Posted by redcped on 8/3/2026 12:40:00 PM (view original):

Posted by hebdomad on 8/3/2026 11:47:00 AM (view original):

Posted by redcped on 8/3/2026 11:30:00 AM (view original):

Posted by hebdomad on 8/3/2026 11:09:00 AM (view original):
Just confirming--a .500 team would not be considered Bad in the 110M, true? Needs to be under .500?

The way we wrote it would include exactly .425 or exactly .500. So I think we can be generous and include those edge numbers. It's tricky enough.

Thanks. Not sure how many teams in these years played exactly .425 ball, but if one did they could then be deemed Bad or Ugly.

That is correct.

Redcped is the boss,. But I would say No. The rules clearly say equals to .425 is ugly.
It was also my intention that .500 teams aren't bad. That you would have to be under .500 to be considered bad. And, to my eye, that's what the rules also say but I guess that part wasn't clear enough and I'll reluctantly go with the decision to allow .500 teams there.

OK, there are a lot of teams that finished exactly .500 (and to be clear - those will now be considered bad eligible). But the math suggests there are no teams that finished exactly .425. That got us thinking about rounding errors and we're just going to use the rounded number that baseball-reference lists. If some team hypothetically finishes with a winning percentage of .5497 and bbref calls it .550 then that qualifies as a good team.

And keep the questions coming. We're not always as clear in spelling things out as we are in our minds.

And, as I fiddle around with the GBU theme I'm really starting to appreciate the questions about clone usage. It wasn't so clear in my head but as I tinker with various rosters I'm fully appreciating the difference between finding someone good to clone as opposed to finding someone good to twist (which we're not doing here).

Did you know that since 1901 there have only been 57 team's seasons that have ended with exactly .500 records?

The occurrence has only happened one time in the city of New York, to the 1911 Highlanders. No Mets, Yankees, Giants or Dodgers teams ever finished .500 in NYC.

I've had a fascination with .500 teams for a long time. Teams that finish .500 are the most captivating to follow. They have enough promise to contend, just barely, until near the end, but enough blunder to lose half of their games. The odds are that they win more-than half of their home games, which makes them popular with the fans.

FWIW, I have some great themes for .500 teams. One that I call "Major League the Movie" is really cool.

Posted by WillHaysnoe on 8/3/2026 1:15:00 PM (view original):
Did you know that since 1901 there have only been 57 team's seasons that have ended with exactly .500 records?

The occurrence has only happened one time in the city of New York, to the 1911 Highlanders. No Mets, Yankees, Giants or Dodgers teams ever finished .500 in NYC.

I've had a fascination with .500 teams for a long time. Teams that finish .500 are the most captivating to follow. They have enough promise to contend, just barely, until near the end, but enough blunder to lose half of their games. The odds are that they win more-than half of their home games, which makes them popular with the fans.

FWIW, I have some great themes for .500 teams. One that I call "Major League the Movie" is really cool.

We're always looking for new theme ideas for future WIS championships. Always feel free to forward for consideration and/or volunteer to be on the theme selection committee in future years.

Posted by redcped on 7/31/2026 5:41:00 PM (view original):
130M
The Alternating Chain
Start with any hitter season from 1920-2001 you choose as your starting point. This player also determines which ballpark you will use. Then take any teammate of that player and use one of their pitching seasons moving forward in time. Then take any teammate of this second player and use one of their hitting seasons moving forward in time. Continue alternating hitters and pitchers until you reach the end of your chain, so you will have 12 pitchers and 13 hitters.

Remember: You must go forward in time at least one year with each link, so you will have 25 different seasons on your roster.

DH: Yes
Seasons: 1920-2025
Clones: No
Park: Use your first player’s home ballpark (or WIS Park if unavailable)
Alignment: Random
300K exception: No

Been fun wrestling around with this theme trying to spend all the money without paying for useless plate appearances or innings.

Posted by redcped on 7/31/2026 5:36:00 PM (view original):
110M
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Take any season between 1936 and 1999 and take three teams from that year to make up your roster. The three teams will be known as
The Good. Any team with a winning percentage >= .550. Take any 7 players from this team for your roster.
The Bad. Any team between .425 and .500 winning percentage. Take any 7 players from this team and, for a little extra help from this weaker roster, take 1 clone (any year/team) of one of your chosen 7 players.
The Ugly. Any team with a winning percentage <= .425. Take any 7 players from this team and, for even more help from this weakest roster, take any 3 clones from these 7 players from any of their WIS seasons. You can use 3 clones of one player, clones of 3 different players, or some other combination.

So, your roster consists of 7 players from each of the three teams from your season, plus the 4 clones.

DH: No
Seasons: Selected seasons from 1936-1999, but clones may come from any season
Clones: Yes
Park: One used by one of your three teams
Alignment: Random
300K exception: No
Team name: Include your chosen year

Just want to make sure for these purposes, teams that finished between .500 and .549 just don’t exist at all?

Posted by scjensen51 on 8/3/2026 8:19:00 PM (view original):

Posted by redcped on 7/31/2026 5:36:00 PM (view original):
110M
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Take any season between 1936 and 1999 and take three teams from that year to make up your roster. The three teams will be known as
The Good. Any team with a winning percentage >= .550. Take any 7 players from this team for your roster.
The Bad. Any team between .425 and .500 winning percentage. Take any 7 players from this team and, for a little extra help from this weaker roster, take 1 clone (any year/team) of one of your chosen 7 players.
The Ugly. Any team with a winning percentage <= .425. Take any 7 players from this team and, for even more help from this weakest roster, take any 3 clones from these 7 players from any of their WIS seasons. You can use 3 clones of one player, clones of 3 different players, or some other combination.

So, your roster consists of 7 players from each of the three teams from your season, plus the 4 clones.

DH: No
Seasons: Selected seasons from 1936-1999, but clones may come from any season
Clones: Yes
Park: One used by one of your three teams
Alignment: Random
300K exception: No
Team name: Include your chosen year

Just want to make sure for these purposes, teams that finished between .500 and .549 just don’t exist at all?

That is correct. You wouldn't be able to use those teams.

Posted by scjensen51 on 8/3/2026 8:19:00 PM (view original):

Posted by redcped on 7/31/2026 5:36:00 PM (view original):
110M
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Take any season between 1936 and 1999 and take three teams from that year to make up your roster. The three teams will be known as
The Good. Any team with a winning percentage >= .550. Take any 7 players from this team for your roster.
The Bad. Any team between .425 and .500 winning percentage. Take any 7 players from this team and, for a little extra help from this weaker roster, take 1 clone (any year/team) of one of your chosen 7 players.
The Ugly. Any team with a winning percentage <= .425. Take any 7 players from this team and, for even more help from this weakest roster, take any 3 clones from these 7 players from any of their WIS seasons. You can use 3 clones of one player, clones of 3 different players, or some other combination.

So, your roster consists of 7 players from each of the three teams from your season, plus the 4 clones.

DH: No
Seasons: Selected seasons from 1936-1999, but clones may come from any season
Clones: Yes
Park: One used by one of your three teams
Alignment: Random
300K exception: No
Team name: Include your chosen year

Just want to make sure for these purposes, teams that finished between .500 and .549 just don’t exist at all?

Yeah, I thought about the Good, the Decent, the Bad, and the Ugly but it didn’t have the same ring to it.

And, just to keep up with today’s clarifications, teams from .501 to .549 aren’t used in this theme.

For the chain theme, as we move forward in time, do the increments have to be exactly one year from teammate to teammate? Or just at least one year as long as everyone stays within the time frame? I know it says at least, I just want to be overly careful here

The jump from one link to another can be any number of years in the future.

The “at least one year” phrase is only to prevent using a traded player to jump within the same year.