WHY limit the pre 1900 players to 2nd tier?

I think the Last Druid has powerfully outlined why the full set should be the standard.

Since the only data available to us are the previous voting totals - which clearly established a desire to be fully inclusive of all players among those who voted - it seems reasonable to make the other options as subsets.

For those concerned with excluding certain eras or players, crafting a league with parameters to suit your tastes might be an even better option; those of us who often play franchise leagues, for example, can attest to the almost infinite variations on a theme chosen by those who establish these leagues. Choosing to design your own subset will also allow you to determine how many others are attracted by the selections - and restrictions - that you've chosen.

I believe that most active managers who play with some regularity voted in the polls that are used to select the quarterly additions to the ATG player set. Clearly enough wanted the pre 1900 cards or they wouldn't have been voted in. They are there because the active users of the game wanted them in the set. Period.
Looks like it is hard to find leagues to even fill now that ATG 9 has been split dichotomized.
I hope this gets fixed.

Bingo. On the nose. All of it, but wanted to keep this as a short "upvote"

Frankie: I had originally written split then changed it to dichotomized and forgot to delete the "split." Reading your post prompted me to correct my oversight!

I've answered 27 emails so far in the Barnstormers Event #1 from players who couldn't find any leagues to join. Those that are in Barnstormers may recall that I did specifically go to all the trouble of making screen shots and posted into the email to avoid all this trouble. While this could be a preach on how people don't read the e-mails completely - I would learn more for this to be about why it was necessary for me to have to do this at all. Clearly a majority want the ALL ERAS.

If it hasn't been pointed out yet, the Barnstormers Board was unanimous in voting to play all our events in the ALL ERAS subset. Just my two cents.

I've answered 27 emails so far in the Barnstormers Event #1 from players who couldn't find any leagues to join. Those that are in Barnstormers may recall that I did specifically go to all the trouble of making screen shots and posted into the email to avoid all this trouble. While this could be a preach on how people don't read the e-mails completely - I would learn more for this to be about why it was necessary for me to have to do this at all. Clearly a majority want the ALL ERAS.

If it hasn't been pointed out yet, the Barnstormers Board was unanimous in voting to play all our events in the ALL ERAS subset. Just my two cents.

YES!
Thank you for adding your pennies on this.
'all time' does not mean 'not all eras'. Its in the name.
Of course the titmouse might disagree but we aren't playing a game of titmouse.

Major rule changes:

1884 You could now throw a pitch overhand...instead of underhand like fast-pitch softball
1885 one side of the bat could be flat (what are we playing...cricket?)
1887 a batter could not no longer call for a high or low ball ("could you throw it here please?")
1889 four balls is a walk
1893 Distance to home-plate from pitcher was raised from 50 feet to 60 feet six inches
1893 Bat had to be round and made of hard wood
1903 Foul balls were considered strikes

Before 1893 the game was vastly different than it is now. Any stats before that were in a sport related to modern baseball. Between 1893-1902 the question is how much important you place on a foul ball not being counted a strike. That certainly was a rule giving a significant advantage to the hitter, but an argument could be made that it is still close enough to modern baseball.

But anything prior to 1893...it's not the same game IMHO.

The default should be ALL the players.

In 1868 General Custer hit .488 in the army's 4 team cricket league. Get him a card.

Just like all the arguments, the question to kick off this thread is disingenuous. The cards weren't eliminated.
If you don't want to be called Boomers stop acting like old men who think everything revolves around you and white male culture.

The bottom line is it wasn't MLB baseball until 1901. Sorry bout your luck boomer!

In 1868 General Custer hit .488 in the army's 4 team cricket league. Get him a card.

maybe he did.... check this article out: http://weeklyview.net/2013/04/18/baseba ... e-bighorn/