This league will function like an ultimate progressive league. Any player from all time is available to be drafted, and they will start with their rookie seasons and progress a year each season. The draft pool for each successive season will be all undrafted players (from their rookie season), players that have been cut (continuing to advance a year each season), and players that have retired (once again starting from their rookie season). The initial draft will be 32 rounds: 31 players and 1 city/stadium.
The twist for this league is, that there will be two ultimate progressive leagues running simultaneously. We'll call one the United States Baseball League (USBL) and the American Baseball Federation (ABF). These will be rival leagues will be competing against each other that share a common draft pool. For example, the initial draft will have 48 teams in the draft, not two separate drafts of 24 teams.
While most competition will be within the league, there will be some interleague competition to determine the superior league that will be crucial. Interleague competition will affect teams' rosters, reward money, and teams may even switch leagues. Since I want to offer a lot of rewards, I will require a $10 Gift Certificate from every owner in the league once every 5 seasons. If an owner has two teams in the league he will still only have to pitch in one $10 Gift Certificate. Here are the forms of interleague competition:
THE AMERICAN CUP
At the end of each season, the USBL Champion and ABF Champion will meet in a three-game series to determine the country's best team. These games will be played as live exhibitions, with each pitcher being unusable for the rest of the series once he's pitched 2 innings. The winner of the series will be rewarded with a substancial amount of money in GC's (Amount TBD) and crowned as this league's ultimate champion for that year.
INTERLEAGUE CHALLENGE
Throughout the season and offseason, each team will be given a ten-game schedule of opponents from the other league to play. These games will all be played live. After each game, the winning team will be able to select a player of their choice from the losing team and swap it for any player of their choice on their own roster. The losing team may protect 8 players.
Also, the league with the better interleague challenge record will be determined the superior league. The superior league will receive some extra monetary rewards for their playoff teams (Amount TBD).
RELEGATION
Once the superior league has been determined, playoff teams from the inferior league may be allowed to move into the superior league the following season and switch with a team from the superior league. The teams switched out will go from order from worst record to best.
DRAFT ORDER
League superiority will also affect draft order. Draft order will go in order of placement in the league from last to first, but the superior league will go first (the draft order will go 24th in superior league, 24th in inferior league, 23rd in superior league, 23rd in inferior league, etc.).
OTHER LEAGUE RULES
INITIAL DRAFT
The initial draft will be in random order and will be in untraditional serpentine style (1-48, 48-1, 48-1, 1-48). The draft will be 32 rounds, one for city/stadium and 31 for players.
SUBSEQUENT DRAFTS
Drafts afer the initial will be straight. Draft order will go 24th in superior league, 24th in inferior league, 23rd in superior league, 23rd in inferior league, etc.
KEEPERS
Teams will be allowed to keep up to 31 players each season. For every cut or retired player, the team will receive a draft pick in the draft. If a keeper does not have a WIS-eligible season he still counts towards the 31 player roster.
ROSTER CHANGES
Trades will be allowed in between leagues in the pre-season and within each league throughout the season. The only AAA players that can be used are the members of your 31-man roster that are in AAA. No Waiver Wire may be used. When a team wins a challenge in the mid-season, both teams must figure out the players to swap and submit the ticket to swap those players before the game listed for each challenge.
OTHER RULES
No designated hitter. Maximum two teams per owner. No salary cap.
There will be no actual live requirement for this league. We may have to convince a few sim guys to join to fill it up, but obviously there will be a bunch of live play in the league, since all interleague matches must be played live.
If a person is unable to be around for a period of time and lets us know, we can accomodate their schedule for interleague challenges. Without any notice, an owner may be forced to forfeit an interleague challenge and the commisioner (myself) will make a list of the team's 8 protected players.
Maximum of two teams per owner. They may be in the same league or different leagues. However, they will never be in the same conference within a league. No interleague challenges or roster moves may be made between two teams with the same owner.
LEAGUE SCHEDULE
This is the league's schedule for the initial season and each subsequent season:
1. Search for Replacement Owners/Begin Applications for Relegation/Announce Rewards For Upcoming Season
2. Keepers Announced (not for initial season)
3. Draft
4. Relegation/Announce League Alignment/Interleague Challenge Schedule Announced
5. Preseason Interleague Challenges (Matches 1-4)
6. Season Begins
7. Interleague Challenge 5 (Ticket must be sent before either team plays their 20th game)
8. Interleague Challenge 6 (Ticket must be sent before either team plays their 40th game)
9. Interleague Challenge 7 (Ticket must be sent before either team plays their 60th game)
10. Interleague Challenge 8 (Ticket must be sent before either team plays their 80th game)
11. Interleague Challenge 9 (Ticket must be sent before either team plays their 100th game)
12. Interleague Challenge 10 (Ticket must be sent before either team plays their 120th game)
13. Transaction Deadline
14. League Playoffs
15. American Cup
Obviously there is a lot of information. Please let me know if you are interested or if you have any questions or suggestions. Thanks!