THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STAR ATHLETES (NASA)

 

(I.)               STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

 

(1.1) Members of NASA enjoy playing Replay Baseball and enjoy being in a league with others who also enjoy playing.  Joining NASA is a commitment to playing games and reporting results, compiling and sharing statistics, and taking care of other League business in a timely manner.  There are times when family or work obligations make it difficult or impossible to keep up with NASA matters.  If that happens, NASA members are expected to let the other League members know so we can do what’s necessary to keep things moving as smoothly as possible.  The most important thing to keep in mind is, NASA is meant to be fun for everyone involved.

 

(II.)            WHAT NASA IS

 

(2.1) NASA is a “keeper” League in that once a Team owns a Player it has his rights in every season played unless the player is traded or released.  We will use all the Replay sets created by Pete Ventura in chronological order starting in 1964.  As this is written (Fall 2006), those seasons are 1964, 1966 and 1969.  However, we expect the 1967 season will be available by the time we have finished 1966, and we expect the 1971 season will be ready by the time we have finished 1969.  If other seasons are produced in time for them to fall in our time line, we will use them.  For instance, if somehow 1970 is available by the time we have finished 1969, we’ll use it.  And if 1972 or 1973 is available when we are finished with 1971, we will continue.

 

(III.)          NASA PLAYER POOL

 

(3.1) At the inception of the League, each Owner of a NASA Team will designate one actual major league Franchise whose players will be in the Player Pool.  The Owners will make their picks in an order to be determined by lot.  After each Owner has picked a Franchise, we will vote on one additional Franchise to add to the Player Pool.  Each Owner will vote for two Franchises that aren’t already in the Pool, and the one Franchise that gets the most votes is in.  In case of a tie, a run-off vote will be held among the Franchises that are tied, and if that’s a tie, one will be chosen by lot.

 

(3.2) A player is determined to be a member of a Franchise if that was the last major league team for which he played in that season, or if that was the team for which he played at least half his games.

 

(3.3) All players who played for more than one major league team during the season will be represented by the card that reflects their full-season statistics.

 

(3.4) Only cards in the printed Replay yearbook will be used in the League.  If additional cards are available for download on the Replay web site, they will not be used in the League, and having such an additional card does not qualify a player for inclusion in the Player Pool.

(3.5) We will hold a draft of the Players in the New Player Pool before each season after the first one.  Those will be Players who have cards for one of the Franchises (as used in the initial Player Pool) who aren’t already on the roster of any Team in the League.  As an example, say we play the 1964 season with Cincinnati as one of the Franchises but not Baltimore.  When it comes time for us to play the 1966 season, the Team that has Frank Robinson gets to keep him, even though he was traded to Baltimore in 1966.  But Milt Pappas would be in the New Player Pool, as he would have a card for Cincinnati in 1966 and was not already in the League.  Any player who is carded for the 1966 Reds and is not already in the League would be in the New Player Pool.

 

(3.6) Once a Player is on the roster of any Team in the League, he is eligible to play in the League from then on.  If he is cut by a Team, he will still be eligible for the New Player Pool in any future season for which he has a card, no matter what actual major league team he played for that season.

 

(3.7) Only Players who have a card in the season about to be played are eligible to be drafted.  Once a Player is on a Team, he can remain on their roster even in a season in which he doesn’t have a card.

 

(3.8) The designated hitter will not be used in NASA.

 

(IV.)         PLAYER DRAFT

 

(4.1) Before our first season, we will hold a serpentine-style draft.  An order to be determined by lot will be used in odd-numbered rounds, and the reverse of that order will be used in even-numbered rounds.

 

(4.2) In future seasons, each round of the draft will be in reverse order of the previous season’s standings.  In the event two teams have the same record, which team picks before the other in the first round will be determined by lot, and it will alternate in succeeding rounds.

 

(V.)            ROSTER LIMITS

 

(5.1) Each Team may have a maximum of 32 Players under control at the start of the Season and a maximum of 20 at the time of the New Player Draft, including Players who do not have a card in that particular season but are under that Team’s control because they had a card in previous seasons.  Teams may have an unlimited number of Players under control at other times (in the event they make a trade in which they receive more players than they give up).

 

(5.2) Teams may have 25 Players on the active roster until the final quarter of the Season, when up to 35 Players may be on the active roster.

 

(5.3) Teams may, between quarters of the Season, add a Player(s) who is not on the roster of any other league team.  Any Team that already has 32 or more Players under control must cut the same number of Player(s) it adds if it adds a Player(s) in this way.  Such claims are made on the league’s Delphi forum, first-come, first-served.

 

(5.4) Teams may use a different 25-man roster in each quarter of the Season and may use a different roster at home and on the road within each quarter.

 

(5.5) Each Team’s roster must include Players who among them are eligible to start at least 80 games at each of the nine positions.  In addition, each roster must include a minimum number of available relief appearances.  That number will be 45% of the number of relief games used by the team that used the fewest during that actual major league season (that number will be made available to league members before the Player Draft or New Player Draft).

 

(5.5) Teams may trade Players or future draft picks at any time except during the final quarter of the Season.

 

(5.6) Trades made during the Season take effect the following quarter.

 

(VI.)         SCHEDULE

 

(6.1) Each NASA Team will play 80 games, 40 at home and 40 away.  With a six-team league, each team will play each opponent 16 times, 8 at home and 8 away.

 

(6.2) Each Season will be played in four quarters over four calendar months, with each Team playing 10 home games and 10 road games each quarter.

 

(6.3) Games will be scheduled in an order, from 1 to 80, for purposes of establishing a pitching rotation.  Home series in each quarter may be played anytime during the month, but series must be played in the order they are scheduled, and games within a series must be played in the order they are scheduled.

 

(6.4) There is considered to be an “off day” between quarters of the Season, for purposes of scheduling starting pitchers.

 

(6.5) Owners are asked to determine their starting pitchers for the entire Season before the season begins.  But changes can be made for any Quarter of the Season up to the first day of that Quarter.

 

(VII.)       NON-PITCHER USAGE MAXIMUMS AND MINIMUMS

 

(7.1) Non-pitchers will each have a maximum number of games they can play in a Season and a maximum number of games they can start in a Season.

 

(7.2) The maximum number of games a non-pitcher can play in a Season will be one-half the number of games he actually played in that major league season.  If the result is a fraction, round up.  For instance, if a player played in 140 games in 1964, he can play in 70 games in the 1964 NASA.  If he played in 141 games in 1964, he can play in 71 games in the 1964 NASA.

 

(7.3) The maximum number of games a non-pitcher can start in a Season will be one-half the number of games he actually started in that major league season (fractions rounded up, games started available from Retrosheet).  Any of those games can be started at any of the positions listed on his card with the exception of catcher.  A player’s starts at catcher are limited to one-half the number of games he started at catcher in that major league season (fractions rounded up).  Any additional starts that player is eligible for may be made at any other position listed on his card.  If a player is eligible to start 65 or more games, he can exceed his allowed starts and allowed games by one.  A player must be eligible to start at least 65 games at catcher to exceed his allowed starts at catcher.

 

(7.4) If a non-pitcher enters a game before the 6^th inning it counts as a start unless he is either a) replacing an injured player or b) pinch-hitting or pinch-running and does not stay in to play the field.

 

(7.5) Each non-pitcher also has a minimum number of plate appearances (PA, which is determined by AB+BB+HBP+SF+SH) he must make in a Season.  That number is one-fourth the number of PA the player had during the corresponding major league season, with fractions rounded down.  For instance, if a Player had 403 PA during the actual season, he must have at least 100 PA in that NASA Season.  If he does not reach his minimum number of PA, his Team loses his rights and he goes into the New Player Pool for the next season, where he will be eligible to be drafted by any team.

 

(7.6) The only injuries that are observed in NASA for the visiting team are injuries from the rare play book.  All injuries to the home team are observed.  Column 2 injuries to home team players that go beyond the game in progress are observed in full carry over to the next home series (or more) if necessary, even into the next quarter.  No injury extends beyond the end of the regular season.  Injuries in home games do not affect a player’s availability in road games.  If a player is injured more than once in a game, only the first injury is observed.

 

(7.7) If a player with an “L” or “R” in his 2-column has to face a relief pitcher in the first 5 innings of a game that puts him at risk of injury, he may be replaced and his replacement will not be charged with a game started.  This applies only if the relief pitcher is opposite-handed of the starting pitcher.

 

(7.8) In the event that injuries leave a team with no player who has a carded rating at an infield or outfield position, a player must be used out of position with an adjusted fielding rating as listed in the Replay optional rules.   (http://www.replaybb.com/BBPages/gamerules.pdf)    

In the event that an injury to a catcher would leave a team with no eligible catchers (or no catchers eligible to start if the injuries carry over to the next game), the injury to the last catcher hurt is postponed until another catcher is eligible to play, at which time it will be served in full.  If a catcher suffers a rest-of-game injury when no other catcher is available, he stays in the game but must sit out a full game as soon as another catcher is eligible to start.

 

(7.9) An injured player may not be replaced on the active roster within a quarter.  However, if a player has an injury that carries over to the 2^nd or 3^rd quarter, that part of his injury is wiped out if he is not on the active roster for home games in that quarter.

 

(VIII.)    PITCHER USAGE MAXIMUMS AND MINIMUMS

 

(8.1) Pitchers will each have a maximum number of games they can start in a season and a maximum number of games in which they can pitch.

 

(8.2) The maximum number of games a pitcher can start in a Season will be one-half the number of games he actually started in that major league season.  If the result is a fraction, round up.  For instance, if a pitcher started 39 games in 1964, he can start 20 games in the 1964 NASA.

 

(8.3) The maximum number of games in which a pitcher can pitch in a season will be one-half the number of games he actually pitched in that major league season (fractions rounded up).  Note that in NASA a pitcher can convert some of his real-life starts to NASA relief appearances.  Any pitcher who is not rated by Replay as a relief pitcher can be used in relief with a rating of R11 (no bonus inning).

 

(8.4) Each pitcher must pitch a minimum number of innings in a Season.  That minimum number is one-fourth the number of innings pitched (IP) the player had during the corresponding major league season, with fractions rounded down.  For instance, if a Player had 203 IP during the actual season, he must have at least 50 IP in that NASA Season..  If a pitcher does not meet his minimum number of IP, his Team loses his rights and he goes into the New Player Pool for the next season, where he will be eligible to be drafted by any team.

 

(8.5) A pitcher may be used as a pinch-hitter only if he was used as one during the actual major league season.  He will be allowed one-half the pinch-hit appearances he actually had, fractions rounded up.  (Pinch-hitting appearances can be found from Retrosheet.)

 

(8.6) A pitcher who has his own hitting card will use that card whenever he bats.

 

(8.7) A pitcher may be used as a pinch-runner at any time.

 

(8.8) If a pitcher also played the field during the actual major-league season (such as Willie Smith in 1964 or Mel Queen in 1966), he has separate maximum limits in his use as a pitcher and as a non-pitcher.  If he meets his minimum usage requirement in EITHER category, his Team retains his rights.

 

(8.9) If a starting pitcher is eligible for 16 NASA starts or fewer, he must rest four games between starts.  If he is eligible for 17 to 20 NASA starts or more, he must rest three games between starts.  A pitcher who is eligible for 21 or more NASA starts (and this does happen in 1966, 1969 and 1971) may make as many starts on two games rest as is needed to make all his available starts.  Under that circumstance it is possible such a pitcher could start twice in a four-game series.  There will be no penalty for pitching on short rest for a pitcher who is eligible to do so.

 

(8.10) A pitcher may not be used as a starter and a reliever in the same series.

 

(8.11) Within a series, visiting team relief pitchers must observe Replay’s optional rest rules based on their R rating and the number of innings they pitch.  Home team relief pitchers must also observe these rest rules, and that rest carries over between series and between quarters. (Relief pitchers get credit for the “off-day” between quarters, just as starting pitchers do).  For pitchers who both start and relieve, rest rules are observed only between consecutive relief appearances and consecutive starts.  Such a pitcher may start any time after a relief appearance (but not in the same series) or relieve any time after a start (but not in the same series).

 

(8.12) Starting pitchers will use Replay’s BF rules to determine when or if they go to their B ratings.  There will be no automatic flipping to B ratings after pitching to a certain number of batters or innings.

 

(8.13) Relief pitchers will use the R rules to determine when or if they go to their B ratings.  We will not use the bonus inning; however, if a pitcher with a bonus inning enters a game during or before that inning, add 4 to his R rating for that game.  Thus if a pitcher rated R5^8 enters a game in the 8^th inning or earlier, he becomes an R9 for that game.  (Under the bonus inning rule, the bonus rating allows a pitcher to pitch one full inning independent of his R rating, and the average number of batters in an inning in this era was just over four.)  There will be no automatic flipping to B ratings after pitching to a certain number of batters.

 

(8.14) Any relief pitcher entering the game in extra innings will have 4 added to his R rating.

 

(8.15) A pitcher may face no more than 9 batters after going to his B ratings, unless he went to his B ratings because of a rare play.  Under those circumstances, he can face 9 batters after he would have flipped to B ratings under the regular rules (either by allowing 6 runs or by allowing a baserunner after facing his BF number of batters).

 

(IX.)         MANAGER’S PLAYING OPTIONS

 

(9.1) Each Owner will determine whether or not his home games will use Replay’s park effects.  Each Owner who uses park effects will choose or create a park before each Season.  Any Owner-created park must be approved by the other league members (it must bear some resemblance to an actual ballpark, even if it’s extreme).

 

(9.2) All games should be played using the most recent bunt and hit-and-run charts (which, as of this writing, are the ones in the tri-fold chart book).

 

(9.3) Each Owner should determine the stolen base rules that will apply during his home games, either:  1) Stolen bases called manually using the jump rating, with *, **, + and 5-column letters ignored.  2) The game’s rules as written, except using both the pitcher and catcher’s ratings to determine the success of a * or +.  3) The game’s rules as written.  If the home team uses option 1, then the visiting team will use the game’s rules as written.

 

(9.4) Each Owner will determine whether to use the Replay Umpire and Double Play Pivot options in Column 4.  Whatever choice is made applies to both the home and visiting teams.

 

(9.5) There are several rare play book options that are available.  Each Owner will declare which he is using before each Season.

 

(9.6) The infield will be back, halfway or in according to the game’s Infield Positioning Chart UNLESS the home team manager or the visiting team’s instructions calls for something different before the dice are rolled.

 

(9.7) All games will be played using the three-dice system and the full 6-by-6 pitcher’s cards.

 

(X.)            LEAGUE CHAMPION

 

(10.1) The league champion shall be the team with the best record during the Season.

 

(10.2) In the event two teams are tied for the best record, a best-of-three playoff will ensue.  One team will be determined by lot to be the home team for Games 1 and 3, with the other team hosting Game 2.

 

(10.3) Each team shall designate a 25-man roster for the playoff.

 

(10.4) Any non-pitcher who was eligible for to start 40 or more games during the NASA Season will be eligible to start any playoff game.  In the event no player was eligible to start 40 or more games at a position, no player can start all three playoff games at that position.  Otherwise there is no restriction on usage of non-players.

 

(10.5) Any starting pitcher who was eligible to start 10 or more games during the NASA Season will be eligible to start any playoff game.  There will be no carryover “games/days rest” from the regular season.  No pitcher may both start and relieve in a playoff series.  The only other restriction on pitcher usage will be Replay rest rules based on their R rating and the number of innings they pitch.  The playoff games will be considered to be played on consecutive days for that purpose.

 

(XI.)         REPORTING GAMES AND STATISTICS

 

(11.1) Owners are asked to report the outcome of their Games on the league’s Delphi Forum once they are played.  That report can be as long or short as the Owner wishes, so long as it includes the score of the Game and the names of any Players used off the bench or out of the bullpen by the visiting team.

 

(11.2) The following statistics will be kept for batters:  G, GS, AB, R, H, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, BB, SO, HBP, SF, SH, SB, CS, E.

 

(11.3) The following statistics will be kept for pitchers:  G, GS, CG, ShO, W, L, S, IP, H, R, ER, BB, SO, HR, BF (batters faced).  (Pitcher’s errors should be kept with their batting statistics.)

 

(11.4) At the end of each home series, Owners should send the series statistics for both teams to both the opposing Owner and to Reg Awalt, who will keep central league stats.

 

(XII.)       MISCELLANY

 

(12.1) If a player (other than a pitcher) has an error rating of 61 or greater it is reduced to 56 UNLESS a) he played at least 80 games at the position (for seasons that have the games played by position on the card, like 1967), or b) he has an asterisk next to his position (in other seasons, like 1969).

 

(12.2) Any error rating of 66 for a pitcher is changed to 65.

 

 

Record of Revisions
Effective Season	Article	Summary
1967	6.3 (revised)	Home series must be played in the order they are scheduled.
1967	7.3 (revised)	Games played and games started limits increased by one for players with a GS limit of 65 or higher, and for catchers with a GS limit of 65 or higher at catcher.
1967	7.6 (revised)	Column 2 injuries count for the home team only.
1967	7.7 (added)	Players who enter the game before the 6th to replace a player with an “L” or “R” on their 2-column injury number following an opposite-handed pitching change, are not charged with a game started.
1967	7.8 (added)	Injuries that cause a player to be used at an unrated position will abide by Replay’s optional rules for players playing out of position.  Special rules for catchers.
1967	7.9 (added)	Injuries that carry over to the next quarter are wiped out if the player is not on the active roster for home games.
1967	8.11 (revised)	Reliever rest for the home team carries from game-to-game throughout the season.
1967	12.1 (added)	Error ratings of 61 to 66 at a position (except pitcher) in which a player played less than 80 games are reduced to 56.
1967	12.2 (added)	Error ratings of 66 for pitchers are reduced to 65.