Answers to the above Questions: (and a couple of others)
(I will add these to the Rules & Procedures section Page 1)
1) Once a player retires in real life- (runs out of WIS Seasons) that player is retired and will forever be gone from the League. We'll have to find new players & draft new players into the League. We'll see a lot of 1 and 2 year wonders come and go. Yes, Koufax will have his good 6 year run and then retire.
2) Also- for CURRENT players that hit their WIS "end of the road" in 2009 (or 2010) such as Chase Utley, Prince Fielder, Ryan Howard, Tim Linsecum, ect-- once they run out of WIS Seasons (say Linsecolm who has basically 2 seasons- 2008 & 2009) the owner of Linsecum will have the option of using his 1 allotted Injured Reserve Season or use one of his 15 Keeper slots to retain Linsecolm until he has a 2010 database season- or have him fall into the "Retired" category. Now Linsecum, if not Kept on IR or as one of your 15 Keepers- once the 2010 Database comes out, Linsecolm would be eligible to be Drafted by anyone for his 2010 Season. So for anyone owning Players that hit their "end of the road" in 2009, those are your 2 options. (A)- Keep the Player as an inactive member of one of your 15 Keepers or 1 IR slot. -OR- (B) Let him "Retire" and become a Free Agent for anyone to else to Draft once that player's WIS 2010 database season becomes available.
3) In the Wally Backman example- he never has a $5 million season. So you can start him at any season you'd like. But you cannot skip seasons. If you start him 1982 and drop him or keep him, his next League Season will be 1983. That hold true for all players. There are no skipping Seasons. This is essentially a Lifetime Progressive with the only provision being that you can fast forward the start of your players' careers to their first $5 million + season for Hitters & Starting Pitchers & $3 million + season for WIS listed relievers.
* To specifically address verynice's question- any player drafted and chosen to be "Born into the League" in a below $5 million season (or a below $3 million season for WIS listed relievers) the Season you choose to start with becomes that Player's "Born into the League" Season. No skips from there on.
4) To answer drlawon's question via sitemail about a player Drafted who goes on WIS IR-- you must also choose to Keep that Player as your 1 allotted IR slot (or use one of your 15 Keeper slots) for all of the seasons that player is on IR before they resurface in the WIS database. For example- if you Draft Rafael Soriano (P) who you could start in 2003- he doesn't resurface again in WIS until 2006. So for our League Season 2 (2004 for Soriano) and Season 3 (2005 for Soriano) you will have to either save a Roster or IR spot for him or Cut him. If Cut- Soriano would progress as an Injured and undraftable Free Agent until Season 4- when he comes off the IR in his 2006 season.
* The ONLY exception to the Injured Reserve Rule is the WW II Injured Reserve Exemption the League Voted on & passed. ONLY WW II Vets who served in the war (1942-1945) depending upon the player's service time are eligible to skip their war years and progress to their next WIS Database Season. *If you are unsure whether your player was injured Stateside (in which case they would go on the IR like any Injured player) or to Baseball to serve in WW II- you can Google your player before you Draft them and the Google Biography should say whether they served or not.
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* I listed on the Draft Board your Player's scheduled "Born Into the League Season" just so there is no confusion. For example, leeelci- I believe you had posted Tom Seaver- 1968, but his 1967 season was over $5 million, so Seaver would be "Born into the League" automatically in 1967. Similarly, I drafted Bob Gibson and I have to start him in 1961 in his first $5 million + season. For whoever ends up drafting Vida Blue- you WILL get a choice of either using Vida Blue's first $5 million plus season (1971) or opt for his earlier (1970) great short-season. Whoever drafts Vida Blue may want to make that decision based upon the rest of the draft & the rest of your team. Depending on if you have a more legitamate chance to go to the playoffs in Season 1 or 2, that may determine which Season to begin Vida Blue at. Similarly- Szczubelek has the option of starting Babe Ruth as a Pitcher or Hitter.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone ! & Keep the Questions comming...
The sooner everyone's questions are answered, the less of a chance of a "suprise" coming later on down the road...