2000s DECADE LEAGUE (rules) - FINAL TOTALS

With a still-new Mystery Card set available, I’ve decided to revive an old theme I developed back when all we had was Back to the 80s – the Decade League. It’s the best way to get familiar with a new player set, and really it’s the best way to experience a Mystery Card set.

The concept is simple. We play 10 seasons of a decade using players whose eligibility is based on the years on their card. The first year on their card is their rookie year and the last year on their card is their retirement year. For example, Johan Santana’s first year is 2004 and his final season is 2008, based on his card.

Some have longer careers, based on their card. Brian Giles, for example, is eligible from 2000 through 2009. Some are shorter – Roberto Alomar is eligible starting in 2000 (as his first year is pre-2000) and he retires in 2003.

What this does is approximate what it’s like to be a real MLB GM in many ways. You have to make tough decisions, for example:

It’s 2003, and you have Kevin Brown and based on his performance, you think you have his worst card. Brown retires in 2004. Do you hang on to Brown so you can have him for one more season? Do you hold on to him until late in the season to deal him to a team out of contention, for a player having a good season? Or, do you just drop him now and roll the dice on another eligible pitcher who’s available as a free agent?

This theme was quite popular after it was first introduced. (In fact, we did some multiple-decade leagues spanning the 70s-80s, or 70s-80s-90s, which was more complicated). Avid SOM365 mystery card players will love it. It may not be for new or casual players though. See the rules below.

SEASONS

The league will consist of 10 seasons, starting in 2000, including every year of the decade until 2009. (Season 1 – 2000, Season 2 – 2001, Season 3 – 2002… and so on)

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 the first year on his card – if their first card is pre-2000, then 2000 is their rookie season. A player’s retirement season is based on the last year on their card – if their last card is post-2009, then they are eligible through 2009. Players are eligible every season including and between their rookie and retirement year (so there are no gaps – if a player has a 2002 card, then 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2009, they are eligible 2002-2009, despite not having 2003, 2006 or 2007 cards).

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. (See below.)

[I have a spreadsheet that indicates all the 2000s players’ eligibility for seasons and decades – just needs a little cleaning up, but will be available before the league fills and drafts.]

DRAFTS

Inaugural Draft
We will get started with a 10-round inaugural draft. The draft order will be randomized and it will be a snake draft. Teams will draft players eligible for season 1, 2000, and also their ballpark.

Why 10 rounds? Because the players drafted initially will make up the core of most teams for the first several seasons. We don’t want to leave this to the luck of the autodraft. There will be a strict clock applied to picks, after the 1st or 2nd round, to keep the draft moving (3/4 hours to pick during hours, to be determined).

Rookie draft
After 2000, and after every season through 2008, there will be a Rooke draft – a draft of the new players becoming eligible in following season. The 2001 Rookie draft will be of players whose rookie season is 2001, and so on. The draft will be 2 rounds, with both rounds being based on the reverse order of finish (Non-playoff teams 12-5, followed by semi-finals losers in reverse order of regular season record, followed by the finals loser and the finals champ). 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).

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 inaugural draft. Teams have 1 opportunity during the decade to ‘demolish’ their ballpark in favour of another unused ballpark. The new ballpark must be picked during the 2-round rookie draft (1st or 2nd round, with a third round pick available for a rookie player, assuming the team still wants to draft a rookie). New owners joining part way through the decade (replacing an owner who’s left), will have the opportunity to swap out their ballpark for an unused one, without using a draft pick.

DH

The DH will be used each season.

WAIVERS

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

DIVISIONS

Divisions will be fixed and remain consistent throughout the decade, to approximate real baseball and generate divisional rivalries. Divisions will be based on the randomized draft order of the inaugural draft (East 1-4; Central 5-8; West 9-12).

This league requires owners to be attentive to the rules and to participation in a draft (at least with proxies, if you can’t check the draft board regularly). Please sign up with this in mind. If you’re brand new to SOM365 or the mystery card game, maybe wait until you’ve got some more experience, and we’re looking for a mid-decade replacement.


1. BC Manager
2. YountFan
3. Sykes
4. Runnin Rebel
5. Icterus Galbuli
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Forgot to add...

Pitching optional. Hehehehehe

1. BC Manager
2. YountFan
3. Sykes
4. Runnin Rebel
5. Icterus Galbuli
6. Sphilipp8
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1. BC Manager
2. YountFan
3. Sykes
4. Runnin Rebel
5. Icterus Galbuli
6. Sphilipp8
7. fench33
8. FALCON29
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1. BC Manager
2. YountFan
3. Sykes
4. Runnin Rebel
5. Icterus Galbuli
6. Sphilipp8
7. fench33
8. FALCON29
9. RICHARDGAGNON
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1. BC Manager
2. YountFan
3. Sykes
4. Runnin Rebel
5. Icterus Galbuli
6. Sphilipp8
7. fench33
8. FALCON29
9. RICHARDGAGNON
10. killermarc
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Wow, this is filling fast, which is great. Maybe we can start the draft later today!

The spreadsheet the shows the years for all the 2000s players is ready. Send me your email address in a PM, if you'd like me to send it to you.

1. BC Manager
2. YountFan
3. Sykes
4. Runnin Rebel
5. Icterus Galbuli
6. Sphilipp8
7. fench33
8. FALCON29
9. RICHARDGAGNON
10. killermarc
11. franky35
12.