League Rules

1988 Merlin Flipper League

1. Basic Pitch: The 10 owners will each pick 2 teams, selecting from among the 24 teams that existed in 1969. The league you choose from (AL/NL) for your 2 teams makes no difference, select any 2 teams you want when you draft from those still unowned.
After the draft teams will be placed so you have 1 in each league.

You get your team’s rosters from 1988 with 20 IP and 50 AB. You may not trade players between your teams. This is a boot-able offense.

When the league is full, we will pick teams. When the person before you makes his selection, you will have up to 24 hours to make a pick. We hope you will pick a lot sooner, but know that after 24 hours, I will allow the next person on the list to make their selection: you can still select from the available teams after that.

2. How are players acquired?

First season USED? 1988, going backwards to 1969, then FLIP to 2008 and go back to 1989 (the league will run for 40 seasons, then reset or repurpose to a new format).

Minimum AB/IP? 50/20 in season 1, 75/25 in season 2, and 100/30 thereafter. 100/30 is the minimum to stat change, always.

Are duplicate players allowed? In the first season, yes. Your imports for season 2, and after, go where they had more IP or AB.

ANY ISSUE ABOUT WHICH TEAM A PLAYER BELONGS ON MUST BE RAISED PRIOR TO THE FIRST GAME, OR THE RIGHT TO APPEAL IS WAIVED. Once a player “suits up” for a game, he belongs to that team.

3. Updating personnel:

Progressions: type: Unpredictable. Plateau range? 29 - 32. 33 begins regression.

Free agents over 40 will be retired. There is no retirement age for rostered players.

Imports and Minimums? 50/20 in season 1, 75/25 in season 2, and 100/30 thereafter. 100/30 is the minimum to stat change, always.

Stat changing? Yes, unlimited, as long as the new stats are for 30 IP or 100 AB minimum.

Trades? Yes. But no trades, or waivers, after game 140 and before the end of the World Series.

“Anyone can question the fairness of a trade, and forward a review request to the trade review committee. The Commissioner will choose the members of this committee, and majority rules. If for some reason there is a tie (as with an abstention), the Commissioner will break the tie. The Commissioner will oversee the performance of this committee. Requests to have trades reviewed must be made within 1 week or 20 games from the trade, whichever comes first.”

Free agents/waivers? Yes, once games start.

4. League set up, number of games, rotation size, injury length, and roster size:

20 total teams, 2 10-team leagues , 162 games, 4-man rotations in season 1, and 5-man rotations thereafter.
8/15 for injuries (B/P),
26/9 rosters.

There will be a 3 day all star break after day 90

5. Playoffs:

In each league, the regular season champions, and 4 wild cards, make the playoffs

Round 1, best of 3: 5 @ 2, 4 @ 3. All games in the host city

Round 2: Winners of each round 1 series play a best of 5 (2/2/1)

Round 3: Winner of Round 2 plays regular season champion in best of 7 (2/3/2)

World Series: best of 7 (2/3/2l

Rules about ties for a playoff spot:

A wild card team never hosts a series against a non-wild card team.

If teams tie for a playoff spot:
⇒ If both teams would be “in”, use head to head record as a tiebreaker. Run differential is the 2nd tie-breaker.
⇒ If one is in, the other is out, 1 game playoff (@ head 2 head winner)

In addition to a Cy Young and a MVP Award, there will also be a Manager of the Year Award given to the owner with the best combined record. In the event that some owners own more teams than some other owners, it will be the best combined winning percentage.


MY BASIC EXPECTATIONS OF EACH OWNER:

⇒ Your commitment is season to season. When you join, you will be expected to actively run your team until the end of the season, which is when the regular season ends for non-playoff teams, or when your playoff team is eliminated. If you quit mid-season without my blessing, I will share this information with other commissioners.

⇒ Actively running your team means that you read messages once per day, meet all deadlines, and communicate any difficulties to the commissioner.

⇒ I will provide a minimum of 48 hours between a posting of a deadline, and the deadline. Ignorance of the deadline will not be an excuse for failing to meet the deadline.

⇒ If you will be away, and unable to get your messages, give the commissioner advance notice. Inactivity for ten (10) days, or repeated failure to meet deadlines, may result in your being booted from the league.

⇒ Every owner is expected to field a team (9 pitchers and 11 fielders) every game. Failure to do so, making the sims not run, results in a forfeit.


⇒ Read and be familiar with the rules immediately upon joining: it may affect your desire to be in the league, or your desire to pick a certain team.

Please keep all conversations clean
Please don't be rude to fellow owners
Please be active, if not active for 14 days you may be removed from the league
We all love baseball and that's why we're here. So Just have fun and enjoy!


General rules:

Each offseason, you can switch a SP to RP, or a RP to a SP, but stamina will remain “as is.”. You can change it back the next offseason if you like, but no changes between first pitch and the last out of the World Series.
You can switch a player’s primary and secondary positions if they played 50% or more games THAT season at their secondary position, or at least 25% of their games for their career at their secondary position.
During an offseason, a player can be switched to the position they played most in their career, regardless of the requirements of General Rule #2.
You can switch a DH to his secondary position, as long as he has a fielding percentage.


Off season duties:

Double stats after imports in season 1 and 2 for those players under 100AB/30IP

Unpredictable progression after world series. Plateau range: 29 - 32. 33 starts regression.

Retire free agents over 40.

At end of 1969 season, clear free agent and retired player pool.

Imports: You get all the imports from the next season that are not already in the league (25 IP/75 AB in season 2; 30 IP/100 AB after that)

Stat changes: unlimited with minimums for importing: 30 IP, 100 AB (every year)

Cuts to a certain roster limit. 26/9

Waivers will run after game 1

Turn drops and trades on

Opening Day



Elastic Clause: I reserve the right to create new rules as necessary to deal with problems as they arise.

Rules last updated 8/21/2026

League Settings

Year Range of Stats	1987 - 1987
Roster Size (Majors)	26
Roster Size (Minors)	9
Keepers	(35 keepers)
Change Stats Allowed
Free Agency	(waivers)
Drops
No-Drop List
Player Fatigue
Batter Injuries	(8 games max)
Pitcher Injuries	(15 games max)
Use Pitcher's HR Allowed Stats
Allows Max Surprise Bunts
Min Batters Pitcher Must Face	0
Slump Buster	(1unlimited days)
On Fire	Classic
User Sims