LIBERTY BASEBALL LEAGUE CONSTITUTION
The Liberty Baseball League (LBL) is a 12 team strat-o-matic baseball league made up primarily of National League carded players. There is limited retention of players lost to the A.L., plus combo cards are used. League will consist of three divisions of four teams each.
METHODS OF PLAY:
Although primarily an E-Mail league; Face-to-Face, Net Play, and HAL, are acceptable methods of play. However, any game files not submitted to the Commissioner by the 25th of each month will be auto-played by the league office.
There will be a 24 hour window from the time you receive your game files/boxscores from your opponent to review them. If there is a legitimate complaint, speak then or forever hold your peace. The league office will also wait 24 hours prior to import stats into the LBL master game file. Once game files are imported into the master league file, they will be official.
New CMs, if needed, are expected in the league office prior to the start of the next block. Managers will be advised of the actual dates the CMs are due. Managers have the option of submitting a season-long CM with complete pitching rotations should they chose.
The commissioner will mail out updated games files prior to the beginning of each new block of games. These files will include any new CMs submitted.
RULES:
All advanced s-o-m rules will be utilized with the exception of the following:
DH will be NOT be utilized
No injuries
No weather factor
No clutch pitching rule
SCHEDULE:
The LBL will utilize a 162 Game schedule generated by the strat game, with teams playing 40% of their games within their division.
ROSTERS:
LBL rosters will consist of no more than 35 players at all times. Active rosters will consist of 25 players, with the remaining 10 players inactive.
Rosters may be changed only at the end of each block (month) of games.
During the last block of play, all players are eligible to be on the active roster.
PLAYERS:
Only players with a regular set N.L. card, combo card, or players lost to the A.L. that have been protected on a LBL 15-man Protect roster are eligible for league play. Extra-carded players, plus those players lost to the A.L. who are not protect yearly, are not eligible to play or be drafted.
Players will be limited to 110% of their IPs and PAs. Plate appearance include; at-bats, walks & hit-by-pitch.
TRADES:
Trades may only occur during the first 5 blocks, after which trading is frozen until the play-offs are completed. Next year’s picks maybe traded, but no player to named later (PTBNL) are allowed. Once again, there is a 35 man roster limit. Trades must be reported NLT the 25th to be eligible for the next month.
Trades will NOT be allowed once the 15-man protect list are submitted until the draft is concluded.
DRAFT:
Prior to the draft, at a time specified by the commissioner, all teams will cut their rosters down to 15 players.
A 20 round annual rookie/free agent draft will be held in the reverse order of the previous years finish. However, the four teams with the worst records will hold a lottery to determine the 1st over-all pick. All subsequent rounds will be solely based on won/lost records. Ties will be broken by a coin flip.
Last years World Series winner will always draft last, with the World Series loser drafted next to last.
BALLPARKS:
Teams will have first right of refusal on their current ballpark. Teams wishing to change their ballpark may draft a new NL park in a separate draft which will occur after the annual rookie/free agent draft. Only one team may own a ballpark.
PLAYOFFS:
The 3 league winners plus 2 wild card teams will advance to the play offs. The 2 wild card teams will have a 5 game series in a 2-2-1 format. That will leave 4 remaining teams, at which point the team with the best record will play the team with the worst record, leaving the remaining 2 teams to play each other. Winners go the World Series. Other than the initial wild card series, all series will be best of seven. Wild card teams will never have the home field advantage over a division winner. Otherwise, best record has home field advantage.
Ties will be broken by: 1-division record, 2-face-to-face record, 3-a one game play-off with home field determined by coin flip. Player usage for the play-offs will be 10% of their adjusted PAs and IPs.
THE THREE WISE MEN:
Three league members, one from each division will comprise a committee that will be charged with ruling on any controversies between managers, or that may arise through different interpretations/or lack of issues addressed in the constitution.