The year is 1961 and MLB is getting ready to add 2 new teams. This is your chance to take one of those 20 franchises and build a championship caliber club. When you show up at the clubhouse you notice the clock is broken - it's just spinning and spinning - but then it stops...........
This will be a 20 team league that begins play in 1962. Franchises will be drafted as determined by a random lottery. Your 1962 team - minus any 1962 rookies and split season players - will be available to form your initial squad. Plus, that broken clock in the clubhouse, will spin up a random future year each season. You can also build your team from your future franchise roster.
Here's the deal - the 1962 team is considered your core. If you select a future year player then you may have to drop a core player from your team. The core team will progress one season at a time. The player you drop from your core is now back in the draft pool for the next season. The random year player is a hired gun. You get to add them to your core squad for one season of play.
League structure:
20 teams
No salary cap
25 man roster plus AAA - 6 & 4, you can draft AAA or have them assigned by WIS
No DH until 1973 then DH in AL ballparks only
I/R is available if a player has future WIS seasons but is not available for the current season
No waiver wire
Trades - yes
Keeper lists are posted after the draft
Broken Clock - a random year will be selected each season around the All-Star break. Any player associated with your franchise in WIS from that random year is available to your team.
Core team - you have up to 35 roster spots. So a player you want to use a season or two down the road can be kept as part of your 25 man or AAA roster.
Draft pool - all rookies and split season players will make up the initial draft pool. Subsequent drafts will be rookies and any undrafted veterans.
Initial draft - order will be determined by random lottery. The first draft will be a snake style draft.
Trades - Yes; Draft picks can be traded for up to 3 draft cycles - example 1970, 1971 and 1972. In season trades are subject to league vote - 10 vetoes will defeat the trade. Offseason trades subject to vote if 4 owners ask for a review.
Trade vetoes:
In season trades will be submitted through WIS and will be subject to a league vote. The owners involved in the trade will not vote. 50% plus 1 are needed for a veto. In this league that equals 10 votes for a veto.
Off season trades will be voted upon if 4 owners object to the trade. The vote will be administered by the commissioner unless the commissioner is involved in the trade. Then an owner that is not involved will be asked to administer the vote. The vote will have results publicly displayed and 10 votes are needed for a veto.
Team names - pick anything you want but you need to use the ballpark associated with your franchise during the league year in play
Rookie - the first year a player appears in the WIS database will be his rookie season and he will enter the draft pool.
Injured reserve - a player without a WIS season that is part of your roster may be placed on I/R
Player draft - Each draft class will include all rookie players and any unsigned veterans.
Player draft list - The commissioner will take all due care to prepare the list of available players. All league owners will have the opportunity to review the list in advance of the draft. Any mistake or omission will need to be addressed prior to the start of the draft. After the draft has started no alterations can be made to the draft list.
Draft order - Starting in season 2 all drafts will be based upon league standings with the bottom 4 teams entering an evenly weighted draft lottery. 40 wins are required to be eligible for the lottery. Teams failing to meet that threshold will draft no higher than 5th. Tiebreakers - Head to Head, then runs scored head to head then home games won for the season.
Draft - Starting in season 2 all drafts will proceed from pick 1 to pick 20 in all rounds. You may draft until you have a 25 man roster and up to 10 AAA players - 6 hitters, 4 pitchers.
Split season players - for the purposes of building your initial team you can select players that played only for your franchise. Players that played for more than one team will be included in the draft pool.
Loopholes - the commissioner reserves the right to close unintended loopholes in the rules with advance notice to the league.
Rule changes - can be proposed by any owner. A league vote will follow with 11 yes votes needed to implement the rule.
Owners:
Sigblend