Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365

Managers,

In Events 1 and 2, we've been able to successfully fill nine leagues each time. However, we did it by bringing a few extra managers on board and so far avoiding tour managers playing second "filler" type teams.

So for Event 3, we currently have a pool of 113 managers.

I can build nine leagues for Event 3, leave five managers unassigned, and wait and see if through some attrition we can continue forward with nine leagues. The unassigned managers will simply fill out any leagues where managers are MIA. That could work out very nicely and help avoid some of the league-filling anxiety.

Of course, if I do this, there will be four dropouts and we'll need 11 volunteers so that one manager can get his league.

If I build out ten leagues, we'll still probably have some managers drop out and then we'll need to get more volunteers again.

I am kind of leaning one way, but I wanted to put it out for some open discussion. Please chime in one and all...

I'd go with the 9 league assignment...you will always need to fill spots particularly the longer the tourney goes, so I don't think finding spots for those five extra managers will be an issue. Seems less troublesome than doing ten leagues.

I agree with the 9 league assignments, but I do believe that the 5 managers in waiting should not be penalized if fewer than 5 spots are free. If one or two managers are left unassigned, they should be allowed, if they want it, to subscribe in an auto-league within one week of the assignment deadline. The wins accumulated in this auto-league would not count, but if they get more wins than their worst tour season, at the only condition that taking into account this worst season would put one team out of yhe top 36, they would be allowed to drop out the worst season and have their score determined by the average of the three other tour seasons.

I don't have a strong opinion on this, but it almost seems like you should assume there will be some attrition and then we can all be delighted if it turns out there is not.

If you take out the 12 who want to start a week late, that leaves 101 for the first week of Event 3. If you divide those 101 people into just seven leagues, that would be 14 or 15 per league. Let the first 12 who show up first for each close these leagues. (This would likely mean less waiting for managers who submit teams early, which would probably be quite appreciated by most tournament participants.) Have a sign up thread for those who are ready to submit their team after their league closes. On, say, Tuesday morning, you could reassign them in order to any of the seven leagues that still haven't filled. Once those are all closed, put the next 12 stragglers in a league of their own, then any remaining stragglers (who would still need to sign up on the thread indicating their team is ready by Wednesday midnight) to another league and then start recruiting fillers.

I know a goal of yours was to prevent self-selection of leagues. There is limited potential for gamesmanship to occur if you do something like I describe above. Somebody could see who they were assigned to be with and decide to "hold out" instead. This seems like it would be a risky strategy, though, as the league they end up being re-assigned to (either one of the seven that hasn't filled or a "straggler league") could be as tough.

I say assign 9 leagues omitting 5 volunteers who would be ready to load as fillers. There should be 5 volunteers willing to go either week. This would push the 10th league, if necessary into the next week making it easier to fill. The excess volunteers for the late starting league should have first opportunity to volunteer. We will know whether the first 8 leagues are filled by the deadline when they can start filling any open spots. There should also be non-tourney fillers to make up any difference.

Thx guys, this is some outstanding feedback -

Keep chiming in, there's a lot of excellent food for thought here. The main issue appears to be in handling the five unassigned managers...

Or how about have the unassigned managers of event 3, volonteers if possible, join unassigned managers of event 4 and 5 to form an extra league if necessary one or two weeks after the end of event 5?

Right now, I'm leaning toward oversubscription. Five leagues will just have 13 managers assigned. It will help fill leagues faster. If there are still managers left who, by Wednesday, identify themselves as ready but their assigned league is now full, I will still have to get them a league.

We might have to recruit tour managers to play a "second" team in order to keep the competition at tour quality. The degree of difficulty depends on who's left. If it's just one guy, that's more problematic than five or six. I have a couple of fillers, but no where near 11.

It will have to be somewhat "wait and see".

I like the over subscription method...

I agree....