NEW Incentive to join! One of the nice things about having a sister world is that you can steal their good ideas. This incentive went over very well in LEG. It is available to anyone who takes the Pittsburgh (will have to move) TAKEN, Atlanta TAKEN, Kansas City, or San Francisco franchises (i.e. the ones that had losing records last season).

The Challenge:
1. Over the first 3 seasons, the franchise with the best cumulative overall record for all levels will win a $25 Gift Card.
2. The first rebuilding franchise to win its Division Title will win a $25 Gift Card.
3. If any of the 4 new owners win a World Series with their rebuilt franchise at any time during their first 3 seasons, the team or team(s) will receive a $25 Gift Card.

Negro League world has four openings for our upcoming season. HBD's tribute to the negro leagues is a way for owner to learn about some of the rich history of baseball while enjoying the competition of building your team from the ground up. We are also a sister world to LEG, so if you are familiar with that world, you'll likely enjoy things here as well. Here are the rules we have:

• Choose a city and nickname used by an actual negro league team. The city can be a bit tricky, especially for western division teams, but there are enough available to make it work. One option if you get stuck is to pick a city in the same state and put the actual city in your nickname. One owner for a time had the "Toledo Dayton Marcos," as the actual negro league city was Dayton. There are also traveling teams available which can be placed in different cities. You can find this information at the following links:
  • http://www.baseball-reference.com/nlb/team.cgi
  • http://www.nlbpa.com/the-negro-league-teams
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Negro_league_baseball_teams
• No tanking. That means different things in different worlds. Here's what it means for us:
  • We have no minimum win requirement. But, if you can't win at least 54 games at the ML level, there had better be some extenuating circumstances.
  • Keep your minor league teams fresh. No 0% stamina pitchers.
• We enjoy an active world chat, but please keep it civil. If you see an issue with another owner's team, please try to contact them directly via trade chat directly before posting to the world chat.

I'll post links to our open franchises below.

• TAKEN Our first franchise is in the NL East, the Indianapolis Clowns. Despite a negative run differential, they were able to finish over .500 last season, in part because of a very good closer. There are some big bats in place, along with some speed. To compete in a very tough division, you'll probably need to add more pitching. https://www.whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/FranchiseRatings.aspx?fid=2970
• TAKEN Next up is a playoff team from last season in the NL South, the Nashville Elite Giants. They've got a balanced offense and very good starting pitching. If you can add a couple of good pieces to the bullpen, this team looks like a contender. https://www.whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/FranchiseRatings.aspx?fid=2967
• TAKEN All of our other teams are in the AL. First up is the Pittsburgh Crawfords in the AL North. They have pretty good pitching, but are short on bats. They look to have a few prospects at AAA that could contribute next season. https://www.whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/FranchiseRatings.aspx?fid=2946
• TAKEN Moving to the AL East, the New York Cubans rode strong pitching to a 94-win season. There's also plenty of power in the lineup. You should be able to compete right away with this squad. https://www.whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/FranchiseRatings.aspx?fid=2954
• TAKEN We have two teams in the AL South. The first is the Atlanta Black Crackers. They used a pretty good lineup to get their 75 wins, but could use more pitching. I don't see a lot of talent in the minors, so this is looking like a good team to pick if you like to rebuild. https://www.whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/FranchiseRatings.aspx?fid=2950
• TAKEN Also in the AL South are the Kansas City Monarchs. They have a few really good pieces, including a true ace starting pitcher. But there wasn't enough around them to get over the hump. You can either try to build around them, or use them to bring in some young talent. https://www.whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/FranchiseRatings.aspx?fid=2951
• TAKEN Finally, in the AL West, the San Francisco Sea Lions are available. Much like Kansas City, there are some good pieces here, but not enough overall talent on the ML roster to be a playoff team right away. Reload, or rebuild, you decide. https://www.whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/FranchiseRatings.aspx?fid=2958

This is the most openings we've had in quite a while. Get into this quality, stable world while you have the chance. Plus, learn a little something about the history of the Negro Leagues!

Great League!

Another very good team added to the mix.

BUMP. Keep your eyes open...we'll be announcing a pretty cool incentive to join in the next few days.

One of the nice things about having a sister world is that you can steal their good ideas. This incentive went over very well in LEG. It is available to anyone who takes the Pittsburgh (will have to move) TAKEN, Atlanta TAKEN, Kansas City, or San Francisco franchises (i.e. the ones that had losing records last season).

The Challenge:
1. Over the first 3 seasons, the franchise with the best cumulative overall record for all levels will win a $25 Gift Card.
2. The first rebuilding franchise to win its Division Title will win a $25 Gift Card.
3. If any of the 4 new owners win a World Series with their rebuilt franchise at any time during their first 3 seasons, the team or team(s) will receive a $25 Gift Card.

Sitemail me (sinfonian11) for more info on the challenge or any of our available teams.

This is a great world with a lot of history

All four "challenge" franchises remaining, plus another team that won 94 games last season.

We've filled 2 of our available 7 spots. One playoff team from last season still left, plus all four of our "challenge" franchises. Join us!

Down to four.

First "challenge" franchise has been taken. Running out of time to claim yours!

I love this league's theme. I've learned a lot.

Looking forward to getting this league going again. Sign up now and claim your shot at winning the challenge!

I await my challenge competitors! Lets go!