League Structure
The inaugural season began with 1920 (Ruth, Speaker, Sisler, Hornsby), 1950 (Williams, Musial, Dimaggio, Robinson), and 1980 (Brett, Schmidt, Henderson, Carlton). Each era has its own draft involving 8 teams, with those teams being randomly split into two divisions (one in the NL, one in the PL). The net result is that the NL and the PL each have one 20’s division, one 50’s division, and one 80’s division.
Early Era Expanded Player Pool
Beginning with the '37/'67/'97 season, the early era teams (any team aligned to any season between 1920-1961) will be allowed to use the current season or previous season of any early era player on their roster. This expansion of the available player seasons is intended to offset the larger player pool from which the later areas can pull from. For example, any 1937 team will be allowed to use either the 1936 or 1937 season for any player on their roster.
This rule applies only to early era players on early era teams. Any early era player traded to a later era team may only use the current season. Likewise, any later era player traded to an early era team may only use the current season.
’39-’49 Stimulus
Too maintain relative balance of the eras across the league, during the ’39-’49 seasons each early era team may carry two players from the season 40 years prior (i.e. 1899-1909). These teams can keep their stimulus players from year to year until 1949 (1909), or cut them and draft a new player from the corresponding 190x season. At no time can there be more than two stimulus players on a team’s roster.
The initial set of stimulus players will be drafted during the ’39 draft. To allow for the best balance, the first two rounds of this draft will be serpentine. All subsequent rounds will be conducted under the standard league rules.
Stimulus players may not be traded.
The Draft
Three sets of 8 teams draft within their chosen era. Teams draft within their chosen era each season, even if they traded for and later dropped a player from another era (see Trades).
Drafts after Season 1 are NOT serpentine. Subsequent seasons will have a draft using cut players and all other players in the database from the current season that aren't keepers on someone's roster. You'll have as many picks (see Rosters below) in the draft as needed to complete your 25 man roster.
The draft order is set based on a two-part system starting with worst record to best record within era, then a lottery for teams that are close to each other. Specifically, if 2 or more teams are relatively close to each other, there would be a lottery to set the 1st round picks amongst them. Any teams in a lottery for position would then alternate the picks in the remaining rounds. However, if there is an individual team that is not near any other teams, that team will not be involved in any lottery, it will simply stay in line where it is.
Using the recent '35 standings as an example, the number of wins per team were: 38, 38, 46, 51, 52, 56, 63, 63. In this case, the two 38 win teams would be in a lottery for the 1st and 2nd picks, the 46 win team would have the 3rd pick, the 51 and 52 win teams would be in a lottery for the 4th and 5th picks, the 56 win team would have the 6th pick, and the two 63 win teams would be in a lottery for the 7th and 8th picks.
The groupings would be generally based on a set number of games (like 3 or 4), but the final decision on the groupings would be the commissioner's decision based on what seems fair. This will allow the commissioner to group any team that appeared to be tanking with the team or teams that it should have been with. In other words, if a team is in a virtual tie going into the last 10-15 games, but tanks its way to a larger deficit, the commissioner will place it back in the group it should have been in and conduct a fair lottery.
Note: As has been the policy in the past, any lottery in which the commissioner has a direct stake will be conducted by an owner with no stake in that particular lottery.
The draft order is set at the 120 game mark with no minimum wins required at the 120-game mark to retain your spot in the draft.
When lotteries are required to decide a draft position, the winner of the lottery will get the better draft position in the odd numbered rounds (1,4,5, 8etc.), and the loser will get the better draft position in the even numbered rounds (2,3,6,7, etc.). The following scheme will be used to determine the positions for the subsequent rounds for all 3-way ties:
1-2-3
3-2-1
2-3-1
1-3-2
3-1-2
2-1-3
Repeat as necessary.
Drafts generally are not timed (i.e. no timeslots), so the drafts will be more relaxed.
Rosters
An IR list will be maintained for players that miss a season due to injuries or whatever. These players must be brought back up or released once they have a SIM eligible season.
Owners may cut as many players as they want at the end of each season. It is not mandatory that owners cut anyone.
Trades
Player trades may be made with any team regardless of era, and you may retain the player you obtained for as many progressive seasons as you like. Once you drop the player, he becomes available to the teams associated with that era for their next draft.
Offseason trades are to be sitemailed to the commissioner. Upon receipt, such trades will be reviewed by the commissioner to ensure that all draft implications are fully identified. Once all implications are fully understood, trades will be approved/disapproved immediately, and communicated back to the owners involved as well as the rest of the league owners. The commissioner's decisions are to be made with the intent of maintaining the best interests of the league in terms of competitive integrity.
Trades made during the season (i.e. when the league is active in SIM) will be made using the SIM trade function.
Draft picks may be traded during or between seasons, including during the draft itself. Future draft picks may also be traded, but only for the next season. However, no in-season trades of any kind will be allowed after the transaction deadline (120-game mark), and no trading of picks across eras are allowed. During the season, if 8 or more owners reject a trade, then it is officially vetoed. During the offseason, the commissioner will make the decision regarding the validity of a trade.
Owners who traded away a draft pick must cut at least as many players from their keeper list as the number of draft picks traded. In other words, if a team trades away two draft picks for the next season, that team must drop at least two players when it comes time for the affected draft.
Trades between teams owned by the same person will not be allowed.
A reminder for keeper lists will be sent out by the commissioner at the 120-game mark (which is the transaction deadline). Keeper lists are to be posted by each owner before the end of the current season.
Incentives
Admin will provide $50 in gift certificates for each five years that a league is in operation. The only catch is that half of the original members of the league must be in the league after five years. For the next bonus after ten seasons, half of the members from season 6 must still be in the league.
Prizes will be awarded as follows:
$30 - Most team regular season wins over 5-season period (even if team had multiple owners)
$10 each – Most regular season wins over 5-season period (even if team had multiple owners) within the other two brackets (example: 20’s team has most wins overall wins $30, highest 50’s team and highest 80’s team both win $10).
Additional Rules
NO SALARY CAP
NO WW
NO AAA
YES DH
TRADES YES
Full or partial player seasons may be used
SLL restricted to next scheduled series ONLY
Team name should be consistent from season to season.
A League with Class
This league is intended to be fun and entertaining to all who participate. As commissioner, I will ask that all communications associated with the league as well as all team names used within the league be “G” rated. Let’s make this a classy league that maintains a focus on the game.