I’ve looked at the season stats for every year between 1894 and 2021 and I’ve pulled out the three teams from every season that were the closest to “0” run differential (the gap between how many runs they scored that year and how many runs they allowed). It’s a pretty interesting list. We’re talking teams that may have scored a ton of runs, but – if so, they also gave up a ton. We’re talking teams that may have had a great pitching staff that didn’t give up too many runs – but that means their offense was as putrid as the pitching staff was good. You’ll see some of your favorite teams on here but, for the most part, you’ll see some teams that don’t usually get used a lot by most of us.

The four leagues will be broken up into four 32-team offerings. Therefore, even the team picking last will still get a choice of nine teams to pick from. The split will be 1894-1925, 1926-1957, 1958-1989 and 1990-2021. Alignment for each league will be chronological. If 1894, 1895, 1896 and 1897 are all chosen by someone in League 1, then they know they’ll make up the N.L. East Division.

Each season has three teams listed. You must roster 8 players from each of the three teams. That’s 24 players. You then get to pick ONE Free Agent from your season from any of the other teams that played that season. The key here is that your Free Agent can’t be over $9,000,000 in salary.

Based on the final W/L totals of Round 3, the draft order for this league is listed below. There will only be one round of drafting in each league.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

NO CAP – Build the best roster you can from your three teams (and your one Free Agent) that season.

Federal League players are available as Free Agents in 1914 and 1915

Clones: None.

Designated Hitter: Yes – in all four leagues

Waiver Wire: No

Injuries – Turned On

Trades: No

A.A.A.: No

You may use either partial or full season stats of any player who had a split season - as long as the stats indicate it was for your franchise.

Stadium – Any stadium that one of your three teams used during that particular season.

Here are the teams in this League that you get to choose from:


1894: Pittsburgh Pirates / Brooklyn Bridegrooms / Chicago Colts
1895: Pittsburgh Pirates / New York Giants / Chicago Colts
1896: Philadelphia Phillies / New York Giants / Chicago Colts
1897: Washington Senators / Brooklyn Bridegrooms / Philadelphia Phillies
1898: Cleveland Spiders / New York Giants / Philadelphia Phillies
1899: Pittsburgh Pirates / Chicago Orphans / Louisville Colonels
1900: Philadelphia Phillies / St. Louis Cardinals / Boston Beaneaters
1901: Baltimore Orioles / Boston Beaneaters / Philadelphia Athletics
1902: St. Louis Browns / Chicago Orphans / Cleveland Blues
1903: New York Highlanders / Brooklyn Superbas / Detroit Tigers
1904: St. Louis Cardinals / Philadelphia Athletics / Pittsburgh Pirates
1905: Boston Americans / Cleveland Naps / Cincinnati Reds
1906: Philadelphia Phillies / Philadelphia Athletics / Cincinnati Reds
1907: St. Louis Browns / Cleveland Naps / Cincinnati Reds
1908: Boston Red Sox / Philadelphia Phillies / St. Louis Browns
1909: New York Highlanders / Philadelphia Phillies / Cincinnati Reds
1910: Chicago White Sox / Philadelphia Phillies / Washington Senators
1911: Boston Red Sox / Cleveland Naps / Philadelphia Phillies
1912: Cleveland Naps / Philadelphia Phillies / Chicago White Sox
1913: Boston Red Sox / Chicago White Sox / Brooklyn Dodgers
1914: St. Louis Cardinals / Brooklyn Dodgers / Detroit Tigers
1915: St. Louis Cardinals / New York Yankees / Pittsburgh Pirates
1916: Chicago Cubs / Washington Senators / New York Yankees
1917: Washington Senators / Chicago Cubs / Cincinnati Reds
1918: Chicago White Sox / St. Louis Browns / New York Yankees
1919: Pittsburgh Pirates / Boston Red Sox / Brooklyn Robins
1920: St. Louis Cardinals / Pittsburgh Pirates / Chicago Cubs
1921: St. Louis Browns / Brooklyn Robins / Detroit Tigers
1922: Brooklyn Robins / Chicago White Sox / Detroit Tigers
1923: St. Louis Cardinals / Washington Senators / Brooklyn Robins
1924: St. Louis Cardinals / Chicago Cubs / Brooklyn Robins
1925: St. Louis Cardinals / Cleveland Indians / New York Giants

THE DRAFT ORDER AND THEIR PICKS:

LEAGUE ONE

(01) 1910: NOCOMM999
(02) 1902: SCHWARZE
(03) 1911: REDCPED
(04) 1924: CRAZYAMOS
(05) 1899: THEJUICE6
(06) 1904: MLLAMA54
(07) 1913: SCHWARZE
(08) 1919: PEDROCERRANO
(09) 1920: REDCPED
(10) 1914: DARTHDURRON
(11) 1901: SCHWARZE
(12) 1908: CHISOCK
(13) 1925: TOYSBOYS
(14) 1905: KSTOBER
(15) 1917: STEVEIZZY
(16) 1900: CALHOOP
(17) 1894: RAZORCLAMS
(18) 1903: NOCOMM999
(19) 1895: FIRESALT
(20) 1896: JOERAT1
(21) 1912: MLLAMA54
(22) 1906: GLOWGUY
(23) 1898: KSTOBER
(24) 1922: PMARS2001

Even though there's very little hitting to speak of...
1910: Chicago White Sox / Philadelphia Phillies / Washington Senators

I'm researching a pick, but also checking if anyone in any other league wants to trade Leagues. I'd trade my #3 in League 1 for anything in the top half of any other league. I just don't enjoy 1890's-teens era players

I have offered parking31 my 5th pick in league 3, which is up right now. Waiting for response.

That's a very fair deal, considering all three leagues (2, 3, 4) have all made their first four draft picks.

EDIT - looks like thejuice6 already made the switch.

I have this pick now. Like the other I’ll get to it later tonight. The good news is leagues 1 and 2 are the ones I’ve researched. I would have held up 3 for a while and I pick later in 4. So bear with me a bit tonight and we will move along.

Torn between 3 very different, but equal quality teams, we'll go with the most entertaining....
1924 Cardinals/Cubs/Robins.

I've always wanted a chance to use the Louisville Colonels.......said noone ever.

I'll try the 1899 Colonels Orphans Pirates

1904 St. Louis Cardinals / Philadelphia Athletics / Pittsburgh Pirates

I made it difficult for myself to try to get my teams in separate leagues by taking a team right in the middle first. And putting a team in pedro's division is always a regrettable choice. But, I think this is still my top choice anyway:

1920: St. Louis Cardinals / Pittsburgh Pirates / Chicago Cubs