League Rules

2005 Two Months Late with the Mortgage Rules

1. Basic Pitch: There are a couple of teams I have wanted to take for a while, so I have created this format to achieve that end. Since taking these teams, for me, is “overdue”, I have aptly named this the Two Months Late with the Mortgage League.

When you join, If you choose to stay, say “I’m in!” in the chat box. I will record the order in which you join: that will be the draft order. You should read the rules, also.

Draft order is first come, first served, and you get to pick all 3 teams at the same time. What makes it fair is that you only get one team from each tier.

I have arranged the 30 teams into 3 tiers of 10 teams each. The teams with the most wins in 2005 are in Tier A, the next 10 teams are in Tier B, and the 10 worst teams are in Tier C. This means that good teams are saved for the last person to pick.

When the league is full, we will select the teams. When it is your turn, you select the 3 teams you want. With an ordinary draft, you generally get an appropriate team at your selection slot. This allows you to pick the teams you want, not just best of what’s left.

There will be 8 owners, so even the last person in has their choice of 3 teams in each tier. And it’s non-contract!! You just cannot trade players between your teams.

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? 2005

Minimum AB/IP? 75/25 in year 1. After, imports and stat changes require 100/30.

Duplicate players are allowed in the initial cohort. Beginning with season 2 imports, a player should only go where he had the most AB or IP.

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: 30 - 32

Imports and Minimums? 25/75 in Year 1; afterwards

Stat changing? 30/100

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 select 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. They should begin after Game 5. All rosters must be in compliance with 24 hours of Game 1, or I will fix them. If I don’t turn on waivers after game 5, someone remind me.



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

3 8-team divisions. 162 games. 5-man rotations. 8/15 for injuries (player/pitcher), and 26/7 (or 26/33) rosters.

Owners will be given a day’s grace (24 hours from first pitch) to fix their rosters; after 24 hours, and after game 2, any team that is over roster limits will be trimmed by me. I can trim them by any process I choose, but I cannot leave you with fewer than 9 pitchers, or 11 position players when I am finished (i.e. I cannot cause a forfeit.)



5. Playoffs:

8 teams each division: 9 teams make the playoffs.

1 top division winner
2 2nd division winner
3 worst division winner

Wild cards:
4
5
6
7
8
9

Rd 1 9 @ 4 8 @ 5 7 @ 6 Best of 1

Rd 2 6 @ 3 5 @ 4 best of 3, same city

Rd 3 4 @ 1 3 @ 2 best of 5 (2/3)

WS 2 @ 1 best of 7 (2/3/2)


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:

Unpredictable progression after world series. Plateau range: 30 - 32 (33 starts regression).

Imports: You get all the imports from the next season that are not already in the league (30 IP/100 AB minimum)

Stat changes: unlimited with minimums for importing: 30 IP, 100 AB

Cuts to a certain roster limit. 26/7 (or 26/33) Should be done by first pitch.

Free agents/waivers? Yes. They should begin after Game 5. All rosters must be in compliance with 24 hours of Game 1, or I will fix them. If I don’t turn on waivers after game 5, someone remind me

Opening Day


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	2006 - 2006
Roster Size (Majors)	26
Roster Size (Minors)	7
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	1
Slump Buster	(15 days)
On Fire	Uses WAR
User Sims	(every 4 hours)