The Dugout: A player's place.

[cummings2]

[img:c821e0b40a]http://www.theoleballgame.com/image-files/reds-dugout-copy-2.jpg[/img:c821e0b40a]

[cummings2]

Alrighty guys,

Here it is! a place to hang out, catch up, watch us some gool ol' championship ball and have some fun.

If you have any questions about the tour a.k.a. Players' Championship drop a note here and we'll ask the skipper.

You have any wacky news from your league? post 'em here...

You need to vent and go bat-crazy against the gatorade cooler? this is the place...

You've been ejected and want to come back with goofy glasses and a moustache? Go to Japan... :P

I'll get this going by by responding to Tom:

[quote:56c8a215c3="TomSiebert"]First of all, thank you to Cummings and Bernie and Mesquito and everyone who is working together to make the Tournament come to fruition this year. It's fun and I've been looking forward to it.

For posterity and the future, I'd just like to put in a vote for one of the rounds being an AL or NL-only league. It brings into play a whole host of players who we'll otherwise see very little of in any tournament rounds, thins the talent pool dramatically, and offers an intriguing challenge. I realize the $60MM league does that somewhat, but not in the same way.

Just my two cents. I know it's too late to change the rules this year, and I recognize the difficulties that come with the Live Draft that is a necessity for an AL/NL league. But I'm sure something could be worked out, like making that league an alternate choice to the $60MM league or one of the other categories and not making it a requirement. I just find these specific AL/NL leagues only especially fun and entertaining and by far the most realistic of any of the Strat Leagues I've played.

tws[/quote:56c8a215c3]

Okey Dokey, let's see...

Several factors come into play here, I hope I can express all of this with some coherence.

For the past few years the tour has been starting a bit later than the year before and it has been dragging on longer and longer. This year the Champ won the title by the end of May. One of the things I'd like to achieve with this year's Tour is to return to schedule so that the title is set by March and around the launching of the new set, [i:56c8a215c3]next year's[/i:56c8a215c3] championship is all ready and set to go.

Starting earlier, by mid-late March hopefully (as opposed to June) will allow us to bring back live drafts, a seven event tourney and hopefully a few more twists. However, this year we have to find a way of bringing the tour back to schedule. For that reason the number of qualifying events was reduced and live drafts were set aside until the Championship League.

An AL-NL even would require us to switch to a live draft format and as we all know that means 6-10 days drafting (hopefully), and then a day or two loading... live drafts are great, and we [i:56c8a215c3]will[/i:56c8a215c3] bring them back to the tour but with a shortened schedule IMHO we can't afford live drafts during qualifying rounds.

For next year's schedule I will propose exactly what you did Tom, and AL-NL 60 mil with AL being DH and NL being no-DH and league only ballparks. I will also gauge interest in adding one "theme based" event, I'll probably pick on jeepdriver's brain for that as he always has great themes.

The main idea I have for this year's Championship is a fast paced turney with as few bumps and delays as possible so that hopefully by the end we will all have had a good time and not feel like, unfortunately I felt the last year I participated, like it had gone on for a little too long and thank goodness it was over. I just don't want that. By the end I want all of us to have had fun and be itching to get the next one started.

[cummings2]

Hope this addressed your thoughts Tom.

C'mon guys, 'tis the dugout... let me hear ya!

C2

[Stoney18]

C2, agree with the thoughts you posted here. I made the final league in last years tour and there seemed to be very little enthusiasm in the league since 2008 had already started. Going to long is definitely a negative.

Great job kicking things off this year.

[TomSiebert]

Thank you, C2 :!: This all sounds eminently reasonable, civilized and smart. I appreciate the rapid response and feel my voice has been heard. Onward!

tws

[keyzick]

[quote:702999c856="thisisray"]http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/tournament/playerschamp/2009/[/quote:702999c856]

Any way you can include the info from this link on a thread in the Player's Championship forum?

The reason being that firewalls block that site for me when I'm at work (shhhh... :wink: ). Basically, any addresses with "fantasy" in them, get blocked. I'm sure it must happen to more than just me.

Not a biggie, but if it's an easy thing to do, thought I'd throw it out there.

Also wanted to say thanks for steppin' up to lead the Championship this year! Most appreciated!

[AeroDave10]

As a theme league suggestion, we could do an ATG-style "Iron Glove" competition, with all 4s and 5s out in the field. I'm sure Jack Cust fans will jump at that chance!! :)

[KEITHLAMONT]

C2 thx for grabbing the bull by the horns, Im excited about this year & years to come! :D

[cummings2]

OK guys, here we go:

We have a situation developing in Event 1 league 2. I debated whether or not to address this publicly or privately but being that this is somethng that deals with the integrity of the tour and the game as a whole I, somewhat reluctantly, have decided to open it up and here:

In Event 1 League 2 we have a team whose payroll has been reduced by about [i:d11038af98]30[/i:d11038af98] Million after numerous transaactions, as it could be foreseen the team: [url=http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/team/team_other.html?user_id=204760] TCS Northeast Pot Belly Bill[/url] has not only the worst winning pct. of its league but the worst winning percentage across all event 1 leagues.

Regardless of the competitiveness and integrity we all want the Players Championship to operate with this is in direct violation of Sporting news' rules and fair play policy stated here:

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/about/popup_faq.html#fairplay

I have made my decision as the commish and it's very simple: [b:d11038af98]gstanis[/b:d11038af98] you are to stop salary dumping and do your best to completely rectify the damage that has already been done to your team and stop with the similar way of operating in Event 2 League 6 where you have already lost 5 Million in payroll on 24 transactions over just one week of play.

If this continues I will have no alternative but to relay this to The Sporting News, and as stated on the link above:

[u:d11038af98][i:d11038af98][b:d11038af98]If you violate any of the above rules, at our discretion, SportingNews.com will seize control of your team and you will not be eligible for a refund. Repeat offenses will result in a ban from ever playing the game again. [/b:d11038af98][/i:d11038af98][/u:d11038af98]

You can all comment and share your thoughts on this but my decision is not open to debate. Salary dumping will stop and this situation will be rectified one way or another.

C2

[TomSiebert]

I'm in the same League 2 division w/ the gstanis team that's been dropping players, and I'll have to admit it was a head-scratcher for me -- in a $60MM league, he's already hemorrhaging too much money. That said, it's not like he's picking up scrubs, and he did get off to a terrible start -- I figured he just panicked and starting bailing too early. But if the commish feels he's in the tank -- and I can't imagine why, although it would be interesting to note if he's in the same division as another player both times -- that's good enough for me.

tws