Since I haven't started up any leagues since last summer, I thought I'd give this a shot. I've always wanted to try this - to see how the best of the best compare against each other (and to see how all MLB Hall-Of-Famers fare as well). Every MLB Hall-of-Famer that played the majority of their ball since 1901 is included, as well as some of the current or newer players who may end up one day in the Hall Of Fame. There are no "one-season-wonder's" here. Other than just having fun, one thing that we should be able to take away from this theme - we should get a pretty good idea of how these players will perform in relatively "high-CAP" leagues. There is no CAP in this theme but I'd venture to say the average team salary will fall somewhere in the $120-$140M range. Some may be more but that money will more than likely be tied up in extra IP's that won't be used or necessary.
I've listed just enough players to make up 48 teams. This will be two 24-team leagues that will run concurrently. They won't play against each other - I just needed two leagues in order to use all of the players seasons that I wanted to use. Both leagues, however, will be drawing from the same "Player Pool."
THIS WILL BE A DRAFT LEAGUE. When you first sign up, pick the one player/season or pitcher/season from the below lists that you want to start building your roster with. The first 24 sign-ups will be in League One and the second 24 sign-ups will be in League Two. If you want to participate in both, just let me know when you sign up and I'll make sure I put one in one league and one in the other. Once we have all forty-eight spots filled, we'll move this to "thejuice6's Theme League Draft Forum" and finish the draft out. It will be 13 rounds, with all forty-eight owners making one pick a day. The draft will run "Snake Style" (Round Two will run 48-1, Round Three will run 1-48, Round Four will run 48-1, etc. etc.) Draft slots will be 15 minutes each in order to accommodate 48 picks a day. The draft will run every day for 13 days from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time). Once we have all 48 spots filled and the draftboard is posted, we'll allow a three-day window for folks to swap draft positions if they choose. I understand some people will not be able to draft at some periods during the day or evening - this will give them the opportunity to make that adjustment. Once the draft begins, it won't stop (barring a major emergency). If you think you won't be able to make your pick on time, USE A PROXY. Let the folks that draft after you know and they can make your pick for you. Honestly though, I don't think there will be much of a problem in this theme since every player that you can draft will be "Hall-of-Fame" caliber. It's not like if you're fifteen minutes late for your selection that you're going to end up with Bud Weiser…lol.
In this theme, clones will be allowed. If you end up with three "Willie Mays'" in your outfield, so be it. If you end up with a pitching staff of nothing but Braves Pitchers, well then there you go. Here are the specifics that I'd like to use:
All teams will play in "Nationals Park." I wanted every team to use the same park and "WhatIfSports Park" just seemed so cold and generic for me. Therefore, "Nationals Park" is about as "middle of the road" as you can get. No great advantage for home-run hitters over speedsters or vice versa. No great advantage for strikeout pitchers over contact pitchers or vice versa.
EVERY TEAM WILL DRAFT AND USE A 5-MAN STARTING ROTATION. At the end of the regular season, all five pitchers must have thrown over 200 IP's or your team doesn't make it to the playoffs. Every Starting Pitcher on the list has 200 or more IP's at their disposal so it shouldn't be a problem. Put their "Call Bullpen" ratings on 1 or 2 and you should be alright.
EDIT: Every Starting Pitcher must have a minimum of 30 Starts as well as have a minimum of 200 Innings Pitched by the end of the 162-Game season or that team will not make the playoffs.
EVERY TEAM WILL DRAFT AND USE ONE CLOSER. Regardless of how the Closer is performing, please leave them in the Closer position for the entire season. The main point of this theme is to see how they fare for a full 162-game ride.
EVERY TEAM WILL DRAFT AND USE ONE POSITION PLAYER FOR ALL EIGHT POSITIONS - AND PLAY THEM AT THE POSITION THAT THEY'RE RATED FOR DURING THE SEASON YOU DRAFT (i.e., 1935 Jimmie Foxx will play First Base…not Catcher). There will be no Plate Appearance or At-Bat minimums to meet, but considering the bench that everyone will be playing with, you'll want to play your Starters every inning of every game. Every Position Player on the list (with the exception of 1980 George Brett) has a minimum of 550 PA's at their disposal. Fatigue "might" start showing up sometime during the season for some but they all should be able to "gut out" a full 162-Game season. For the person who drafts the 1980 George Brett (it was such a great year, I couldn't leave it out), you'll just have to ride him into whatever fatigue level he attains. Such is the danger of drafting him.
I've come up with a "Bench" and "Bullpen" that everyone will be required to use to fill out their rosters. We'll all have the same guys. None of them are anything special. The "Bench" will consist of: (1) 1979 Dave Rader, (2) 1958 Billy Klaus, (3) 2011 Cord Phelps, (4) 1914 Tiny Graham and (5) 1953 Dick Williams. The "Bullpen" will consist of: (1) 1998 A.J. Sager, (2) 1936 Ed Linke, (3) 1999 Andrew Lorraine, (4) 1938 Joe Beggs and (5) 1930 Chet Nichols. Everyone will have the same Designated Hitter: 1986 Pete Incaviglia.
Other important info:
CAP: None - just build the team of your picking and let the cards fall where they may.
INJURIES: Will be turned off.
TRADES/A.A.A./WAIVER WIRE: Turned off.
My picks (one in each league) will be after the 12th pick and after the 36th pick.
Okay, who's with me?
3/11/2013 12:45 PM (edited)