I started one of these a few years ago and it was wildly popular, I am starting it up again, but at a different point in baseball history. This league will begin in 1969 when there were exactly 24 MLB franchises, We will use all 24 franchises, All with one instance of the franchise in the league. You will retain that franchise through the seasons from 1969 until we catch up to modern baseball. So, if you chose the 1969 Seattle Pilots, in 1970, you would then have the Milwaukee Brewers and continue thruough the years with Milwaukee, Each team will be allowed to "twist" at least one player and as many as 10 to any season in a players career. So, if you had the 1972 Mets, you may twist Willie Mays (who appears on their roster that season) to any year of his Hall of Fame career, The real life win total from your franchise will determine how many players you may twist, It will be as follows:
100+ wins - 1 player maximum
90-99 wins - 2 players maximum
80-89 wins - 3 players maximum
70-79 wins - 5 players maximum
63-69 wins - 8 players maximum
62 or fewer wins - 10 players maximum
This should more than compensate for the difference in quality in the teams and allow for poor real life quality teams to compete with the World Series caliber teams. It also negates the need for a salary cap. I will cap the league at 120m so that we can compete in TOC competition. In addition, there will be a rule in place which will prohibit a team from using the same season from a player as a twisted season in consecutive years. For example, the 1971, 1972 and 1973 Phillies may use th e1972 Steve Carlton in 3 consecutive seasons by twisting his 1971 and 1973 seasons to 1972 if they so choose while using his 1972 season for the 1972 FPTL season. However, the 1977 and 1978 Phillies may not use the 1972 Carlton in back to back seasons as the season will be ineligible for use in1978 if used in 1977, but could be used again in 1979 if so chosen. I will list every franchises twisted players and seasons to ensure this is adhered to. 300k players and below need not be from the roster of the team, but must be from that franchise.
Once expansion hits, we will have expansion drafts. In 1977, MLB welcomed the Toronto Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners. We will have a draft in the order of inverse win total. You will either type "PASS" or name the team you wish to switch to. Your team will immediately be eligible for teams that have yet to pick to switch to. Once we go through the league once, we will do it one more time to ensure that any team who passed has an opportunity to select from the new teams that are now available, You can only switch once per expansion draft and once you do, you will be removed from the draft,
Alignment will be as follows:
There will be two leagues with the DH in both leagues. Standard 24 team format with 3 divisions of 4 with one wild card team joining the 3 division winners in the playoffs. I will sort the real life MLB standings and place the top 4 teams in the NL East, next 4 in the NL Central and so on until the bottom 4 which will be in the AL West. Alignment for 1969, then will be as follows:
Baltimore Orioles 109
New York Mets 100
Minnesota Twins 97
Atlanta Braves 93
Chicago Cubs 92
Detroit Tigers 90
San Francisco Giants 90
Cincinnati Reds 89
Oakland A's 88
Pittsburgh Pirates 88
Boston Red Sox 87
St. Louis Cardinals 87
Washington Senators 86
Los Angeles Dodgers 85
Houston Astos 81
New York Yankees 80
California Angels 71
Kansas City Royals 69
Chicago White Sox 68
Seattle Pilots (1970 become Brewers) 64
Philadelphia Phillies 63
Cleveland Indians 62
San Diego Padres 52
Montreal Expos 52
There will be no trades, no WW, no AAA. 300k and below players may be from any year in your franchise's history. Salary Cap will be 120m (but essentially no team will approach that). No combined seasons unless you are using the player as a Twist. For example.... In 1998 if you have the Houston Astros, you can take the 84ip Randy Johnson, but not the combined Seattle/Houston Randy Johnson unless you are using him as one of your Twisted players.