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New Millenium League Strat-O-Matic Baseball |
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Special Rules adjustments for 2021 season due to COVID 19 pandemic
The NML will adopt a COVID list for the 2021 season where anyone who either opted out for part of the season or missed any time due to COVID can be placed on the COVID list (max 5 players per team) where they won't count against your 40 man roster and their contracts will freeze with no costs for the 2021 NML season and their 2022 status will match what it would have been in 2021. Because the MLB season was just 60 games and we are expanding that to a 162 game schedule the usage rules are adjusted as follows: 110% usage for hitters is equal to 300% of actual PA. 120% usage for relief pitchers is equal to 325% actual IP. 110% usage for starters is equal to 300% of actual starts. The minimum requirements for a player to be active for the 2021 season is 35 PAs for batters, 2 games started for starting pitchers and 10 IP for relief pitchers. The Prospect/Rookie status will be adjusted so if you have a first year reliever who pitched 10 innings or a hitter with 35 plate appearances you can either activate him as a rookie or keep him as a prospect. Insurance claims are adjusted to reflect the 60 game MLB season so a player needs to miss 30 games on the IL for a claim of 50% of his salary and miss 45 games on IL for claim of 75% of his salary. Any player on an insurance claim remains as a roster spot and is ineligible to play during the 2021 season.
10.6 Franchise Fees 10.7 Owner Obligations 10.8 Cheating 10.9 Designated Hitter 10.10 League Governing Committee 10.10.1 League Director of Player Personnel 10.10.2 League Director of Statistics 10.10.3 League Director of Owner Relations 10.10.4 Rules & Gripes 10.11 Stats Books 10.12 Current Owners & Teams 10.13 New Owners 10.14 League Game Schedule 11 The Players 11.6 Player Salaries 11.6.1 Position Players Salary Formula 11.6.2 Starters and Starter/Relievers Salary Formula 11.6.3 Relievers Salary Formula 11.7 Player Contracts 11.7.1 Contract Lengths 11.7.1.1 Prospect Contracts 11.7.1.2 Rookie Contracts 11.7.1.3 Option Year Contracts 11.7.2 Option Years 11.7.2.1 Picking Up a Player’s Option Year 11.7.2.2 Offering a Player Arbitration 11.7.2.2.1 Offering a Player Arbitration at or Above his Actual Salary 11.7.2.2.2 Offering a Player Arbitration Below his Actual Salary 11.7.2.3 Restricted Free Agency - In Reference to the Option Year 11.7.2.4 Buying Out a Players Option Year 11.7.3 Contract Restructuring 11.7.4 The Canseco Rule 11.7.5 Contract Payment 11.8 Player Usage 11.8.1 Minimum Plate Appearances/Innings Pitched 11.8.1.1 The Prospect Void (100 PA - 129 PA) 11.8.2 Position Players Usage 11.8.2.1 Availability 11.8.2.2 Fielding Usage 11.8.2.3 Designated Hitters 11.8.2.4 Emergency Usage 11.8.3 Pitcher Usage 11.8.3.1 Starter Usage 11.8.3.2 Relief Pitcher Usage 11.8.3.3 Starter/Reliever Usage 11.8.3.4 Long Relievers 11.8.4 Over Usage 11.8.4.1 Improper Usage 11.9 Player Movement 11.9.1 Trading 11.9.1.1 Draft Days 11.9.1.2 During the Season 11.9.1.2.1 Trade Deadline for Play-off Eligibility 11.9.1.3 Reporting Trades 11.9.2 Releasing Players under Contract 11.9.2.1 During the Off-Season 11.9.2.2 During the Season 11.9.2.2.1 Waiver Wire 12 Drafts 12.6 Restricted Free Agent Draft 12.6.1 Compensation 12.7 Unrestricted Free Agent Draft 12.8 The Waiver Rule as it Pertains to the Drafts 12.9 General Draft 12.9.1 Trading Draft Picks 12.10 Expansion Drafts 13 Points 13.6 Franchise Points 13.7 Bonus Points 13.7.1 Individual Bonus Points 13.7.2 Team Bonus Points 13.7.3 Post Season Bonus Points 14 Rosters 14.6 Roster Composition 14.7 Roster Changes/Moves 14.8 Expanding Rosters as of September 1rst 14.9 Acquiring Prospects 14.10 Post-Season Roster Freeze 14.11 Off-season Farm System Freeze 15 League Divisions 15.6 Conference Realignment 15.7 League Expansion 16 Playing Games 16.6 Season Schedule 16.7 Pitching Rotation 16.8 Monthly Deadlines 16.9 Game Setup 16.10 Saving Files 17 Play-offs 17.6 Qualifying 17.7 Match-ups 17.8 Player Usage 17.8.1 Post-Season Rosters 17.8.2 Availability for the Play-offs 17.8.2.1 Position Players 17.8.2.2 Relief Pitchers 17.8.2.3 Starting Pitchers 17.8.2.4 Over usage in the play-offs 17.9 Playing the Games 17.10 Saving Post-Game Files 17.11 Play-off Series Timeline 18 Rules 18.6 Uncovered Rules 18.7 Amending/Changing Current Rules. 18.8 Voting 18.9 Protests 18.9.1 Protesting Trades 19 Franchise Modification 19.6 Changing Stadiums 19.7 Changing Farm Systems 20 Inaugural Season 20.6 Start Up Points 20.7 Selecting Stadiums 20.8 Drafting Teams – Farm Systems 20.9 Secondary Draft – Filling Out Your Team 20.10 Getting Ready for the Inaugural Season 20.11 Inaugural Conference Alignment 20.12 Clarifying the Rules 10. Introduction 0.1 Franchise Fees This is currently a free league. The only fiscal obligations are those to maintain your ability to play in the league. These obligations are highlighted in the following section. Should the need arise for any league based expenses, a league vote will be taken prior to any monetary action.
0.2 Ownership Obligations It is the owner’s obligation to be able to play league games in the correct manner. In order to be a general manager in this league, you must have:
a.) An IBM compatible computer with access to the internet. b.) an active e-mail address c.) the latest approved version of the computer game system. (Strat-o-Matic) d.) a copy of the current years stats disk.
Owners are responsible to get all box scores and compiled stats into the Director of League Statistics. They are also responsible for the posting of lineups, all roster changes, setting pitching rotations, submitting instruction, assigning player contracts, and making sure all scheduled games are played in timely fashion. In addition, owner must participate in all league referendums.
0.3 Cheating As always there are temptations to cheat. There are ways to alter the outcome of any given game. No one can prevent someone who is determined to win a game from cheating. However, when you invest so much time and passion into a team, we find it unthinkable for someone to deliberately cheat us out of deserved wins. Please do not deprive the league of its integrity. Thank You.
0.4 Designated Hitter Currently, this is a DH league and will remain so until a vote is taken to change it. It would take a 2/3 majority to do so.
0.5 League Governing Committee There are many facets integrated in the operation of this league. In order to maintain the league, responsibilities are will be managed by a three person committee. This committee will be responsible for maintaining a semblance of order throughout the league. Conflicts and questions will be mediated by the committee and resolved by a committee consensus. All directors will be the responsible for the management of the league bylaws along with the responsibilities of their individual posts. Once appointed, they will hold their post until they either resign from the position, or they are voted out by a 2/3 majority of the owners. The latter contingent will be tabled when four or more owners request a change in a given office. The vote must be taken within one week of written notification to all members of the League Governing Committee. The following is a list of the league committee posts and their responsibilities.
0.5.1 League Director of Player Personnel - Seth Greenspan The position of Director of Player Personnel is responsible for all maintenance in respect to the league rosters. These responsibilities are comprised of:
· Running the drafts · Compiling the monthly rosters · Maintaining the waiver wire · Archiving all trades
This director designates the dates for all drafts and oversees the course of the draft, making sure that all teams are maintained within the allowable parameters of the league rules. All monthly roster moves will be directed to him/her by the deadlines outlined by the rules, so that monthly roster files can be compiled for each month of play. The Director of Player Personnel is responsible for posting all league trades and managing the league waiver wire.
0.5.2 League Director of Statistics - Rich Molino The position of Director of Statistics is responsible for all maintenance in respect to the league statistics. These responsibilities are comprised of:
· Compiling and archiving league statistics · Calculating and submitting bonus points · Compiling monthly league statistics · Calculating player salaries · Verifying franchise points
The League Statistician will be responsible for compiling and archiving of the league statistics from year to year. He will also be responsible for the calculation and submission of the bonus points on a monthly basis, as well as compiling the monthly stats from each month of play. In addition to seasonal tasks, the league statistician will create and update the season, team, and player records into a league encyclopedia. This director will work with the Director of Player Personnel during the drafts by supplying the list of player-calculated salaries and verifying team monies available for all franchises.
0.5.3 League Director of Owner Relations - Chuck Carline The position of Director of Owner Relations is responsible for all maintenance in respect to rules and communication with the league. These responsibilities are comprised of:
· Maintaining the leagues media base. · Updating the league bylaws · Recruiting new owners
This director is responsible for maintaining the leagues media base via e-mail communication and by publishing and editing the league web site. Reports of official league business and information (i.e. rosters, bylaws, up/downloading files) will be the priority of the web site, but team articles, submitted by the teams, and other editorial based news can make up the substance of the web site. This is all up to the creative freedom of the director. This will also be a forum where teams and other interested parties can be filled in about the league. Eventually all league information should be accessible through this forum. Finally, if the need should arise, the Director of Owner Relations will be responsible for filling any vacant ownership positions within the league.
0.5.4 Rules and Gripes - League Governing Committee The League Governing Committee is responsible for fielding and deriving solutions for rules interpretation conflicts over the course of the season. All inquiries submitted to the committee will be discussed between all committee members, with the whole body coming to a fair verdict within the intent of the rules. They are responsible for the clarification and standard revisions of these rules. Together they mediate and compose referendums for the league to vote on. All proposed rules changes and amendments must be submitted through the rules committee for submission to the league.
0.6 Stats Books These books are used as references for player statistics, games played, calculation of salaries, and for use in answering any other statistic based questions that might arise over the course of playing a season. The current, official New Millennium League statistics books are those published by Stats, Inc. These books are very comprehensive and are available every year in November. The currently retail for around $20-$25 and are very helpful reference material, However, it is not mandatory for owners to purchase one or all of these books.
0.7 Current Owners/Teams Here are the teams of the New Millennium League, which was founded in 2001, the year of the new millennium. This league will consist of 12-16 teams depending on original interest. Expansion is always a possibility and may be entertained in the future. Approval of the league will be sought prior to any expansion or consolidation of the league. Next to each team is the farm system picked by the teams and their respective stadiums.
0.8 New Owners New owners entering the league will be allowed to choose a new stadium and farm system from those available. If the new owner opts for a new ballpark the change will be immediate. However, in the case of selecting a new farm system, the owner will not own that system until Opening Day. Until that time, the owner will own the current farm system of his new team.
10.6 League Game Schedule The New Millennium League play an unbalanced 162 game schedule with the majority of each teams games being playing within their respective conferences. The league schedule will be sent out to all owners prior to the beginning of each season. Each team will be responsible for playing 81 games on their computer with the balance being played on their opponent’s computer. Of these games, approximately half will be home games. Doing this allows teams to have the experience of other ballparks and unique situations that would not be experienced in your home park. Further detail on the game schedule can be found in Section 6.1.
1. The Players In this league, the statistics of a given season are based on the previous year’s Major League Baseball statistics. The following section goes into detail on player salaries, usage, and over usage.
1.1 Player Salaries In the New Millennium League we have adopted a salary format. This establishes relative values for the players in the league, thus the better players will be “worth” more than the average player, and so forth. Values are in points which, for arguments sake, are equivalent to approximately $1,000 per point, (i.e. 1,000 pts. = $1,000,000). All eligible players calculated salaries will be distributed to the league upon the completion of the Major League Baseball season and will be typically submitted by the 31st of October by the Director of League Statistics. Please keep in mind that mistakes can happen and if there are any questions concerning a given player’s calculated salary, to please direct it to the Director of League Statistics of the salaries in question can be double-checked. The following are the formulas used to calculate the salaries for position players, starter/relievers, and relief pitchers.
All players start will have a Base Salary, which is the same for position players, starter/relievers, and relief pitchers. The Base Salary for all non-prospect players is 300 points. Prospects have no calculated salary and have a total salary of 125 points.
1.1.1 Position Players Salary Formula
· Add 1 point for each of the following categories:
+ 1000 x (OBP + (2 x SLG)) + Total Bases + Runs Produced (RBI + RS - HR)
· Take the total of all of these categories, this will be the player’s Stats Figure.
· The Usage Factor is equal to (At Bats + Base on Balls) divided by 502. Round Usage Factor to the nearest hundredth (0.00).
· Take the Usage Factor and multiply it by the Stats Figure, giving the player’s Performance Salary. Round Performance Salary to the nearest whole number.
· The Final Salary is the total of the Performance Salary, Base Salary (See Section 1.1), and Bonus Salary. The following tables are used to calculate Bonus Salary.
1.1.2 Starters and Starter/Relievers Salary Formula This formula is for any non-prospect pitcher who has started at least once start over the course of the season from which the salaries are being calculated.
· The Stats Figure is tabulated from the sum of the following. No negative numbers are allowed. If any of the following is less than zero, use zero as the value.
+ 25 points x (IP - Hits) + 15 points x Wins + 15 points x Complete Games + 15 points x Shut Outs + 10 points x Saves + 5 points x (K - TBB) + 3 points x Games Started + 500 divided by ERA + 250 divided by RPI ((HITS+TBB+HBP) / IP)
· Round the Stats Figure to the nearest hundredth (0.00).
· Take the pitcher’s Games Played & Games Started, add them together and then divide that number by 64. This number will be the player’s Usage Factor. Round Usage Factor to the nearest hundredth (0.00).
· Now take the Usage Factor and multiply it by the Stats Figure, giving you the player’s Performance Salary. Round Performance Salary to the nearest whole number.
· The Final Salary is the total of the Performance Salary, Base Salary (See Section 1.1), and Bonus Salary. The following tables are used to calculate Bonus Salary.
1.1.3 Relievers Salary Formula This formula is for any non-prospect pitcher that had starts over the course of the given season, from which the salaries are being calculated.
· The Stats Figure is tabulated from the sum of the following. No negative numbers are allowed. If any of the following is less than zero, use zero as the value.
+ 25 points x (IP - Hits) + 15 points x Saves + 10 points x Wins + 5 points x (K - TBB) + 250 divided by ERA + 500 divided by RPI ((HITS+TBB+HBP) / IP)
· Round the Stats Figure to the nearest hundredth (0.00).
· Take the pitcher’s Games Played and divide that number by 67. This number will be the player’s Usage Factor. Round Usage Factor to the nearest hundredth (0.00).
· Now take the Usage Factor and multiply it by the Stats Figure, giving you the player’s Performance Salary. Round Performance Salary to the nearest whole number.
· The Final Salary is the total of the Performance Salary, Base Salary (See Section 1.1), and Bonus Salary. The following tables are used to calculate Bonus Salary
1.2 Player Contracts In the New Millennium League, all players on a team’s 40-man roster must be signed to a contract by the beginning of each season. This section will go into detail on contract lengths, option years, contract restructuring, releasing players under contract and draft eligibility.
1.2.1 Contract Lengths Player contracts may be one, two, or three years in length. Most contracts may include, or not include, an option year, at a GM’s decision. The following are the exceptions to the rule.
1.2.1.1 Prospect Contracts A player who has not reached rookie status is considered a prospect. Whether a player is considered a rookie or a prospect can be determined by whether or not then player meets the following prerequisites:
Each of these prerequisites are determined from a player’s career Major League Baseball experience. Players that are considered prospects can be signed only to a one-year deal at 125 points with no option year. However, you retain the right to resign this player for the following season.
1.2.1.2 Rookie Contracts The first season that a MLB player exceeds the above (see Section 1.2.1.1) prerequisites, he is considered a rookie. For that season, the player can be signed to a one-year contract at his calculated salary with no option year. As with a prospect, you retain the right to sign this player for the following season.
1.2.1.3 Option Year Contracts If you choose to exercise your option year of a contract, which will be explained later in section 1.2.2, the contract will be a one year contract at the value of the last year of the previous contract plus 10% with no option year. So, when this contract expires you will no longer retain the rights to this player and he will become an unrestricted free agent (See Section 2.1).
1.2.2 Option Years When signing a veteran player to a contract you have the choice of adding an option year to the end of the contract. This option is not considered a part of the actual contract, however it allows an owner certain rights pertaining to that player when his contract expires, particularly during drafts and restructuring contracts. The following describes what can be done with a player, when he is about to enter the option year of his contract.
1.2.2.1 Picking Up a Players Option Year You may pick up his option year for the value of the last year of his previous contract plus 10% with no option. So, if his previous contract was 1000 points per year for three years with an option, then his option year contract would be valued at 1100 points for 1 year. After which, that player would become an unrestricted free agent (See Section 2.1).
1.2.2.2 Offering a Player Arbitration Before a player enters his option year, you may offer him arbitration. There are two types of arbitration, which are based on his actual calculated salary for the upcoming year.
1.2.2.2.1 Offering a Player Arbitration at or Above his Actual Salary If you offer a player arbitration at or above his actual calculated salary, the player can accept offers from another club as a restricted free agent, however you still retain the right of last refusal. This contract can only be one year in length, at the end of which the player will become an unrestricted free agent, i.e. no option year can be added to this contract.
1.2.2.2.2 Offering a Player Arbitration Below his Actual Salary If you offer a player arbitration below his actual calculated salary, it can not be less than 50% of the value for the last year of his previous contract. Again, this player is treated as a restricted free agent and may receive bids from other clubs, however you do not retain full rights of last refusal. You may match any offer from another club if, and only if, that offer is also below the player’s actual, calculated salary. If the bid is higher than the actual salary, you lose that player to the highest bidder with no compensation, as if he were an unrestricted free agent.
Arbitration “hearings” will be held during the Restricted Free Agent draft. This is explained further in Section 2.2.
1.2.2.3 Restricted Free Agency - In Reference to the Option Year In most circumstances, a player will enter restricted free agency after his original contract expires when there is an option year on his contract. As a restricted free agent a player can receive bids from all other clubs in the league, however you still retain the right of last refusal. This means you will have the opportunity to match the highest bid. You may also choose to pick up the players option year before the restricted free agent draft. For more about restricted free agency, see Section 2.2.
1.2.2.4 Buying Out a Players Option Year You may also choose not to resign a player that is going into his option year. If you do opt to not resign a player, then you may buy out his option year for 250 points. He will then become an unrestricted free agent. This must be done before the unrestricted free agent draft.
In any case where you are out bid and do not wish to exercise your right of last refusal, you are entitled to compensation for the loss of that player, unless elsewhere noted. Compensation is outlined in Section 2.1.1
1.2.2.5 Insurance If a player under contract (a V contract of 2 or 3 year duration with at least 1 year remaining) suffers an injury or injuries during the MLB season that limits his playing time, a team can choose to enact an insurance policy that will not remove him from the 40 man roster, but will render him unusable during the NML season. The cost shall be as follows: Player missing 81-120 MLB games: team pays only 50% of guaranteed salary for the current season; Player missing 120-162 MLB games: team pays only 25% of guaranteed salary for the current season; Players missing for less than 81 MLB games are not eligible.
1.2.3 Contract Restructuring Players who are signed to a three-year contract with an option may have their contracts renegotiated. What this is, is a new three-year contract that starts after the second year of his current contract. The option to restructure must be used after the second year of his current contract, but before the third year. His new restructured contract will be valued at his current calculated salary or his salary in the third year of his current contract, whichever is higher, plus 25%. The second year will be the first year plus 15%, and the final year is the second year plus 10%. You may or may not include an option year for this contract. This new restructured contract can also be restructured, if it includes an option.
1.2.4 The Canseco Rule A player can not take a pay cut of more than 50% from the previous year, unless he has less than 100 AB or 25 IP, or is offered arbitration. The "Canseco" rule covers the player who has, for whatever reason, played less than 100 AB or 25 IP.
a) If you should decide to sign him to a 50% cut in pay, you may do so for one year plus an option year, and he will become a restricted free agent after the league championship.
b) When signing a veteran to a two-year contract, you may sign him at his real contract value for the first year, and double his salary in the second year. Of course, you may include an option year with this contract.
c) If you sign him to a three year deal with or without an option year, you may sign that player at his real contract value for the 1st year, a 50% increase in the second year, and double his second year salary for his third year.
d) If the player's real contract value for the season, is less or at the league minimum, he may be signed to a one-year contract only with an option year allowed, for the league minimum.
10.6.1 Contract Payments During the course of the season, you must be able to account for the full contract value of all players on your roster. If you trade a player, you will be reimbursed for the remainder of any traded player’s contract. Likewise, you must pay the remaining balance of the current year of any player’s contract that you acquire. The breakdown is as follows:
Keep in mind that at no time, during the season, can you carry a negative point balance.
1.3 Player Usage Player usage is an important part in the management of the teams. In this league, we want to prevent the over usage of players who would be easily overused because of their statistical attributes, however we understand that you, as managers, need some leeway as on how your players are used. The following are the guidelines of usage for NML players, and what options you have. Over usage is also outlined.
1.3.1 Minimum Plate Appearances/Innings Pitched No player is eligible to be used in a NML season unless that player has at least the following minimums during the Major League Baseball season.
Players that are under contract and do not meet these requirements remain under contract but are not eligible to play in the NML for that year.
1.3.1.1 The Prospect Void (100 PA - 129 PA) Sometimes young prospects will have over 100 PA in a MLB season, but not meet the requirements for become a NML rookie. In this instance, GM’s have the option to sign this player either as a rookie or as a prospect. If this player is signed as a prospect, he is not eligible to play in the NML season, but if signed as a rookie, his salary will be calculated and will be treated accordingly.
1.3.2 Position Players Usage 1.3.2.1 Availability All position players may be used up to 110% of their actual MLB plate appearances.
1.3.2.2 Fielding Usage In Strat-o-Matic, players are rated for various positions, as long as a given player is rated at a position, then he is eligible to play that position as you see fit.
1.3.2.3 Designated Hitters As long as the league remains a designated hitter, any position player may be used as a DH. It will take a 2/3 majority, in a league vote, to eliminate the DH.
10.6.1.1 Emergency Usage Players may be used out of position in a game if, and only if, all other available players for that position have been utilized. This can only be done in an emergency and cannot be done for any extended period of time. No player may start a game at a position which he is not rated. To do so will result in a 250-point fine being levied against the owner for each infraction.
1.3.3 Pitcher Usage 1.3.3.1 Starter Usage In this league, we will be able to use either a 4-man, 5-man, or mixed rotation. In order for a pitcher to go on 3 days rest, he must be rated a ‘*’ in Strat-o-Matic. A pitcher gets this rating by pitching 30 + starts and pitching over 200 innings. Any pitcher that meets the minimum requirements for the NML season, started more games than relieved, and will only start is designated a starting pitcher. Starters may be used up to 110% of their games started, regardless of inning pitched. Starters may not start more than 36 games in a season unless his actual starts exceed 36 starts. In this case, the pitcher can start up to his actual number of starts.
1.3.3.2 Relief Pitcher Usage Any pitcher that meets the minimum requirements for a relief pitcher, has more relief appearances than starts, and will only pitch in relief is designated a relief pitcher. A reliever may be used up to 120% of their total inning pitched.
1.3.3.3 Starter/Reliever Usage Any pitcher that has relieved and started in the same season and meets the minimum requirements for a starting pitcher may be designated as a starter/reliever. The pitcher may start up to 120% of the games he started in the major leagues and relieve in the rest of his balance of innings pitched. He may be used in 120% of his actual innings pitched, including both starts and relief appearances. All pitchers that are going to be used in this way must be designated before the start of the NML season.
1.3.3.4 Long Relievers Each team may designate up to 2 starters who have not pitched in relief, during an MLB season, as long relievers during the NML season. However, you may only carry one on your active 25-man roster. Long relievers may be used up to 50% of their actual innings pitched.
1.3.4 Over Usage There is always a temptation to use an exceptional player often to maximize your opportunity to win, however, in this league, we try to balance the usage of players to minimize the abuse of those exceptional players. Therefore, if there is any player over usage, the following penalties will be instated.
a) After the amount of over usage is calculated, the offending team will forfeit all games in which the over usage occurred, however no player stats will be altered. The teams that have been affected will have their records modified accordingly.
b) The offending team will be penalized 1,000 points per percentage point of over usage. So, if a position player is used 113.0% of his actual stats, the offending team will be penalized 3,000 points. This penalty will be incremented in tenths of a percent, starting at .5% over usage.
c) If the offending team qualifies for the play-offs, after forfeits have been taken into account, the abused player’s usage will be restricted. His 10% usage for the play-offs will be decreased by the percentage he was over used. This modified percentage will be applied to his actual stats and not his NML stats. (i.e. If a position player’s final usage was 113% of actual, then he will only be eligible to be used 7% of his ACTUAL plate appearances.)
1.3.4.1 Improper Usage In the case that a player is used improperly by another manager due to your monthly instructions or starting rotation not being followed, that player’s usage will not be taken into account when figuring over usage. In these instances, the impropriety must be reported to the Director of League Statistics within a month of the due date that the box score(s) was due. Those guilty for not following the instructions for a given game will be fined 500 points per game that the infraction(s) took place.
1.4 Player Movement This section will highlight the protocols for various forms of player movements, from trading to releasing players that are under contract.
1.4.1 Trading Trading in the NML is pretty much straight forward, however there are a few general guidelines.
1.4.1.1 Draft Days Draft days are the only days in which there is no trading. This trade ban starts one hour before the start of the draft and is lifted when all drafting is complete.
1.4.1.2 During the Season All trades made before the 23rd of any month of the season will take effect on the 1rst of the following month, except in September, when rosters are frozen until after the play-offs.
1.4.1.2.1 Trade Deadline for Play-off Eligibility As in MLB, the trade deadline for eligibility for the play-offs is August 15. After this date, players acquired cannot be used in the play-offs.
1.4.1.3 Reporting Trades When you have resolved a trade with another team, it must be reported to the Director of Player Personnel within 48 hours. A handwritten/e-mail copy would be appreciated also for the Director of Player Personnel. Once the trade has been made and reported it is final and cannot be reversed under normal circumstances. Under unusual circumstances, the League Governing Committee will evaluate and vote on the matter. However, if one or more of the League Governing Committee is involved in this trade, a three-person panel will be made of impartial parties from the League Governing Committee and senior owners of the league. The ruling of the panel will be final and cannot be further contested.
1.4.2 Releasing Players under Contract Players that you no longer desire to be on your team but are still under contract can be released, but there is a cost associated with this action. The following section goes into detail on the processes associated with releasing a player under contract.
Upon releasing a player, you must inform the Director of Player Personnel. At that time, the player is handled in one of two ways, depending on whether it is during the season or off-season.
1.4.2.1 During the Off-Season After a player is released in the off-season, he immediately becomes an unrestricted free agent. If this player is taken in the Unrestricted Free Agent Draft, you will be responsible for the remaining difference in the player’s salary. If the player is not picked up by another team in the Unrestricted Free Agent Draft, you will be responsible for the remaining value of his contract plus 250 points, to buy out his option year if he has one. After which, the player is eligible for the General Draft and is available to all teams at his calculated salary. If this player is drafted in the General Draft, you will not be entitled to compensation.
1.4.2.2 During the Season From April 1rst to August 31rst, you may release players “during the season”. This process differs from above in a few ways. Instead of going into unrestricted free agency, the player is placed on the Waiver Wire.
1.4.2.2.1 Waiver Wire On the wire, teams get the opportunity to pick up players in the same order that they drafted at the beginning of the year. This process happens every month of the season and contains the players released during the previous months of the season. (See Section 2.3)
If a team acquires a player through the waiver wire, the new team will be responsible for the remaining years on that player’s contract at his actual calculated salary. The previous team will only be responsible for the rest of the current year and 250 points for the buy-out of that players option, or 100 points if the player has no option attached to his contract.
If the player is not picked up off the waiver wire, the former team is responsible for 50% of the value of the next year of the contract, 25% of the value of the year after that, and 250 points to buy out the option year. The player is then eligible for the General Draft during the off-season.
Players released after August 31rst will be treated as if they were released during the off-season. 1.4.2.3 Retirement Rule
2. Drafts Before the start of every season there will be a series of three drafts, the Unrestricted Free Agent Draft, the Restricted Free Agent Draft, and the General Draft. Dates for them will be set every year by the Director of Player Personnel. This section will go into detail about each of the drafts and any protocols directly linked to them.
2.1 Restricted Free Agent Draft This is the first of the three drafts before the onset of the NML season. All teams are given the opportunity to bid on the players in the restricted free agent pool. The pool is made up of players that meet the following criteria:
a) They are at the end of a 1, 2, or 3 year contract with an option year and have not had their option year exercised.
b) They are being offered arbitration.
All teams are submitted a list of the restricted free agents and players being offered arbitration who are available to be bid on. Prior to each day of the draft, the Director of Player Personnel will submit his bids to a third party, so as to eliminate any and all suspicion. When it is time for the draft to begin, the Director of Player Personnel will open bidding for all players. The bidding will span the course of three days. The Director of Player Personnel will predetermine a closing time for all bids for each day of the draft. After that closing time, all bids will be updated showing the top three bids on each player and be submitted to the league. On the final day, only the owners that have bid on a given player previously may submit a final bid for that player. When closing time has been reached, no further bids will be accepted on players, no exceptions. At that time, both the highest bidder and the team that retains the right of last refusal will be informed about the bids on each of his players. Also, a list of all players and their respective highest bids offered to them will be submitted to all teams in the league. After all teams have been informed, the teams with the right of last refusal have 24 hours to make one of the following choices:
a) Match the highest bid on a given player, thus allowing the team to retain the rights of the player.
b) Refuse to match the highest bid on a given player, thus giving the rights of the player to the team that tenured the bid. Upon losing a player in this way, a team is eligible for compensation, this is explained in detail in section 2.2.1.
c) If the player is being offered arbitration, follow the guidelines stipulated in sections 1.2.2.2.1 and 1.2.2.2.2.
d) If no outside bid is made on a given player, the original team retains the rights to the player at his actual salary, however, if the team does not wish to keep this player, they may buyout the players option year for 250 points. If the team does wish to retain the player, a contract does not have to be tenured at this time.
Trading is allowed during the 24-hour period, however one of the previous choices must be exercised before the player changes teams. Total bids, from the first year of the offered contracts, cannot exceed a teams available points for the current year, nor can a team have more that 75,000 points committed in any following year, including bids. At this time, you may exceed 40 men on your roster.
2.1.1 Compensation For each restricted free agent a team loses they will receive a draft pick in return. This pick is a bonus pick and does not come from the team that signed the player. The round of this pick is determined by the final bid of the player who switched teams. The position of this pick is based on the player’s actual salary. The following chart shows how to determine the round of the bonus pick, which is given to the team who lost a player via restricted free agency and, in some cases, arbitration.
You may take 500 points instead of a pick. If there is more that one compensation pick at the end of any given round, the picks will be organized based on the player ‘s actual salaries. Thus, the higher the actual value of a player, the higher the pick is at the end of the respective round.
2.2 Unrestricted Free Agent Draft This is the second of the three drafts before the onset of the NML season. All teams are given the opportunity to bid on the players in the unrestricted free agent pool. The pool is made up of players that meet the following criteria:
a) They are at the end of a 1, 2, or 3-year contract that has no option attached.
b b) They are at the end of an option year contract. c c) They were released while still under contract, during the off-season.
All teams will be submitted a list of the unrestricted free agents available for bidding. When it is time for the draft to begin, the draft head will open bidding for all players. The bidding will span the course of three days. The Director of Player Personnel will predetermine a closing time for all bids for each day of the draft. After that closing time, all bids will be updated showing the top three bids on each player and be submitted to the league. On the final day, only the owners that have bid on a given player previously may submit a final bid for that player. When bidding is closed, the highest total contract bid, with option years equaling 250 points, is awarded the rights to the player under that contract. Teams will be informed of all bids that they have won and the winning bids on players they did not win. Also, a list of all the players that received bids with the highest bid on those players will be submitted to all teams in the league. No compensation is given to the teams that lost the rights to these players. Players not claimed in this draft are placed into the General Draft pool. Prior to each day of the draft, the Director of Player Personnel will submit his bids to a third party, so as to eliminate any and all suspicion.
Total bids, from the first year of the offered contracts, cannot exceed a team’s available points for the current year. You may still exceed 40 men on your roster.
2.3 The Waiver Rule as it Pertains to the Drafts When both Free Agent Drafts are completed, teams may find themselves in the position of having more than 40 players on their 40-man roster. At that time, teams may waive players from their roster. This will be extremely important, if you wish to draft in the General Draft, because you can only draft in the General Draft until you reach 40 players on your roster. If you have 40 players at the time of the general draft, you will be ineligible to participate in the draft. Teams that wish to waive players must do so no later than 72 hours after the conclusion of the Unrestricted Free Agent Draft. After teams have informed the Director of Player Personnel of the players they wish to waive, the Director of Player Personnel will then compile the list of players and submit it to the league.
After the list has been submitted to the league, teams may pick up players off waivers in the same order as they would the General Draft. When the list come to you, you may do one of the following:
1. Claim a player off of the Waiver Wire, after which you turn is complete and the wire goes to the next team.
2. Pass on the list, thus ending your opportunity to pick up any players from the Waiver Wire. The list will continue to the next team, and will never return to you.
If you do pick up a player off of the wire, you must pay the team, which the player originally came from, one of the following values:
Once you have done this, you now may sign the player to a one-year contract at his actual calculated salary with or without an option. The list will continue to circulate through the league until all teams have passed on the list once. All players will then be submitted into the General Draft pool. However, prospects will be returned to their respective farm systems.
2.4 General Draft This final draft pool is comprised of all players that are not currently on the league rosters and all players in farm systems that are not protected. The draft is held in the standard order, where the team with the worst record, in the previous NML season, has the first pick and so on. If two teams have the same record from the previous season, their record in head-to-head competition will be used as the tiebreaker. After that, if there is still a tie, a lottery will determine where the respective teams draft. Teams will be allowed to draft until they have filled their 40 man rosters or they have extinguished their available points for the current season.
2.4.1 Trading Draft Picks As established before, trading is not allowed during the drafts, however draft picks can be traded at any other time. Only a team’s picks in the first five rounds may be traded. Also, draft picks can only be traded up to the following year’s draft. So, in 2001 you may trade your 2001 and/or your 2002 General Draft picks.
After the conclusion of this draft, all teams must be able to field a team for the complete upcoming season. All teams must have at least 162 games at each position and at least 162 starts from the team’s starters.
10.6 Expansion Drafts If the league, in the future, elects to expand its membership, an expansion draft will be held prior to all other drafts. The Director of Player Personnel will be responsible for setting the date and time of the expansion draft. All other issues, such as protected lists, rounds of the draft, etc., will be subject to league approval.
3. Points Unfortunately, money is necessary to create and maintain a team in Major League Baseball. It is the goal of this league to parallel, with-in reason, the processes of the Major League, even the not so savory issues. The following section goes into detail on points, the NML form of money, and how the teams acquire it. For argument sake, 1 point is roughly $1,000.
3.1 Franchise Points Each team will start every off-season with a base of 75,000 points. Added to this base will be left over points from the previous season, accumulated points via trade, and bonus points. From this point pool, you will have to sign a team for you to field during the season. At no time, can you tie up more than 75,000 points in any future year, however, during the current season you may use up to as many points as you have available.
3.2 Bonus Points The way this league estimates team income is by using bonus points. Teams are given bonus points by both individual player performances and overall team performance. Bonus points will be awarded at the end of every month. They are derived from your compiled stats at the end of every month. After the Director of League Statistics compiles all the stats from the previous month to the league stats file and submits the stats file for the league to start the next month, he used the compiled stats to date to ascertain each teams bonus points to date. The following will show how bonus points are broken down.
3.2.1 Individual Bonus Points There are 10 categories for individual batting bonus points:
And there are 10 categories for individual pitching bonus points:
The values are set for each month of the season and are awarded for the compiled leaders in each category. Points will be given at the end of each of the months to the top ten compiled statistical leaders up to that point in the season. The points are the same for each category and are as follows:
If there are any statistical ties, points will be divided evenly between the tied players and rounded up.
3.2.2 Team Bonus Points Overall team performance will also be ranked and receive relative bonus points also. These points will remain uniform throughout the course of the year. All teams will receive points in each of the following categories:
The points are the same for each category.
Currently, the league only has 16 teams, so the points will be applied accordingly. If there are any statistical ties, points will be divided evenly between the tied teams and rounded up.
10.6.1 Post Season Bonus Points Upon entering the play-offs the top team in each conference will receive 1,000 points. All other teams that receive a play-off birth will earn 500 points. The winner of each subsequent round will receive an additional 500 points, except for the winner of the Darwin Cup, who will earn 1,000 points.
All bonus points earned during the course of the season and post-season will become available for team spending upon the conclusion of the Darwin Cup Series.
11 Rosters Rosters will contain the players that you possess the rights to, outside of your farm system. The following section will detail the composition, modifications allowed, and restrictions of your roster.
4.1 Roster Composition Your roster will be made up of veterans, rookies, & prospects that can total up to 40 players. You must sign at least 30 players, 25 on your major league roster, and 5 players on your minor league roster. You may sign up to 10 more players and place them in your minors. Of those remaining 10 players, up to 5 players can be prospects.
4.2 Roster Changes/Moves All roster changes/moves must be brought to the attention of the Director of Player Personnel by the 23rd of the month for implementation for the following month. This also is true for any mid-month changes you may have, however you must also inform all teams that this roster change may effect, especially if they are playing the games. Failure to do so will exempt the other team from any responsibility.
4.3 Expanding Rosters as of September 1rst All rosters can be expanded, as of Sept. 1st, to 40 players. These players can only be those that have cards for Strat-o-Matic and meet the minimum requirements for usage in the league. You may carry up to 15 pitchers.
4.4 Acquiring Prospects Teams are allowed a maximum of 5 prospects on their roster at any time. These prospects can be acquired through several means including your farm system, the general draft, trades, and the waiver wire. These acquisitions are not restricted except during the general draft. During the general draft, teams may only pick a maximum of 2 prospects from the available draft pool to a maximum of 5 total prospects on your roster. You must have 30 non-prospect players on you team throughout the season to sign/protect prospects.
4.6 Post-Season Roster Freeze During the play-offs, all rosters will be frozen for the purposes of clarity. No players can be brought up from the minors to the major league roster once the play-offs begin. Trading is allowed, but no trades will be official until the final out of the championship series.
4.7 Off-season Farm System Freeze
From the last out of the major league season until opening day of the New Millennium season, all farm systems will be frozen. All prospects traded in Major League Baseball will remain with their original club until the end of the freeze. However, prospects that are traded in Major League Baseball during the season are effectively traded immediately.
12 League Divisions The league is comprised of 16 teams divided into two eight-team conferences. The conferences will be known as the Nieztchean Conference and the Socratic Conference. This is the current conference alignment for 2021:
11 Playing Games The best part of any league is playing the games. Unfortunately, it can lead to the most problems. We want the league to run as smoothly as possible, so there will be a series of deadlines that will need to be followed to help achieve a smooth running league.
11.6 Season Schedule As mentioned before in Section 0.9, the New Millennium League play an unbalanced 162 game schedule with the majority of each teams games being playing within their respective conferences. The league schedule will be sent out to all owners prior to the beginning of each season. Each team will be responsible for playing 81 games on their computer with the balance being played on their opponent’s computer.
The schedule layout will depend on the number of teams in the league. It will be configured annually based on team records and the realignment of teams (See Section 5.1). The new schedule will be submitted to the league by January 1rst of every year.
11.7 Pitching Rotation Prior to the start of the year, each team must submit a their team rotation for the season. Although teams are allowed to modify their rotation throughout the year, this rotation will be used as your default rotation. In the case that you do not submit a monthly rotation, teams playing games against you will use this rotation.
11.8 Monthly Deadlines There are a lot of items needed during the transition from month to month. To assist the smooth transition of the months during the season, here are the typical deadlines during that transition time:
In the case of the unforeseen, the League Governing Committee may modify these deadlines. In an emergency, owners may request an extension to the deadline. The deadline may only be extended to the date shown above, unless the other deadlines have been modified. In that case, the League Governing Committee will issue the deadline for the extension.
10.6 Game Setup The settings for Strat-o-Matic that will be used by this league will be voted on prior to the start of the inaugural season.
10.7 Saving Files After each league game played, you will need to save the boxscore with the play-by-play to send to both the league and the team you just played against. Save the boxscore under the format:
vvvHHHm#.prt
vvv – Visiting team 3-letter abbreviation hhh – Home team 3-letter abbreviation Team in CAPS – Team that played the Game M – Month number (April = 4) # - Game number of the series
Export files will be automatically saved as part of the settings of the game. After each series, you will be required to send a copy of the export files, for the series, to the League Director of Statistics for compilation into the league file.
7. Play-offs At the end of every season, there will be a series of play-offs to determine the league champion. The number of teams and the number of divisions in the league will determine the format of the play-offs. Currently, the NML is comprised of 16 teams in two divisions of eight. Based on those criteria, the following will explain which teams will qualify and how the teams will be matched up. Also, player usage during the play-offs and the format of the play-off series’ will be outlined.
7.1 Qualifying The top four teams with the best overall records from each conference will qualify for the play-offs. Should any ties arise, the first tiebreaker will be head-to-head competition. If the head-to-head records are even, then in-conference records will determine the seeding. However, if the tie breakers are to determine which team makes it into the post season, then a one-game play-off will be scheduled for the first day following the regular season, with the winner advancing into the play-offs.
7.2 Match-ups Since there are eight teams in the post-season, the play-offs will consist of three rounds, the semi-finals, conference finals and the Darwin Cup Series, for the league championship. In the semi-finals, the match-ups will be set up like this for each conference:
Semi-Finals Series #1 - #1 Overall Record vs. #4 Overall Record Semi-Finals Series #2 - #2 Overall Record vs. #3 Overall Record
In the semi-finals, the home team will be the team with the best record. The league conference finals will consist of the winners from the semi-finals. The home team will be the team with the best record during the regular season. Finally, the Darwin Cup Series matches the survivor from the Nieztchean Conference and the Socratic Conference for the League Championship. The home team for the series will be the team with the best overall record during the regular season.
7.3 Player Usage 7.3.1 Post-Season Rosters All players that played during the NML season on your team and have been property of your team by August 15th of the season and are still property of your team are eligible to play for your team in the play-offs. Only 25 players are allowed on your post-season roster. This roster is fixed throughout the post-season and may not be modified at any time.
7.3.2 Availability for the Play-offs 7.3.2.1 Position Players All position players are available up to 10% of their total NML plate appearances for each series.
7.3.2.2 Relief Pitchers All relief pitchers are available up to 15% of their total NML innings pitched for each series.
7.3.2.3 Starting Pitchers During each play-off series, you may go to a four-man rotation. Pitchers with at least 24 starts, more than 225 IP, during the NML season, and fully rested can start on three days rest in a play-off series. Starters with less than 24 starts may only start one game per series. Any starter that is adequately rested may be used in relief. Those pitchers used in relief are restricted to 15% of IP for the whole series.
10.6.1 Over usage in the play-offs In the case that a player is overused in a play-off series, all games from that point on will be replayed. If the same team overuses again, in the same series, that team will forfeit all games in which the over usage occurred.
7.4 Playing the Games Play-off games may be played either head to head (in person, via NetMeeting, or by phone) or by e-mail. The format for each series is as follows:
Game 1 - Played at home team’s stadium Game 2 - Played at home team’s stadium DAY OFF Game 3 - Played at visiting team’s stadium Game 4 - Played at visiting team’s stadium Game 5 - Played at visiting team’s stadium (if necessary) DAY OFF Game 6 - Played at home team’s stadium (if necessary) Game 7 - Played at home team’s stadium (if necessary)
7.5 Saving Post-Game Files After each game you play, you will be responsible for saving/compiling all the stats. This includes the export files, box scores, and play-by-play files. Exchange them between mangers during each series.
10.6 Play-off Series Timeline After all roster and stats files for each round are sent out, each play-off series will be give the timeframe of two weeks to be completed in head-to-head competition. If a series is not completed in that two-week span, each team will be given one additional week to play their home games against HAL, using the computer manager file sent out with the play-off files. Any series still not completed at the conclusion of the additional week will have all remaining games auto-played by the League Director of Statistics. If at any time an owner feels that their opponent is not making an effort to complete the series in good faith, a request may be submitted to the League Governing Committee on how the play-off series should be resolved.
8. Rules 8.1 Uncovered Rules Any issues not specifically covered by the bylaws should be brought to the attention to League Governing Committee. If there is a conflict in rules interpretation, the League Governing Committee will hear both sides and make a decision on how the rule should be interpreted. The League Governing Committee will discuss the decisions, after the season has ended, then compose a referendum for a league vote, if needed.
8.2 Amending/Changing Current Rules Any general manager may propose a rule change or amendment. In all cases, the issue must be proposed to the League Governing Committee. After the committee is completely briefed on the proposed issue, they will confer and draw up the referendum. The issue will then be brought to the league for a vote at the earliest opportunity. In order to change or amend the rules, a two-thirds majority must approve a rule proposal.
10.6 Voting Every owner, barring unforeseen circumstances, must vote (yes/no/abstain) during all league referendums. This is enforced to verify that all league issues and rules changes reflect the intent of the league majority. A 500-point penalty will be levied for each infraction of this policy.
10.7 Protests All protests must be addressed to the League Governing Committee within 48 hours of the complaint. All cases will be reviewed and answered by the League Governing Committee within 48 hours of receipt of the protest.
10.7.1 Protesting Trades In accordance with Section 8.4, if you feel that a trade that has been made in bad faith, you may protect to the league for the League Governing Committee to review the trade. Should the committee find that the trade is of an unfair nature, it will be reversed. However, if the committee finds no reason to reverse the trade, the protecting owner will be subject to a fee of 500 points.
10 Franchise Modification For the most part, your teams name, your farm system, and the stadium, in which your team plays, defines your franchise. When you enter the league you chose a farm system and stadium from those that were available. At some point, you may want a change of pace for your team. Changing your team name can be done at your whim, as long as it is not done during the league season. However, there are some guidelines that you must follow if you wish to change your stadium and/or farm system.
10.6 Changing Stadiums In order to change stadiums, you must notify the Director of Owner Relations in writing (e-mail). After which, you will come in possession of the stadium on the first opening day after a one-year waiting period. It is done this way to prevent teams from catering stadiums to their team’s strengths every year. You must be in possession of your current stadium for one year prior to requesting a change of venue. New Millennium teams, whose Major League stadium counterpart change stadiums, have the right to the new ballpark. For example, if your team had Tiger Stadium, you would automatically have rights to play in the New Comerica Park and no other team could request that venue unless you elected a different stadium in its stead. At no time may a venue be traded.
10.7 Changing Farm Systems In electing a new farm system, you must, again, notify the Director of Owner Relations in writing (e-mail). This request must be made during the off-season and you will take control of that farm system at the beginning of the following off-season. At which time, you will get the rookies of your new system. You must have rights to your current farm system for three years before requesting a change in system. This is to prevent teams from switching systems just to raid them and move on. At no time may a farm system be traded.
11 Inaugural Season The inaugural season of the New Millennium League is this year. We will need to set the groundwork for this league and get it off and running in the right direction. This section will deal with the guidelines by which the league will select their ballparks, choose their farm systems, and draft the balance of their teams. We kick this process off once we get a constituency of at least 12 teams. The goal will be to attain 16 owners prior to starting the league.
10.1 Start Up Points Upon the league attaining the desired number of owners, each team will receive a total of 80,000 points to select a stadium, sign players, and draft the balance of their respective teams. Every year following, teams will receive 75,000 points as their monetary base.
10.2 Selecting a Stadium A team’s stadium is typically the base around which a team is selected, therefore it will be the first order of business for our fledgling league. This will be handled in a free-agent draft fashion. The stadiums available for bidding will only be those that are currently in use by Major League Baseball for regular season games. Upon joining the league, new owners will be asked to name their top three favorite stadiums to play their games in. After all lists are in, the Director of Owner Relations will prioritize a bid list based on popularity of the stadium on the lists. If there are any ties, the younger park will be higher on the bid list. At this point, the Director of Owner Relations will submit the list to the league and bidding will begin on the top stadium on the list. Owners are not restricted to bidding just on the stadiums on their list and may bid on any stadium, as long as they have not already won the rights to a stadium. Minimum bid on a stadium is 100 points. You do not have to bid on every stadium and may “pass” on the active stadium being bid on. Bidding on each stadium will be held as a blind auction and will last until all bids are in, or 24 hours have passed since the current ballpark went up for bid. The highest bidder will win the rights to the stadium. If there are no bids on a stadium it will be passed up for bidding to start on the next stadium. Once winning a stadium, this stadium will be your team’s home for a minimum of two years. (See Section 9.1)
10.3 Drafting Teams – Farm Systems After all teams have their respective ballparks, it will be time to begin the process of getting players to fill them. This first draft will be to select the team that will be your farm system. Upon drafting this team, you will receive all players that were active on that roster upon the completion of the 2000 Major League Baseball season. So, you will not only be selecting your farm system, but you also will be selecting a core of players from that teams roster. Since the roster will be at the close of the 2000 season, players such as Alex Rodriguez, Mike Hampton, and Juan Gonzalez, will be on the Mariners, Mets, and Tigers, respectively. The draft order will be selected randomly. After this draft, teams will be given two weeks to trade & cut players. You may also trade your team’s draft picks from the secondary draft. Rosters of which players you will be keeping into the next draft must be submitted to the Director of League Statistics.
10.4 Secondary Draft – Filling Out Your Team Upon completion of the two week trade period, the secondary draft will start. This draft will be used to fill out the remainder of your team. The draft pool will consist of all players and prospects from all teams that were not drafted in the first draft. Also, all players cut from teams over the last two weeks will be in the draft pool. The draft will start with the team who selected their farm system last in the first draft and proceed in reverse order of the first draft. This draft will be a serpentine draft. You will be able to draft up to 40 players on your total roster. You may not exceed the number of points available for your team. Those players already listed on you roster, while not signed to contracts yet, will count against your total number of points available. An alphabetical list of all players and their salaries will be supplied to the league prior to the draft.
10.5 Getting Ready for the Inaugural Season When all drafts have been completed, teams will have another two-week period to trade and sign contracts. At the termination of this period, rosters and contracts must be submitted. When all rosters are submitted, the league schedule will be released. After which, all teams will have one week to set their rotation for the year and submit their rosters for the first month of the season. Then it is time to PLAY BALL!!
10.6 Inaugural Conference Alignment For the first season, the teams will be aligned into one mega-conference. The top eight teams, by record, will make the play-offs. Teams will be seeded by record in a standard bracket format. Tiebreakers will be handled as per Section 7.1. All of the teams that qualify for the play-offs will make up the Nieztchean Conference in 2002. The remaining teams will make up the Socratic Conference. In the event that the league does not start off with exactly 16 teams, the top half of the division, by record, will make up the Nieztchean Conference.
10.7 Clarifying the Rules Over the course of the first season, the rules may be modified to clarify points that may not have been made perfectly clear in the writing and revision of them. All unclear and omitted rules that are corrected will be given to the league. After the completion of the first season, any further clarifications will need to go through a league vote. Any owner that feels that a clarification or correction is not within the original intent of the rules, may motion that the league put the issue up to vote. If this motion is seconded, the clarification/correction will go before the league for a vote.
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