Multi-Decade League - Rules

1. BC Manager
2. franky35
3. brifas
4. generationm1
5. sphiipp8
6. jsam9801
7. nol15736
8. salomonbellies
9. samh7011
10. YountFan
11. killermarc
12. MGoren5166

RULES

SEASONS

The league will consist of 15 seasons, across the 5 mystery league sets. There will be 3 seasons per decade:
Season 1: Early (60-62; 70-72; 80-82; 90-92; 2000-2002)
Season 2: Mid (63-65; 73-75;…)
Season 3: Late (66-69; 76-79;…)
(This break down may seem counterintuitive – 63 being mid and 66 being late. But these years are used to determine when someone’s rookie year is, and there are many players with a first card from the 50s or 60-62, and basically none who’s first card is 68 or later – similar for other decades.)


PLAYER ELIGIBILITY

A player’s eligibility is based on the years represented on his card – specifically the first and last.
A player’s rookie season is based on the first year on his card – if their first card is pre-decade (i.e., 1959), then Season 1: Early is their rookie season. A player’s retirement season is based on the last year on their card – if their last card is post-decade (i.e., a 70s card where the last season is 1982), then they are eligible through Season 3. Players are eligible every season including and between their rookie and retirement seasons.

If a player has a card in the following decade set (for example Pete Rose in the 60s, who has a 70s card…and an 80s card), they are automatically eligible for Season 3. If a player has a card in the previous decade, they’re automatically eligible in Season 1 of the following decade.

One exception to above is for players whose salary is $0.75M (this salary only – this doesn’t apply to other players costing less than $1M). To allow roster flexibility and ensure everyone can field players at every position, $0.75M players will be eligible every season. Unlike other players, however, these players will be free agents every season, with no team reserving their rights season-to-season, or during the season.

[I have a spreadsheet that indicates season eligibility for every player in the 60s, which I will make available. I will make similar spreadsheets for every decade as they approach.]

DRAFTS

Pre-Decade Draft

Prior to the first season of every decade, there will be a 5-round draft. The draft order for the 60s will be randomized and it will be a snake draft. Teams will draft players eligible for season 1 (with rookie years 60-62 or earlier) and also their ballpark. $0.75M players and players who have cards in the previous decade are not eligible for the Pre-Decade Draft.

The draft order for the each subsequent Pre-Decade Draft will be the reverse order of the cumulative record in the previous decade, regular season results only. Total run-differential will be the tiebreaker.

Season 2 and 3 Rookie drafts

After Season 1 of each decade, there will be a Rooke Draft – a draft of the new players becoming eligible in following season. The Season 2 Rookie Draft for the 60s will be of players whose rookie season is in 1963-65. The Season 3 Rookie Draft in the 60s will be of players with rookie seasons in 1966-69) and so on, in each decade.

The draft will be a 3-round snake draft, based on the reverse order of regular season finish. Tiebreaker will be run differential (lowest to highest).

Rookies not drafted will be available to any team as free agents (available through the autodraft, waivers, or free agency).

RESERVING PLAYERS

Teams reserve players by keeping them on their team roster. During the season, you have rights to any eligible player on your team, but once released they are available to any other team.

There will be no declaring keepers after the season ends. You retain rights to all players that were on your team at the end of the season, as long as they’re eligible for the next season (and not $.0.75M players). You maintain their rights by putting them on your autodraft list and keeping them on your roster. If you don’t, any team can claim them. Off-season trades of players on your end-of-season roster are allowed (as are trades of draft picks).

This process for reserving players will span decades, too. If you have Reggie Jackson in the 60s, you can keep him through the 70s and the 80s seasons for which he’s eligible, as long as you keep him on your roster.

The one exception to the above is for $0.75M players. If a $0.75M player in the 60s (who’s available as a free agent every season), has a card in the 70s (which may not be $0.75M), he can’t be reserved for Season 1 of the 70s. He will be a free agent in Season 1 (and not eligible for the Rookie Draft). Similarly, if you have a player in Season 3 of a decade, whose card in the following decade is $0.75M, you can’t reserve him – he’s a free agent as of Season 1 of the next decade.

TRADES

All trades are allowed, as long as they’re trades of eligible players.

SALARY CAP

$80 million

BALLPARKS

Unique ballparks, to be picked during the 60s Pre-Decade Draft. Teams will remain in the same ballpark for all 3 seasons in a decade.

Here’s the twist: if you have a ballpark in one decade that doesn’t exist in the following decade (for example Connie Mack Stdm in the 60s), you must use a pick in the Pre-Decade Draft to pick a new park. If you have a ballpark that does exist in the following decade, you have the choice of keeping that park in the next decade or giving it up and using a Pre-Decade Draft pick to choose a new one.

For example, if you take Wrigley Field in the 60s, you could keep this ballpark over all 5 decades, but you could give it up for another park after any decade. If you take Exhibition Stadium in the 80s, you’ll need a new ballpark for the 90s. Whether a ballpark continues to exist is based on whether it’s the same physical structure (even if renovated), not based on whether the name changed or not. (Edit: Yankee Stadium is a 5-decade ballpark, as the old one is the one used in the 2000s.)

DH

Pitchers will hit in the 60s and Season 1 of the 70s. The DH will be used every season after that.

WAIVERS

Waivers will be used each season (waiver draft after autodraft).

DIVISIONS

Divisions will be randomized at the beginning of each decade and remain consistent for the rest of the decade (and then randomized again for the next decade).

SIGNUP

It is expected that owners participating will be attentive to the rules and to participation in each draft.

I'm interested if there are any openings.

Mike

You're in Mike!

Just waiting for 2 to confirm and then we can get started.

While we're waiting - any questions or clarification needed about the rules?

Great. Looking forward to playing! I'll read the rules carefully and let you know if I have any questions.

Mike

Do the seasons (or pre-seasons) overlap with prior seasons?

I only have 1 question for now. For the 60s pre-decade draft eligible players have rookie years 60-62 or earlier (which would mean a rookie year in the previous decade) but than the rules say players who have cards in the previous decade are not eligible. I may be missing something, but that seems to conflict.

If I understand what you're asking, no, each season will start after the previous season ends and the draft between seasons will start after the previous season (though it may start during the playoffs of the previous season, given some of the draft order will be determined by then).

I only have 1 question for now. For the 60s pre-decade draft eligible players have rookie years 60-62 or earlier (which would mean a rookie year in the previous decade) but than the rules say players who have cards in the previous decade are not eligible. I may be missing something, but that seems to conflict.

The year in which a player becomes eligible to be drafted is based on their rookie year. For players who's first card is in the 50s, this means they're rookies in the first 60s draft - since there is no 50s decade in our league (no 50s mystery card set).

But a player can only be a rookie once. So if a player has a 60s card, their rookie year will be year 1, 2 or 3 of the 60s. They can't also be a rookie in year 1 of the 70s, or they'd have two rookie years - a player can't be a rookie twice, therefore they can't be eligible for two rookie drafts.

Players with cards in the previous decade are eligible to used. They just can't be rookies again in the 70s, after being a rookie in the 60s.

Does that make sense?