League Rules

Merlin League Rules

The league is based on the 2022 season. You get all your players with at least 50 AB and 25 IP.

First come, first served: you pick your first team when you join by putting the team name in the chat box. Your second team you will choose in a draft which will be set up in inverse order (i.e. worst first, best last) of your first team’s 2022 win-loss record. Any NL or AL team except Colorado, Florida, Tampa Bay, New York Yankees, and Arizona is eligible. If you pick an expansion team, when we get back past their first season, in a reasonable fashion, we will switch you to an unowned team.

No contracts.

Unlimited trades (but not between your own teams), unlimited stat changes (100 AB, 35 IP minimum), and full imports.

Imports: At the start of the second season, you will get all of your team’s players on their 2021 roster that are not already in the league. At the start of the 3rd season, you will get all of the 2020 players that are not already in the league, etc. In case of a conflict, the player goes to the last team he played for last as long as HE MET THE MINIMUMS FOR THAT TEAM. If, in his last season, Cory Silver pitched for the Dodgers and Padres: he pitched for the Padres last, but only pitched 31 IP in SD, and pitched 48 IP in LA, he goes to LA, because he did not qualify in SD. NOTE: If he did not pitch enough innings for either team (say 31 IP for one team, and 32 IP for the other), he does not qualify that season.

Stat changes: at the beginning of year 2, you can have your choice between your player’s 2022 stats, progressed, or the player’s 2021 real stats (and age). So, players start old, they youthen, and then (maybe) they get old again.

Classic Progression: progress to age 28, and regress beginning at age 33.

If there are any issues about which team a player is on, it must be raised before the season starts. Once games begin, and a player has "been in uniform" for a game for a team, the right to appeal is quashed.

Beginning in 2013, Teams must be down to roster limits by game 1. After game 2, Commissioner will fix any roster not in compliance.

Expect 162 regular season games.

SP can be switched to RP each offseason (no change to stamina). Primary and secondary positions can be switched, if the player played half his games that season, or at least one-third of his games in his career, at the secondary position. Also, DH can be switched with the secondary position if the player has a fielding percentage.

Making the playoffs: Seed playoff teams by record. If teams tie for a playoff spot:
⇒ If both teams would be “in”, use head to head record as a tiebreaker.
⇒ If one is in, the other is out, 1 game playoff (@ head 2 head winner)

Playoffs elaborated:
10(!) teams make the playoffs: Each division winner, and (10 - # of division winner) wild card teams. These teams are ranked by record. In case of ties:
a) A division winner always gets the nod over a wild-card team. BEGINNING IN 2014, THE TOP 4 SEEDS GO TO THE 4 DIVISION WINNERS; THE WILD CARD TEAMS GET SEEDS 5 THROUGH 10.
b) If both teams are "in", head-to-head decides the higher seed. If they are still tied, then run differential decides the higher seed. If they are still tied, then I will go by their power rank. If they are still tied, I will make a very arbitrary decision.
c) If only one team would be "in", then they have a 1-game playoff.

d) The top 4 seeds get a bye in the first round. 5 hosts 10, 6 hosts 9, and 7 hosts 8 in a best-of-3 round.
e) reseeding occurs: 2 hosts 7, 3 hosts 6, and 4 hosts 5 (1 gets a bye). Best-of-5.
f) reseeding occurs: 1 hosts 4, 2 hosts 3 -- best-of-7 round.
g) World Series: best-of-7.

STARTING IN 2010: THERE WILL BE two 10-team leagues: each league will have a division champion and 4 wild card teams make the play offs. The wild card teams in each league will play best of 3 series until one wild card in each league remains. That remaining wild card team plays the regular season champion in a 7-game series; those winners meet in the World Series.

Teams: 26/14 (total of 40) rosters; 5-man rotation, 11 players (incl. 2 catchers), 9 p minimum. Minimums: 35 IP, 100 AB going forward whenever imports are imported.

At game 140, waivers and trades will be turned off until after the World Series.

⇒ Your teams will not play each other unless they both make the playoffs.
⇒ You may not trade players between your teams. This is a boot-able offense. However, you can choose to not retain a player on one team, and then draft him on another one of your teams.

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.
⇒ Actively running your team means that you read messages once per day, meet all deadlines, and communicate any difficulties to the commissioner. If you will be away, and unable to get your message, 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.
⇒ 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!

OFF SEASON DUTIES:

Empty the free agent pool.

Classic progression after world series. 28 - 32 is the plateau.

Imports: You get all the imports from the “previous” season that are not already in the league (35 IP/100 AB minimum)

Stat changes.

Turn drops and trades on

Trades (all season 99) Trade deadline is game 140. No trades are permitted between game 140 and the end of the World Series.

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.

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

League Settings

Year Range of Stats	2007 - 2007
Roster Size (Majors)	26
Roster Size (Minors)	14
Keepers
Change Stats Allowed
Free Agency
Drops
No-Drop List
Player Fatigue
Batter Injuries	(3 games max)
Pitcher Injuries	(5 games max)
Use Pitcher's HR Allowed Stats
Allows Max Surprise Bunts
Min Batters Pitcher Must Face	1
Slump Buster	(15 days)
On Fire	Classic
User Sims	(every 3 hours)