Constitution of the Real Life Baseball League (RLBL)
Last Updated - 2/21/99
I. League Summary
The Real Life Baseball League (RLBL) is a play-by-email fantasy simulation baseball league, using the Diamond-Mind Baseball 7.0 Software. Participation in RLBL does not require owning the DMB software and though experience is helpful it is not needed.
This league will be unlike any other fantasy baseball league in its realism and owner involvement. (We hope)
II. League Commissioners
The RLBL has two co-commissioners who will share the various responsibilities required to run the league:
Scott Holgate -- email: [email protected] ICQ: 1947127
Will play all games, send out reports, financial Statements.
Charlie Swager -- email: [email protected] ICQ: 1346201
Will maintain the website, play Scott's games (in order to alleviate all risks of the "Commissioner Advantage") and other games as needed, and aid in the function of the league.
III. League Organization
RLBL consists of 24 teams or franchises. The teams are split into 2 conferences (AL and NL) of 12 teams each, with each individual conference consisting of 3 four team divisions. The AL conference will use the DH rule, and the NL conference won't.
The RLBL regular season will consist of a 162 game schedule, with NO interleague play.
In addition, we would like everyone's participation in the overall running of this league. Various positions will be available, including: League Treasurer, Stadium Commissioner, and Trade Review Board. Until these positions are filled, commissioners will act as such. Any volunteers?
IV. Playoffs
All (contending) teams are required to present the commissioners with a 25 player post-season roster on Aug. 15 (season time). The owners are responsible for retaining all players on their post season rosters for the duration of the season. Players on the post-season rosters cannot be altered.
Injuries will be turned OFF during the post-season. Also, any player entering the post-season injured will be divinely healed and eligible to play for the post-season.
Within each conference, the team with the best winning percentage in each of the three divisions advances to the playoffs. In addition, a fourth team, the one having the best record among the remaining teams, also advances. All series will be 7 games!
The playoff teams will be seeded #1-#4. The #1-#3 seeds will be based on the winning percentage of the division winners and the #4 seed will be the wildcard. The #1 seed will play the #4 seed (or wild-card team) and the #2 seed will play the #3 seed. The #1 and #2 seeds will get games 1,2,6,7 at home. The #3 and #4 will get games 3,4,5. For the conference championship games, the team remaining with the highest seed will host games 1,2,6, and 7. And, in the Championship game, the team remaining with the best record will host games 1,2,6, and 7. If the teams have the same record, the team with the best record in it's division will get home field (Games 1,2,6,7). DH will be used in all DH-league home games.
Owners are permitted to use pitchers for 20% of their innings pitched. Position players are also eligible to be used for 20% of their at bats. The league commissioners will inform playoff teams of their players' eligibility after the completion of the regular season, and prior to beginning of postseason.
There will be a day off between games 2 and 3, and again between games 5 and 6, and a two day break between a completed series and a new series (for rest and travel realism). Each starting pitcher must have four days rest between starts.
V. Draft
In order to replenish RLBL teams with players after each season, we will conduct 2 separate drafts: 1) a free agent veteran draft made up of all eligible players (30 ABs/15 IP's) who were on the previous season's DMB disk and all eligible players who were cut from teams AND 2) a rookie draft made up of all eligible players who will debut on the upcoming DMB disk, as well as eligible players who have missed entire season(s)[ie: Dave Steib in '98 or Alex Fernandez in '99].
Following each season and once each franchise has cut down its roster to their keeper lists of 15 players, the RLBL will conduct its annual free agent veteran draft. The draft pool will consist of all players who were cut, as well as veteran players for the new year who are eligible (30 ABs/15 IP's). The veteran free agent draft will be the way most keeper players for the upcoming season will be added to your roster. Teams must select from 12 to 15 players in this manner. The draft order in future seasons will be determined by the reverse order of winning percentages from the previous RLBL season. Playoff teams will be slotted into the draft based on the round they were eliminated in the previous year's postseason. (Tentatively will take place in November)
Following the free agent veteran draft, the RLBL will conduct its annual rookie draft. The draft pool will consist of players who are new to the upcoming DMB players' disk and meet league eligibility requirements (30 ABs/15 IP's). This will be the final way that keeper players will be added to your roster (other than trades and your one free agent keeper). The draft order in future seasons will be determined by the reverse order of winning percentages from the previous RLBL season. Playoff teams will be slotted into the draft based on the round they were eliminated in the previous year's postseason. (Tentatively will take place in January)
VI. Rosters
Each team must have a minimum of 30 players at the end of each year's pre-season drafts. During the season a team may have as few as 27 players on their roster and up to as many as they want. OF these players, 25 are designated as members of the active roster (eligible to play in games), and the rest will be designated to the minor league roster.
Players may move from the minor league roster to the active roster 2 times during the season. Once a player is brought up for the THIRD time, that player must clear waivers before being considered active. A "Waiver Wire" e-mail will be sent out to all owners at the time of the attempted farming. Owners will have 24 hours to claim the player. Precedence is determined by the team with the lowest winning percentage and that player will be able to be farmed twice before having to clear waivers again.
On September 1 of each RLBL season, teams are allowed to expand their active roster to all players they own, however, the roster limit for post-season play reverts back to 25 players.
Any player being farmed after regular season play will not be at risk for the "waiver wire" rule.
VII. Trading
Trades during a season may reduce a team's roster to as low as 27 players. A team MUST have at least 27 players on the roster at all times during the year. In addition, player trades may be uneven (i.e. 2 for 1), and can include draft picks and cash. Draft picks cannot be traded for any season beyond the next season's draft and the pick must be identified as for the veteran or rookie draft. Players-to-be-named-later deals will not be allowed.
Trades can be reported at any time, and will be confirmed by the commissioners at the time they are received.
Traded players retain their salaries MINUS any paydays.
Ex: Player 1 with a 1.00M salary is traded after the 5th payday. The owner receiving Player 1 only needs $.5M to pay his salary for the year.
IMPORTANT: Trades will not go into effect until the end of the calendar week, at which time all league trades for that week will be processed.
Each season, the RLBL trading deadline will be set at 12:01 AM of the morning prior to the playing of the August 16 league games.
VIII. Usage
Each player will have his actual PA/IP multiplied by 1.10 to determine his maximum usage for the RLBL. Players will be allowed 100% usage, at which point they will be placed on the Season DL and become ineligible for any further regular season play.
Each team will be allowed to designate ONE franchise player per year, who will be eligible to be used at 125% of his adjusted AB/IP. Franchise players, if traded, retain their 125% usage throughout the season.
IX. Salaries, Budgets, and Bonuses
The RLBL will utilize a basic salary structure to add an additional element of strategy to the simulation. Each team is allotted a basic yearly budget for salaries.
The first year of RLBL, each team will start with $46 Million PLUS a ONE-TIME bonus of $6 Million for the inaugural draft.
-At the end of the year, each team will revert back to the $46M salary plus or minus all penalties, bonuses, etc.
The $6M will not be awarded again.
The salary paid to a player is determined by formulas that translate performance into a dollar amount. The salaries for all players will be listed immediately following the end of the MLB season and before keeper lists are due. Teams will be able to increase their available money at any time, but only through the acquisition of additional cash through trades or "Popularity Money" (***See Popularity Money***).
---Teams that are over budget at the end of the regular season will have 150% of the overage amount subtracted from his available cash for the following year.
---Teams that have excess money at the end of the regular season will get to retain 50% of it for the following year.
In the second RLBL season and beyond, not all teams will begin the draft with the same available money. Bonuses for teams based on their finish in the standings, penalties, carried-over moneys, and how far they proceed into the post season will all be factors in determining available money.
TEAM 'MERIT' BONUSES WILL BE APPLIED AS FOLLOWS:
1 Bonus from the following list, if applicable:
- $.50M for qualifying for the playoffs
- $1M for winning a divisional crown
- $ 1.25M for losing the Series
- $ 2M for winning the Series
VERY IMPORTANT!!!
Each team will start the next season with $46M available money minus all penalties (if any). If a team qualified for a Merit bonus by reaching the playoffs, that bonus is considered a permanent bonus for 3 years. If you win the divisional crown, you will begin the year with 46M + 1M bonus for the next 3 years.
Popularity Money:
Each payday, every team will be paid $.02M for every win during that pay-period. This is to simulate the increase in attendance of a winning team Vs a losing team. This will also hopefully encourage teams not to sandbag a bad season.
X. Long-Term Contracts
A player may be signed to a long-term contract of up to four years, provided he meets the following minimum requirements:
- For BATTERS: Minimum 245 Plate Appearances
- For PITCHERS: Minimum 40 IP
The purpose of a long term contract is to lock up a player at a predetermined salary over the requested contract term, and not expose that player to volatile salary increases based on improved performance in subsequent seasons. Long-term contractual agreements are highly speculative and should be entered into cautiously.
Any player on the roster who is under a long-term contract must be one of the 15 players retained prior to the next RLBL draft!
THE BOZ CLAUSE:
A contracted player who was injured and missed out on MLB playing time during the season may qualify for arbitration for the following year. This clause can be exercised ONE time per team per off-season:
Position Players: If a player played less than 50% of the # of games appeared in from the previous year.
Pitchers: If a pitcher pitched less than 50% of the # of innings pitched from the previous year.
If a player qualifies for the Boz Clause, that player takes on a new salary for THAT YEAR ONLY equal to:
(Old Salary + New Salary)/2
That player takes on the original contracted salary for the next year if the contract length dictates.
Each team is allowed to give out an unlimited number of contracts each year.
XI. Salary Arbitration
Players who fail to meet minimum requirements outlined for long-term contracts will be eligible for salary arbitration. Arbitration is also a means to protect a player against a large salary jump. In the arbitration process, a player's salary for the next season will be calculated as:
(New Performance Salary + Old Salary) / 2
So in essence, you only pay half of that player's salary increase for the next season. A player, who finishes a year under arbitration and is given his NEW arbitrated salary, CAN THEN be offered a contract AT THAT arbitrated salary.
Each team is allowed to offer arbitration to five(5) players each year.
XII. League Democracy
The RLBL will be run in a highly democratic fashion. The commissioners always welcome suggestions for new ideas, and ways that the existing plans can be improved upon. New rules or rule modifications will be put to vote, and can be ratified by agreement of 2/3 majority.
XIII. Game Play
RLBL games will be played on a daily basis (Sunday through Thursday), with results being emailed out to all franchise owners. At the beginning of each calendar week, a schedule of games for that upcoming week will be mailed. Tentatively, we are planning the following game playing schedule:
- Sunday (doubleheader)
- Monday (1 game)
- Tuesday (1 game)
- Wednesday (1 game)
- Thursday (doubleheader)
- Friday/Saturday (no games; trades processed, other administrative duties and rest!)
The commissioners will play all RLBL games using the Computer Manager Profile options included in the DMB Baseball software.
XIV. Season Schedule
April 1, 1999 -Opening Day!
XV. Free Agents/Releasing Players
The season will be broken up into 20 weeks of games and 10 Pay Periods of 2 weeks each. Free agents will be available for signing at the end of each pay period.
***Any player taken as a free agent CAN be used in post-season play but once used up, is released and is unavailable for the rest of the year.
**See Note Below** The free agent will be signed at his salaried amount and paid 1/10 of his salary each payday until released.
*** UNAVAILABLE free agents are batters with less than 30 at-bats and pitchers with less than 15 innings pitched. Free agent signings MUST be e-mailed to BOTH commissioners at the end of each pay-period (see below) and will be awarded starting with the team with the worst winning percentage.
NO FREE AGENT SIGNINGS ARE ALLOWED AFTER AUG 15!!!
NOTE: KEEPING FREE AGENTS:
After the season ends and the new salaries are posted for the following year, each manager will have an option of keeping ONE player (signed in the previous season as a free agent and kept on the roster throughout the season) as a "keeper" for the following year. IF a manager chooses to exercise this option he must pay an UP-FRONT cash fee of 20% of that player's salary for the following year. This money will be subtracted from the amount of money able to be used in the draft for the following year.
Ex: Player X picks up Joe Smoe (at $.12M) mid-season in 1999 and leaves him on the 30 man roster until the end of the season. The new salaries are posted and Joe Smoe's new salary is 4M for the year 2000. Player X (if he chooses to keep him and not risk him to the draft) must pay an up-front fee of 20% of 4M (.80M) and can THEN add him to his "15 keeper" list. His salary of 4M will be paid as usual for the following year.
XVI. Injuries
The injury function will be on and set to real. This will mean that if a player was injured or had injury problems in 1998, he will most likely have the same or close TO the same # of missed days. Now, NO baseball simulation program can get this down EXACTLY, but understand that theoretically Cal Ripken will not get hurt NEARLY as much as John Jaha.
XVII. Season Format
The season will be broken up into 20 weeks of games. Each Week will play approximately 8-10 days worth of games including days off.
DAILY E-MAILS: each day, the boxscores will be sent out via e-mail to all members along with a "newspaper report" of league leaders, hitting and pitching performances from that day, and pitching matchups for the following day.
WEEKLY E-MAILS: After each week of games the full league leaders page will be sent out along with usage, and an upcoming schedule for the following week.
BIMONTHLY E-MAILS: After each block of 2 weeks along with the weekly e-mails will come a financial statement along with a list of free agents. (See paydays) Also any "waiver wire" info will be sent out with this post.
XVIII. Paydays
The 20 weeks of games will be broken up into 10 groups of two weeks each. At the end of each of these 10 groups, each player on your roster will be paid 1/10 (one-tenth) of his salary.
AFTER paying players, THEN AND ONLY THEN are players able to be released and free agents able to be signed.
Also each manager will be paid $.1M PER team update that will be due in between paydays. 10 updates will earn a team 1M over the course of a year. Updates may include players who are on the block, any games of note, trash-talking, etc... don't need to be long, but we would like this to be a way to liven up the mid-season.
XIX. Keeper Lists
After the season is over and after the new salaries are posted for the following year, each manager will be responsible for providing a list of no more than 15 keepers. During the draft, a manager is only allowed the # of picks that will get his roster size to 30. If a player has traded away draft picks, the number traded away will be added on to the # of rounds a player can participate in a draft.
Ex: Player 1 has 12 keepers. He will have picks in the first 18 rounds of the following season's draft. But he had traded away his 2nd, 3rd, and 6th picks. Therefore, he is given 3 additional picks at the end of his draft. (ie: a 19th, 20th and 21st round pick)