while also learning about them and their history.

SimLeague Baseball owners can select their favorite players of any era, even if they are not the best; put together a team that had World Series potential but was one player short, and give them that extra player.

Competition becomes intense as owners trade strategies and banter in the Forums, while the games are played on the simulated diamond. This brings together some of the most passionate and brightest baseball fans and creates a sense of community for everyone.

How to Play

To start, owners are given $80 million to build a team that includes a full starting lineup and pitching rotation as well as bench players – pinch hitters or defensive specialists – and relief pitchers.

Actual league stats from the season for each player are utilized along with normalization which accounts for the different eras throughout the game’s history.

After making crucial decisions on some of the final roster spots, owners name their team, choose a ballpark – keeping in mind dimensions, effects and the type of team, and are assigned to a league with anywhere from 11 to 31 other owners. A head-to-head game schedule is then generated and the owner's role switches from GM to manager. Owners are given the opportunity to set starting lineups against left or right-handed pitchers, pitching rotations and relief pitching roles, baserunning and stolen base aggressiveness, pinch-hitting situations and settings, pitch counts and more.

Once the season gets under way, three games are simulated each day, with one in the morning, one in the early afternoon and another at night. During the season, every team and individual statistic is recorded to better track performance, assess the success of different strategies and provide insight into league leaders and trophy candidates.

Prizes

The top teams from each league will enter the playoffs to vie for a championship — not to mention pride and prizes.

The further a user advances in the postseason, the better the prizes get. Just making the playoffs reduces the price of the user's next SimLeague team by a $2. Making it to the Finals increases that savings to $4. The league champion also wins Reward Points that can be redeemed for free SimLeague Baseball teams, T-shirts, gift certificates and more in our Reward Center. And, every full-season SimLeague Baseball champion is automatically qualified for the Tournament of Champions where the winner gets 22,500 reward points (a $150 value).

How it Works

The WIS baseball simulation engine uses every available stat to simulate each game down to the plate appearance. Comprehensive research has uncovered the exact probabilities of nearly every occurrence in a game and SimLeague Baseball creates the most accurate simulation available by utilizing some of the worlds most extensive and detailed statistical modeling.

Still, a math degree isn't required to play or win SimLeague Baseball. Any fan can build and coach a team of baseball’s greats.

Full season league costs $12.95 for 50+ days of entertainment. You can also start off by doing an exhibition season for free for 10 games to get a feel for the game.

Sign up today and see what happens here.