1. Introduction:
The BTTFBL is a continuous ownership, draft league using Diamond Mind Baseball and the newest season disk available. The main goal of this league is for all of its members to have fun. All of the rules and regulations will be to that end. The second goal is to keep the league as simple as possible. Hopefully all involved will make the need for a lot of rules unnecessary. Each member of the league MUST have registered copies of the current DMB game and the current DMB season disk.
2. Teams:
There will be 20 teams, 10 in the AL and 10 in the NL with only 1 division per league. They are the Major League franchises as they were in 1966 with the same cities, nicknames, and stadiums. As Major League Baseball expands, so shall we.
3. Game Play:
- The eras used will be from the same season disk as the players, e.g., the BTTFBL 2009 eras will be 2008 N.L. and 2008 A.L.
- 162 game schedule. Various numbers in this document such as usage limits are based on the 162 game season.
- You play each team in your league 18 times, 9 home and 9 away. There is no interleague play.
- Warm-up rule will be used.
- Clutch hitting will be used.
- Weather will be on.
- No inter-league play.
- No DH in either league. We will revisit this before the 1974 season arrives.
- No injuries.
- Home team manager will play all games (Head to head play is highly recommended and encouraged but is not required until the play-offs.)
- Since we report every week, there is no reason the home manager should have to manually load lineups or starting pitchers. If you do not know how to set the MP to automate everything, Let the commish know and I will help you. If you must, manual instructions can be submitted to the opposing manager which he will be obligated to follow.
- Results will be played on a series by series basis. Each series will be 6 games long and will be due weekly. The results will be due on Sundays by 6:00 PM EST. Late results will be simmed by commissioner. The new disk will be sent out Sunday evening as soon as possible.
Series results sent to the commissioner (and opponent) by the home team manager (or manager who played the series) include:
- A DMB export of the series, including all box-scores.
- A recap of each series played. THIS IS MANDATORY!
- The home manager cannot start playing the games until Tuesday at 1 PM EST. This will give the away manager time to send a manager profile to the home manager and will accommodate those who have made a trade, DL or call-up the previous week. Also will give teams time to try to set up head to head play if interested.
- If the home team manager is unable to play the series (vacations, etc.) the away team manager may be given the option of playing the series or the home manager has the authority to appoint a substitute manager. The substitute manager could be someone who is not in the BTTFBL or from the opposing league. This change is for managers who may be away due to computer problems or personal issues. Having someone run his team would ensure he stay competitive, rather than have his opponent play all the games.
. We want as few simmed series as possible.
- Play will be from March to September. Playoffs will be in October.
- In the event of a vacant team, the commissioner will run the vacant team or appoint some other league member to run the team until a new manager can be found.
4. Rosters:
- To start the season, each team will have a maximum roster size of 30 players. Once the season starts, a team may have more than 30 players on it's roster due to trades or free agent signings.
- Uncarded players (hitters with less than 100 plate appearances and pitchers with less than 150 batters faced) are ineligible to be drafted and will be deleted from the database. Players already owned are exempt from this rule, as long as they are protected. Protected players that have under the minimum PA and BF requirements must reach 75% usage to be protected and they do count as a roster spot. However, should a player you already own fall short of the 100 PA or 150 BF mark, you will be permitted to protect that player. He must reach 75% of his usage to be protected and is ineligible for the postseason. He he had no PA or BF I will disable him for the year and he is automatically covered.
- Only 25 players can be active at one time. Rosters will not expand in September.
- Only players with 100+ plate appearances or 150+ batters faced will be carded, unless they are already on a team.
5. Draft:
- Team draft picks will be allocated based on the 75% eligibility rule for protecting players. For example, if a team protects 18 players, they will receive 12 picks. If they protect 10 players, they get 20 picks, and so on. This includes picks acquired by trade.
- Teams
have to declare their cuts before the draft starts. You may protect as many or
as few players as you like, just as in previous years. Once that number is
established, you will receive enough picks to get you to 30 players.
- Rosters
are not frozen during the draft. You can still make trades, but no cuts are
permitted.
- If you make uneven trades during the draft, i.e. a 3 for 1, you will no longer get
extra draft picks! The team receiving the two extra players will have his last
two picks voided. The team that traded the extra two players will have his
earliest voided picks reinstated. This issue was a topic of considerable debate,
but this ruling is consistent with how picks are handled pre-draft where picks
get voided/reinstated when trades are unbalanced.
- You
will be able to add free agents after the draft (that are eligible to be
protected). The order will be identical to the draft order for the current
draft. This allows teams to make last minute modifications to their roster and
ensure they have sufficient usage at all positions.
- Although
I cannot police this with 100% accuracy, pre-draft trades similar to a 7th, 8th,
9th and 10th for pick(s) this year or next are not permitted. The intent of the draft is
to give teams enough picks to get to 30 players. Once you get to 30, you are
done and you do not own any subsequent picks. This includes picks acquired by
trade - all picks from player 31 onwards are voided.
- Any free agent pick-ups
that you want to protect must be completed by the day after the last day of drafting.
- Free agents may be signed after the start of the season on a first-come, first-served basis; ties will be broken by the lowest winning percentage in the previous year. The purpose of signing free agents is to cover usage issues - these players are not eligible to be protected regardless of usage percentage they end up with after the season. Free agents are typically acquired post draft to cover potential PA or IP shortages that the manager is uncomfortable with. Free agents cannot exceed 100% usage.
- All released players meeting the 100 PA/150 BF minimums enter the free agent pool at the end of the season.
- All teams failing to make the play-offs will participate in a lottery to determine draft order in the 1st round only. Subsequent rounds are determined by reverse order of standings. The play-off teams are positioned in the draft in reverse order based upon the team's record the previous year. Play-off success is not considered.
- For purposes of the annual draft, ties will be broken according to head to head record, then overall run differential and then head to head run differential. For ties involving teams in different leagues, head to head does not exist, so we move to run differerntial, then a coin toss.
The lottery draft will be run like this:
New Lottery System and Play-off Structure |
| Draft Rank |
Team |
W |
L |
Pct |
RF |
RA |
P_Pct |
Diff |
Odds |
P_Bonus |
Final Odds |
Range |
Comments |
| 1st |
Chicago White Sox |
87 |
75 |
0.537 |
692 |
650 |
0.531 |
0.006 |
20% chance |
- |
20% chance |
1 to 20 |
The 12 teams that fail to make the play-offs are all eligible for the lottery. Their odds of getting 1st pick are displayed in the odds column. The two teams who exceed their Pythagorean record by the highest percentage get an additional 5% added to their odds.
The team that finishes in last place overall is guaranteed no worse than 4th pick overall.
For rounds 2 onwards, draft order is determined by reverse order of record. The lottery applies to the first round only. |
| 2nd |
Los Angeles Dodgers |
79 |
83 |
0.488 |
719 |
721 |
0.499 |
-0.011 |
18% chance |
- |
18% chance |
21 to 38 |
| 3rd |
San Francisco Giants |
75 |
87 |
0.463 |
928 |
918 |
0.505 |
-0.042 |
15% chance |
- |
15% chance |
39 to 53 |
| 4th |
Cleveland Indians |
71 |
91 |
0.438 |
655 |
776 |
0.416 |
0.022 |
10% chance |
plus 5% |
15% chance |
54 to 68 |
| 5th |
Cincinnati Reds |
69 |
93 |
0.426 |
811 |
904 |
0.446 |
-0.020 |
5% chance |
- |
5% chance |
69 to 73 |
| 6th |
Baltimore Orioles |
67 |
95 |
0.414 |
683 |
828 |
0.405 |
0.009 |
5% chance |
- |
5% chance |
74 to 78 |
| 7th |
Houston Astros |
67 |
95 |
0.414 |
699 |
873 |
0.391 |
0.023 |
5% chance |
plus 5% |
10% chance |
79 to 88 |
| 8th |
California Angels |
65 |
97 |
0.401 |
667 |
798 |
0.411 |
-0.010 |
3% chance |
- |
3% chance |
89 to 91 |
| 9th |
Boston Red Sox |
62 |
100 |
0.383 |
778 |
1,002 |
0.376 |
0.007 |
3% chance |
- |
3% chance |
92 to 94 |
| 10th |
New York Mets |
62 |
100 |
0.383 |
762 |
994 |
0.370 |
0.013 |
2% chance |
- |
2% chance |
95 to 96 |
| 11th |
Milwaukee Braves |
54 |
108 |
0.333 |
762 |
974 |
0.380 |
-0.047 |
2% chance |
- |
2% chance |
97 to 98 |
| 12th |
Washington Senators |
45 |
117 |
0.278 |
618 |
960 |
0.293 |
-0.015 |
2% chance |
- |
2% chance |
99 to 100 |
| 13th pick |
Minnesota Twins |
93 |
69 |
0.574 |
880 |
794 |
0.551 |
0.023 |
13th pick |
- |
|
|
These 8 teams would make the play-offs and are ineligible for the lottery. Draft seeding is based purely on record. Play-off performance is not considered. In the A.L. Kansas City would host Minnesota and New York would host Detroit. In the N.L., Chicago would host Philadelphia and St. Louis would host Pittsburgh. |
| 14th pick |
Detroit Tigers |
96 |
66 |
0.593 |
878 |
776 |
0.561 |
0.032 |
14th pick |
- |
|
|
| 15th pick |
Philadelphia Phillies |
96 |
66 |
0.593 |
901 |
808 |
0.554 |
0.039 |
15th pick |
- |
|
|
| 16th pick |
Pittsburgh Pirates |
102 |
61 |
0.626 |
928 |
692 |
0.643 |
-0.017 |
16th pick |
- |
|
|
| 17th pick |
St. Louis Cardinals |
103 |
60 |
0.632 |
1,001 |
751 |
0.640 |
-0.008 |
17th pick |
- |
|
|
| 18th pick |
Chicago Cubs |
104 |
58 |
0.642 |
876 |
752 |
0.576 |
0.066 |
18th pick |
- |
|
|
| 19th pick |
New York Yankees |
107 |
55 |
0.660 |
997 |
658 |
0.697 |
-0.037 |
19th pick |
- |
|
|
| 20th pick |
Kansas City Athletics |
117 |
45 |
0.722 |
949 |
555 |
0.745 |
-0.023 |
20th pick |
- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The intention behind this new process is to force non-contending teams to finish as high as possible in the standings in order to secure better odds of winning the lottery. There is still a benefit to finishing last, but the benefit is much less than before. Poorer teams will not always get the best picks in the draft, but I expect increased competition down the stretch as the weaker teams will be fighting to finish as high as they can to improve their lottery position. This leads to better races all the way around. There were several managers that commented on the race to lose as many games as possible last year, so I hope this will eliminate the possibility of teams not trying as hard as they can to win every single game. |
6. Usage:
- All players who exceed 100% usage (total “PT%” on the player card or the “total” column in the DMB Team Roster Status report) will be placed on the disabled list for the rest of the season by a league official. At the end of the season that player will be released, there will be no appeals unless the home manager made an error with the visiting manager's MP, resulting in overuse. Files are submitted are weekly, therefore overuse should not be a factor. Please make sure you check the "show combined stats" box on a player card if you don't run usage reports. When you check the player card, it only shows the playing time on YOUR team. This is critical when checking the usage of players acquired by trade. To avoid problems, I suggest you run the DMB usage report each week instead of looking at the player card.
- All players who finish the season under 75% usage (the “total” column in the DMB Team Roster Status report) will be released.
- Players may freely change positions and role (e.g., starters can relieve, Jim Thome can play shortstop, Jose Canseco can pitch) EXCEPT that pitchers and position players cannot switch unless it is demonstrably necessary (e.g., you run out of pitchers in the 16th inning, a fielder gets injured and you have nobody on the bench). As this is difficult, if not impossible for me to monitor, I trust managers to be honest and use discretion when subbing players out of position.
7. Post Season:
- The four teams with the best records in each league will make the playoffs. First place will host fourth place and second place will host 3rd place. Ties will be broken according to head to head record, then run differential, then head to head run differential. If there is still a tie, a coin toss will settle the issue.
- The League championship will be a best of 7 series. The team with the best record will be home first in a 2-3-2 format series.
- The league championship winners will play in the World Series. It too will be a best of seven format. Home field will be determined by best record.
- In event of a tie for a playoff spot a 1 game tie breaker will be played. The team with the best head to head record will be home. If that is tied, the team with the most runs scored will be the home team.
- The league play-offs will begin 3 game days after the end of the regular season.
- The World Series will begin 3 game days after the last game of the league playoffs.
Overuse in playoffs:
- Only players with 100+ plate appearances or 150+ batters faced will be eligible for the post season.
- Players may not exceed 10% usage (total “PT%” on the player card or the “total” column in the DMB Team Roster Status report) in a postseason series. The game or remainder of the series could be replayed from the point in which the overuse occurred.
- The penalty for exceeding 10% is that the game or remainder of the series could be replayed from the point in which the overuse occurred, subject to the opposing manager's discretion. In addition, that player will be lost for the remainder of the play-offs, but will not be released
- Your 25 man roster must be declared at the start of each playoff series. No substitutions are permitted during a series!
8. Trades and transactions:
- Trades are allowed all year except from the start of the 16th series till the end of the World Series.
- The commissioner has veto power over any trade that looks like "dumping". This should only be in extreme cases and the League Presidents will be consulted. I do not believe in censoring trading and no trade has ever been overturned in league history.
- Only draft picks for the next year can be traded. For example, in the 2005 off-season, you can be trading 2005 draft picks, as well as 2006 draft picks. In the off-season, all managers have committed to play one more year, so I am OK with the next year's picks being traded. The intent of this rule is to prevent new managers from being handicapped for more than one draft.
- Each team will be allowed a total of 2 free agent pickups during the season. Any additional free agent signings must be approved by the commishioner.
- Teams are not required to release players in excess of 30 when acquired by trade.
- DO NOT make any player changes to the disk! The commissioner will make the changes to the disk after they have been reported to him.
- All trades and transactions will be effective the next series, not mid-series.
- A trade is considered finalized and agreed to once one manager posts the trade to the other manager and/or Yahoo Group and the other manager confirms the trade to the other manager and/or Yahoo Group. If both parties wanted out, or it was proven that dealing in bad faith took place (almost impossible to prove), I would probably say fine, otherwise the deal would have to stand.
- A trade is an agreement between two people and an agreement is only as good as your word, which should not have to be regulated by any 3rd party. If a manager agreed to or confirmed a trade, it wouldn't be popular if that manager wanted to back out of the confirmed deal. I fear it would make people wary of dealing with that manager in the future, which would not be good for the manager in question or the league.
- Trading is an area that the League Office really does not want to regulate, or should have to regulate as long as all deals are conducted honestly and in good faith and that is one of the things that keeps our league strong. Having said that, please be careful of the language you use when trading, and save trade documentation (emails, chats) for future reference.
- All trades and transactions must be reported to commissioner by all parties involved by the Sunday 6 PM EST cutoff in order for them to be effective on the following week's disk. This applies to free agent claims as well.
- Off season trading of draft picks that a team cannot use is not permitted. Example: the New York Yankees protect 24 players - they are only entitled to use 6 picks, regardless of what rounds they are in. Any picks after the 6th pick are voided and cannot be traded.
9. League Authority:
The commissioner may make decisions contravening the constitution such as imposition of rules or exemption of rules. However, a permanent change to the rules will happen after the season and be subject to a review process. Rule changes must receive 75% majority in order to be passed.
10. Penalties:
- Overuse - immediate loss of that player unless there was an MP error by the opposing manager. The player will not be eligible for the postseason, however the penalized manager will be permitted to pick up a free agent.
- 2 late or missing Results - loss of 10th round pick.
- 3 late or missing results - loss of 5th round pick
- 4 late or missing results- loss of 1st round pick.
- 5 + - loss of team
- The commissioner reserves the right to take a team from any manager who is disruptive and harmful to the league.
- Please do not make me enforce penalties, as it is not fun for you, the league or me. If you don't have time to play a series in a given week, no problem. Send your MP to the visiting manager and let him play it. I really hate simming series!
