NOTE: All rule changes/modifications for the 2007 season are in bold italics. All rule changes for the 2006 season are in italics.


I. OBJECT


A. To assemble a lineup of 23 National League baseball players whose cumulative statistics during the regular season, compiled and measured by the methods described in these rules, exceed those of all other teams in the league.

B. To give the other owners in the league as much crap as humanly possible.


II. ROTO TEAMS


A. National League roto baseball should be played with no less than 12 roto teams and no more than 14 roto teams assuming that there are 16 major league teams in the National League.

B. Roto baseball teams remain intact through the off-season.

C. Replacing owners who quit or get kicked out of the league.

1. If a single owner decides not to play roto baseball next season, a new owner may be found to take over the abandoned team. If no owner is found to take over the abandoned team, the roto team will be dismantled with their players becoming available for the following year’s auction—provided they are still in the National League.

2. If multiple owners decide to not to play rotisserie baseball the next season, their rosters will be dismantled and their players will become available for the following year’s auction. Any and all replacement owners will start the following year’s auction with blank rosters.

3. If, any only if, an owner finishes in the money AND decides not to return the following year, he must release his entire roster before he can receive his winnings. Which means that owner is responsible for buying out all players on his roster with guaranteed long-term contracts. See rule VII.F for more details.

D. A simple majority of owners must agree upon the selection of any new owners.

E. Seventy-five percent of existing owners is required to boot an owner out of the league.


III. ROSTERS


A. A rotisserie team's 23-man active roster consists of the following players:

B. During seasons in which a 25-player roster is deemed appropriate, each team will carry an additional pitcher and utility player.


IV. THE ACTIVE PLAYER AUCTION


A. Rotisserie teams acquire players at the start of the season via an active player auction. Under normal circumstances, the auction is held the first weekend following opening day. But we are rotisserians—normalcy doesn’t apply here; therefore, active player auction rules fall under three categories:

B. UNIVERSAL Active Player Auction Rules

1. Existing rotisserie teams begin the auction with selected players retained from the previous year's final roster. See section XVIII:A on roster protection for more details.

2. Traditionally, each owner has a total of 260 cents to fill each of the 23 roster spots; however, when there are only 11 owners, each owner will have a total of 280 cents to spend on a 25-player roster.

3. Last year’s winner is responsible for finding an outside party to be auctioneer. If no such person can be found, the defending champion becomes auctioneer.

4. The auctioneer must allow a reasonable amount of time from when a player is introduced until closing of the bidding on that player. Owners may call for a "time out" if they are unprepared for the nominated player (computer crashed, Matt Barr farted and eyes are burning and watering, etc.).

5. Rotisserie owners take turns nominating eligible players for auction. Turns progress clockwise around the table.

6. Owners who have open roster spots cannot pass their turn at nomination.

7. Owners who have filled their active roster cannot nominate players for auction.

8. Owners cannot nominate or bid on a player if they do not have an open roster spot in which he is eligible.

Example: a team that has acquired two catchers, and whose utility slot is occupied, may not enter the bidding for any player who qualifies only as a catcher (see section VI on Position Eligibility)

9. The minimum bid for a player is 1 cent.

10. The maximum bid for a player is that which would force the owner to fill all of their other open roster spots for players at a salary of 1 cent.

Example: an owner with four (4) open roster spots to fill and only 10 cents remaining can bid no more than 7 cents for any single player.

11. When the bidding is closed for a player, the owner who acquired him must state what open roster spot he will place him in.

12. Players eligible at more than one position (including utility if it remains open) may be shifted during the course of the auction.

C. POST-OPENING DAY Active Player Auction Rules:

1. Eligible Players: All players who are on a National League roster on opening day are eligible to be auctioned off.
This includes:

But doesn’t include:

2. Two lists of eligible players will be provided to each owner:

a.) NL opening day rosters will be provided no later than the first Thursday after opening day.

b.) an amended list containing any player called up from the minors between opening day and the rotoball auction will be provided on auction day.

Any player not on these lists may be added prior to the beginning of the auction with every owner being made aware of this addition. Once the auction has begun, no player may be added to the list of auctionable NL players. These lists will be provided/kept by the commissioner at the auction.

3. Replacing players on auction day: The replacement of “non-active” players acquired on auction day no longer occurs. The earliest replacement players can be acquired is during the first transaction period following auction day.

D. PRE-OPENING DAY Active Player Auction Rules:

1. All players on spring training rosters on auction day are eligible to be selected during the auction. Players who are selected during the auction and subsequently do not make an opening day NL roster are ineligible for the rotoball active roster. These players MUST be replaced at the first transaction period after all major league teams have played. Such players are released.

2. Farm players kept on a rotisserie farm team (via roster protection, see Section XVIII) who subsequently make a NL opening day roster must be released. These players become free agents.

3. Farm players placed on a protected (active) roster prior to the auction who subsequently do not make a NL opening day roster can be placed back on the rotisserie team's farm list (obeying section XIV:A). The owner is allowed to replace the player in question via "replacement player" free agency rules (Section XV:B).

4. If a player acquired (by any means) on auction day subsequently does not make the ACTIVE opening day roster, he can be replaced in accordance with rules in Section XIII.


V. THE FARM PLAYER DRAFT


A. A minor league player draft is conducted immediately following the NL player auction. At this time rotisserie owners may acquire players so that their farm team has a total of 4 players.

B. The farm player draft is a simple draft, not an auction.

1. Selection order is determined by the previous year's final standings. The team finishing just out of the money (i.e. 5th) the previous year is allowed the first selection. In a 12-team league the selection order would be: 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,4,3,2,1.

2. Selection order is reversed for each round of the draft. The owner with the last pick in the first round has the first pick in the second round.

C. As many as 4 minor league players may be carried over from a rotisserie teams previous year if they were never called up to the rotisserie teams active roster.

D. Players eligible for the farm player draft must:

1. not be on any major league team's active roster.

2. not be on any other rotisserie team's farm.

3. still have official rookie status (See Section V:E.)

4. be under contract with one of the major league teams from the National League. For example, you cannot draft Drew Henson if he is in the Yankees organization.

E. A player shall be considered a rookie unless, during a previous season or seasons, he has exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the major leagues, or accumulated more than 45 days on the active roster of a major league club or clubs during the period when major league clubs are required to have no more than 24 players on their active roster (excluding time in military service).

F. In those years where the auction is conducted before the major league opening day, each rotoball owner will submit a list of eligible players in order of preference to the league commissioner at the end of the auction. Once the major league rosters are known, farm teams will be determined from these lists in a manner consistent with the normal farm player draft until all rotoball farm teams contain four eligible farm players.

G. Also see sections XIV and XVIII.


VI. POSITION ELIGIBILITY


A. During the active player auction:

1. A player may be assigned to any position at which he appeared in 20 or more major league games the preceding season. Players not qualified at any position as a result of major league experience are qualified only at the position that they played most the previous year in the major or minor leagues.

Example: In 1993, Gary Sheffield played third base for the Padres. In 1994 he signed with the Marlins and started the season in right field. Even though he was the starting right fielder for the Marlins, in the 1994 auction, he was only eligible at third base until after auction day. After auction day, the owner could move Sheffield to an outfield spot.

The 20-game threshold must be pro-rated if the previous year’s season was shortened due to strike or other disaster.

2. Any non-pitcher may be assigned to the utility spot(s).

B. After the active player auction:

1. A player’s auction-day position eligibility (20+ games) will carry over for the entire season.

2. Any player, regardless of salary, becomes eligible at a “new” position once he plays a minimum of TWO (2) games at the new position.

3. Players cannot change from hitters to pitchers or pitchers to hitters unless they play more than 3 games in their new role.


VII. FEES


A. Rotisserie league baseball has a schedule of fees covering all exchange of actual money. No money passes directly from team to team.

B. A league treasurer must be elected by a majority of the owners in the league to handle the actual money. While the commissioner is assigned the task of recording and monitoring the legality of all transactions, the treasurer is responsible for keeping track of all transaction fees.

C. All owners pay an annual fee of $35 (up from $25 in previous years) at the start of each year for the privilege of owning a rotisserie baseball team and to drive up the prize pool. This is due on active player auction day.

D. All owners pay the actual salaries of the players they select. Thus, an addition sum, not to exceed $2.60, is also due on auction day.

Example: On auction day 2004, frugal owner Gary Cannalte put together a team with a total salary of 221 cents. Therefore his total amount due to the treasurer was $37.21. That year the Indiana Wizards finished very low in the standings.

E. All owners pay a sum as a result of all transactions that they have made throughout the course of the season. Transaction fees are due promptly after they are reported at seasons end.

F. Fee Schedule:


Transaction

Fee

Conditions

Trading

10 cents

Each owner independent of
number of players involved.

Activation from Reserve List

10 cents

Each player

Placement on Reserve List

10 cents

Each player

Free Agent Call Up

25 cents + salary

Each player

Farm Player Call Up

10 cents

Each player

Farm Player Retention

10 cents

Per player, per year

Waiver Wire Acquisition

10 cents

Each player

Signing Bonus for Guaranteed
Long-Term Contracts
(non-free agents)

Player’s new salary times years divided
by two


Each player

Guaranteed Long-Term
Contract Release

$5 or ½ of player
salary X 100 cents
(whichever is greater)

Each player

VIII. PLAYER SALARIES


A. The salary of a player is determined by the time and means of his acquisition and does not change unless the player becomes a free agent, is placed on waivers or is signed to a guaranteed long-term contract.

B. The salary of a player acquired during the active player auction is his auction price.

C. The salary of a player called up from the free agent pool after the active player auction but before the all star break is 10 cents.

D. The salary of a player acquired from the free agent pool VIA FAAB BIDDING is his acquisition price (see section XV:C on free agents).

E. The salary of a player claimed on waivers is the greater of 10 cents or his salary when he was placed on waivers.

Example 1: Bill Hall (auction day salary 2 cents) is waived. The next week another owner picks him off the waiver wire. Bill Hall’s new salary is 10 cents.

Example 2: Glendon Rusch (auction day salary 12 cents) is waived. The next week another owner—foolishly—picks him off the waiver wire. Rusch's salary remains an exorbitant 12 cents.

F. The salary of a player activated from the farm team is 10 cents.

G. After the active player auction, transactions may legally drive a team’s payroll above the 260-cent limit.

Example: An owner spent his last 3 cents at the auction to pick up John Mabry. His final auction day payroll is now 260 cents. After the season begins, he trades Mabry and Reggie Sanders (8 cents) to another owner for Jose Vidro (12 cents) and J.D. Drew (19 cents). His new team payroll is 260 - (3+8) + (12+19) = 280.

H. In the event that a player is traded his salary goes with him to the new team.


IX. PRIZE MONEY


A. The pool of money available for award is that resulting from all fees during the course of the season, less all costs involved in conducting league business (i.e. getting stats and printing weekly standings). The labor of the league officers throughout the course of the season is donated and does not constitute a cost.

B. Available prize money shall be divided among the owners of the first 4 teams in the final standings as follows:

C. All prize money will be paid out by the league treasurer at following year’s auction after all league fees have been collected.


X. STANDINGS


A. The following categories will be used to determine team rankings within the league

OFFENSE

On-Base Percentage (H + W) / AB

Slugging Percentage (1B + 2*2B + 3*3B + 4*HR) / AB

Stolen Bases minus Caught Stealing (SB - CS)

Runs Batted In (RBI)

Runs Scored (R)

PITCHING

Earned Run Average (ERA): ER / (INN / 9)

Ratio (WHIP): (H + W) / INN

Appearances (APP)

Saves (S)

Strikeouts (K)

B. Statistics for each rotisserie team will be derived by accumulating each individual player's statistics while on the active roster of their respective rotisserie team.

C. Player statistics acquired prior to a trade, being picked up via free-agency or waiver wire, or before being activated after coming off of the rotisserie team's disabled list or farm team, are not included in the team's total statistics since the player was not on the active roster of the rotisserie team.

D. A pitcher's offensive numbers are NOT included in the cumulative statistics for each roto team.

E. Cumulative points collected by each team within the 10 statistical categories will determine the overall ranking for the team.

F. Teams are ranked top-down in each category, with (assuming twelve teams in the roto league) 12 points awarded to the first place team in each category, 11 points to the second place team, 10 points to the third place team, and so forth to 1 point for the last place team. Teams, which are tied within a category, will split the points for the positions they are tied at (for example, two teams tied for second in runs will both receive 10.5 points).

G. Standings are updated daily during the season; however, the standings released Tuesday morning will serve as the OFFICIAL standings for the entire week. These standings will be used to determine the order upon which owners can select players from the waiver wire and/or the free agent player pool during the subsequent transaction period.

H. At the end of the year, each roto team must have 5500 total at bats and 1150 innings pitched. In the event of a shortened season (strike, act of God, etc) these requirements will be prorated to the actual average percentage of the 162-game season played by all NL clubs.

I. Any team not meeting the offensive requirement will forfeit its accumulated points for the categories OBP and SLG. Any team not meeting the pitching requirement will forfeit its accumulated points for the categories ERA and WHIP. Teams who finish below a team not meeting the minimum requirements for at bats or innings pitched (within the applicable statistical categories) do not gain additional points.

J. The team with the highest total cumulative points at the end of the season will win the league and receive the coveted "We Can't Get Dates League" trophy.

K. In the case of a tie between two or more teams the same amount of cumulative points, final standings are determined as follows.

1. .Two team tie-breaker method:

a. Direct comparison of the two teams within each individual category. The team who wins the greater number of individual categories is determined the winner.

b. In the case of a further tie (each team won five categories), the winner is determined by comparing the following statistic for each roto team:

Total At-Bats + 3* (Total Innings Pitched).

The team with the higher total of this final statistic is declared the winner.

2. .Three (or more) team tie-breaker method:

a. Direct comparison of the teams involved within each individual category. The team who wins the greatest number of individual categories is determined the winner.

b. In the case of a further tie (each team won the same number of categories), the winner is determined by comparing the following statistic for each roto team:

Total At-Bats + 3* (Total Innings Pitched).

The team with the highest total of this final statistic is declared the winner.

3. Once a team emerges from the multi-team tiebreaker as the winner (after EITHER tiebreaking procedure in section X:K.2), the remaining teams will repeat the process within section X:K.1-2 (whichever one is applicable) to determine who finishes second among the tied teams.

4. Conversely, if a team (or teams) DON’T finish in the lead after the tiebreaker in section X:K.2.a is applied, the eliminated team(s) will be assigned the lowest place(s) in the standings among the tied teams. Moreover, the remaining teams will repeat the process within section X:K.1-2 (whichever one is applicable) to determine who finishes first among the tied teams.


XI. STATS AND SUBMITTING TRANSACTIONS


A. Statistics are calculated every night using the CBS Sportsline.com web site. It will be the responsibility of each owner to acquire/download the league statistics.

B. ALL Transactions are due to the commissioner by 10PM Monday night and can be submitted via email, fax, telephone, pony express or in person. The commissioner must deliver his transactions via email no later than 6:30 PM on Monday.

C. A TRANSACTION PERIOD shall be defined as each and every Monday evening (6:30 – 10:00 PM Central Time) after the Active Player Auction (or Opening day, which ever is LATER) until the end of the regular baseball season in which owners submit changes to their rotoball rosters which will take effect the following Tuesday.

D. All statistics will be derived using those players on the active roster of each roto team, and will reflect any transactions made by the deadline of the previous week.

E. Transactions made by 10PM Monday night will take effect for Tuesday's major league games, and will be reflected in the team statistics the following week assuming the transaction(s) is(are) legal.

F. Any transaction(s) which become(s) illegal between the time the move is submitted to the commish and 10PM Monday night will be voided.

G. Players acquired on Auction Day will accumulate stats for the first week.

1. Stats accrue for an owner’s team beginning on Opening Day from players who were:

a. retained from the previous year.

  1. chosen during the active player auction.

  1. All other acquired player’s stats will not begin to accrue until the Tuesday after the (legal) transaction has been submitted (usually Monday night) to the commissioner.

H. Transactions are submitted and processed using the following priority:

1. Trades

2. Reserve list activation

3. Farm Team call ups

4. Waiver Wire claims

5. FAAB bids

6. Replacement Player Free Agent claims

I. In the midst of any transaction, an owner can rearrange players on his active roster in order to meet the active roster guidelines detailed in section III.A. Position integrity must be maintained before AND after each and every transaction.


XII. TRADES


A. Trades do not affect the salaries or contract status of the players involved.

B. Each trade involves a $.10 fee for each owner, and is not affected by the number of players involved. See section VII:F.

C. After July 31, roto teams may only trade with other roto teams within 4 positions up or down in the current standings. For instance, the roto owner in first place (i.e. Tim) can only trade with the owners in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th place.

D. From Auction Day to August 31, roto teams can make as many trades as desired, as long as the rules governing trades are followed.

E. Special consideration is given to players with salaries $.25 and over. These players are called "asterisk players". Trades involving asterisk players must be balanced (one asterisk player is traded directly/indirectly for another).

F. Each roto team is allowed ONE unbalanced trade per year, where an asterisk player may be traded to/from another team for a non-asterisk player directly/indirectly.

G. Once a trade between teams has been consummated; each team must have every roster slot on his team filled. For example, to trade one stud pitcher for a stud outfielder, you must also include another outfielder for another pitcher (Ben Sheets and Jason Michaels for Bobby Abreu and Josh Fogg).

H. No trades can take place from 1 September until the end of the season.

I. Roto teams are not bound by the position distribution requirement (See section III.A) from the day after the season ends until the day roto teams are required to submit their "protected lists" for the upcoming auction.

Example: Shortly after the season ended, Bruce trades Mike Piazza to Cannalte for Javier Vazquez. As a result of the trade Bruce has 10 pitchers on his 23-man roster and Cannalte has 3 catchers. This is legal--in fact, these owners can continue to stockpile pitchers and catchers, if they so choose. On roster protection day, however, Bruce must release at least one of his pitchers and Gary must either release a catcher or move one of them to his utility slot (assuming his other catchers are not eligible for any other positions).

J. During the off-season ONLY, if a player who is currently tied to another player is involved in a trade, the owner must decide PRIOR TO THE TRADE which player he wishes to retain (the original or replacement player). The retained player can then be traded, while the other player is released into the pool of eligible players for the auction.

Example: If Larry Walker and Cliff Floyd are tied to each other during the off-season, and an owner wishes to trade Walker, the owner must release Floyd and "untie" the two prior to the trade. The owner can now trade Walker.

K. No trading for "players to be named later" or "future considerations".

L. If a player is involved in a trade, he can be involved in ONLY ONE other transaction during the current transaction period (waive, trade, release, reserve, or activation from farm team).

Example: Tim trades Todd Helton and a farm player to JP for Barry Bonds. JP can move Helton to the reserve list and can also activate the farm player—assuming these players are eligible for these moves. However, JP cannot activate the farm player and then move him to the reserve list in the same transaction period.

M. If any player on the reserve list is traded to another roto team, BOTH players must be involved in the trade. See sections XIII:F-G for more details.

N. In the event of a 3-team trade, the trade must be conducted as a series of three (3) 2-team trades in order that position integrity is maintained for each team during the process. However, the 3-team trade will count as only one trade for transaction fee purposes.


XIII. RESERVE LIST


A. Definitions:

1. ORIGINAL PLAYER: Any player on your active roster who is NOT tied to anyone on your reserve list. An original player can NEVER be tied to another original player.

2. REPLACEMENT PLAYER: Any player on your active roster who IS tied to player on your reserve list. A replacement player can only reside on the ACTIVE roster.

B. A roto team can place a player on its reserve list only if the player

1. is placed on the major league team's disabled list

2. is dumb enough to get suspended for drug or steroid use.

3. is sent down to the minor leagues.

C. Players suspended for a non-drug-related offense by their major league club or MLB cannot be placed on the reserve list.

D. The fee for reserving a player is $.10. See section VII:F for more details.

E. There is no limit to the number of players on a team's reserve list (just ask Matt Barr).

F. A player placed on the reserve list MUST be replaced with a player from the free-agent pool, the waiver wire, from the farm team, or via trade. The salary of the player called up is determined by the type of transaction made, and is subject to the fee assigned to the transaction.

Example: Jeff Bagwell breaks his hand again (big surprise) and the roto owner wants to place Bagwell on the reserve list and replace him with Darryl Ward from the free-agent pool, BOTH moves are subject to a fee ($.10 for placing Bagwell on the reserve list, and $.25 for calling up Ward from the free-agent pool—is it really worth it?).

G. If any player on the reserve list is traded to another roto team, BOTH players must be involved in the trade.

Example: If Bagwell is traded for Adam LaRoche, both Bagwell and Ward must be traded.

H. If a replacement player—for a player placed on the reserve list—is involved in a trade, the player on the reserve list does not have to be involved in the trade. However, the newly acquired player will become attached to the player on the reserve list.

Example: If Ward is traded for Hee Seop Choi, Choi will then become the player attached to Bagwell.

I. Once the player on the roto team's reserve list is activated by the National League club, the roto owner has 3 transaction periods (See section XI:C) to act on the player in question. If no action is performed on the player to be reinstated, that player is automatically placed on the waiver wire.

J. A player on the reserve list is not eligible to be activated from the reserve list until he is again on an active National League roster. The call-up takes effect as soon as it is recorded by the commish, although the player's stats do not begin to accrue until the next stats period.

K. A player reinstated from the reserve list can not displace any active original player on the roto team's 23-man roster other than his replacement player. However, a replacement player can be moved into another roster spot if there is a natural opening.

L. Natural opening: A natural opening occurs when another player (original OR replacement) on your active roster becomes eligible for the reserve list (sent to minors or put on a NL DL) or traded to the American League. Natural openings do not occur in the off-season.

M. When an original player on the reserve list is activated by the roto team, the replacement player (attached to the original player, being activated) must be waived UNLESS a natural opening occurs somewhere else on your active roster.

Example: If Bagwell is activated by Astros, Ward or Bagwell must be waived unless either player can be moved to another position left open by another player being placed on the reserve list (say Ken Griffey gets hurt at OF—again). If Ward is eligible at OF, Bagwell can be activated at 1B. Ward can be moved to OF and would then be attached to Griffey, who is placed on the reserve list. At this point, Bagwell is tied to no one.

N. If a replacement player, who is tied to another player currently on the rotoball team's reserve list, is traded to the AL, put on the DL, or sent to the minors, either he or the original player must be released in order to obtain another replacement player for that spot. In other words, only one replacement player can be tied to an active roster spot in the rotoball lineup.

Example: Ken Griffey is placed on the reserve list and Darryl Ward is picked up to replace Griffey on the active roster. If Ward is then injured, the owner must release either Ward or Griffey in order to pick up Xavier Nady to replace Ward’s spot on the active roster. If Ward is released, then Nady is tied to Griffey. If Griffey is released, then Ward can be placed on the reserve list and is tied to Nady.

O. A player is allowed to only be involved in one roster move per transaction period (in addition to one trade, as in section XII.L). Thus, any player moved to/from a roto team reserve list cannot be involved in any other roster moves during the same transaction period except for a trade with another roto team. Also see section XVI:J (waivers).


XIV. THE FARM SYSTEM


A. A roto team can have a maximum of six (6) farm players in its farm system at any given time during the regular season. Only four (4) farm players may be carried into the active player auction and only a total of four (4) can be on the farm at the end of the farm player draft.

B. Extra farm players may be acquired via trades.

Example: Scaife’s Stud Ponies may be close to getting Kris Benson from Bud’s Brake and Muffler for Doug Davis. SSP could sweeten the deal by throwing in two of his farm players without the need for receiving two farm players in return.

C. Farm teams are chosen at the draft (see section V).

D. Farm players can be retained from one year to the next, but a fee of 10 cents must be paid to do so (see section VII:F), and the player must retain his major league rookie status (See Section V:E.).

E. Any farm player who is called up to the show, prior to September 1, and remains on the NL team’s active roster for at least three (3) weeks must either be waived or activated. The roto owner will have three transaction periods (See section XI:C) to decide on the status of the farm player. If a farm player is to be kept, an opening must be made for the new player, either by waiving an active national league player or placing an inactive player on the reserve list (if such player qualifies for the reserve list).

F. If, within the three transaction period time frame, the player is returned to the minor leagues and the roto team has not moved on that player, no move is necessary.

G. If a roto team activates a farm player, that player may not be returned to the farm system of that (or any other) roto team for the remainder of the baseball season, even if that player is returned to the minors. In such a case, the player can be placed on the roto team's reserve list or released. However, that player may be eligible to be drafted as a farm player next season provided he still has rookie status (See section V:E).

H. If a roto owner’s farm player is activated by the NL team and then placed on the major league DL before the owner is required (or has) moved on him, the rotoball owner must leave the farm player on their farm team. A roto owner’s three-transaction period time frame will restart once the injured farm player is activated to his team’s active National League roster.

I. The fee for activating a farm player is $.10 (section VII:F), and will have a salary of $.10.

J. Farm players who are called up after major league rosters expand (September 1) need not be activated within the three-transaction time period. They can remain on the owner's farm team through the off-season and be retained on the farm for the following season (see section XVIII and section V:D).

K. A maximum of two farm players may be released between the end of the season and the date of roster protection. Thus, a rotoball team with four farm players must retain a minimum of two farm players entering the farm player draft.


XV. FREE AGENTS


A. Definition: Any player on an active National League roster who is not on a current roto team's active roster, reserve list or farm team, or on the waiver wire for that current week is a free agent.

B. Acquired as replacement players:

1. Any player within the current free-agent pool can be claimed by any roto team that has an opening on its current active roster.

2. If more than one team tries to claim the same player, the team lowest in the current week's standings (section X:G) gets the player. The salary of that free agent is $.10. The fee for signing him is $.25.

3. A roster spot can be filled by a free agent if the player being replaced has been:

a. placed on the major league disabled list

b. released by the major league club and not picked up by another NL team

c. traded to the American League

d. sent to the minors.

Note that being suspended does not count as an opening unless the player has been suspended specifically for drug related reasons (i.e. most any NY Met from the late 80's).

4. Contingency claims are allowed on free agents acquired via the replacement player method.

C. Acquired via FAAB (but before 1 September):

1. Any player within the current free-agent pool and on an active National League roster can be bid upon without need for a natural opening within the roto team's active roster.

2. Each team shall have $1.00 for use in signing free agents. This amount is called the Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB).

3. Bids are submitted, confidentially, to the commissioner (or acting commissioner of the week) after 6:30 PM Monday and before 10:00 PM Monday night (along with any other moves). The commissioner (or acting commissioner of the week) must submit his transactions by
6:30 PM Monday.

4. An owner can submit an unlimited number of free-agent bids (as allowed by the team's remaining FAAB), but contingency bids are not allowed. If an owner bids on Jeff Cirillo, he cannot also bid on Marlon Anderson to replace the same player on the active roster. However, the owner could also bid on Anderson to replace a different player on the active roster.

5. A free agent goes to the highest bidder. In case of a tie, the team lowest in the current standings (section X:G) is awarded the bum. The third tiebreaker involves the type of player. Batters go to the team lowest in batting standings. Pitchers go to the team lowest in pitching standings.

6. The salary of the free agent is whatever is bid, and that amount is taken out of the roto team's remaining FAAB. The minimum bid is $.05 (except after September 1, when it is $.10). The fee for a free agent call up is $.25. See section VII:F.

7. The player's contract status is a first-year player.

8. The player that is replaced by the free agent is either waived or released (depending upon the current National League status of that player) and cannot be reserved.

a. The replaced player is waived if he is on a National League active roster. He will appear on the next week's waiver wire.

b. The replaced player is released if he was:

i. placed on the major league disabled list or

ii. released by the National League club and not picked up by another NL team or

iii. traded to the American League or

iv. sent to the minors.

Example 1: Craig Counsell is claimed via free agency for $.12 and will replace light hitting JJ Hardy (who is on the Brewers active roster). Hardy must be waived.

Example 2: Steve Trachsel is claimed via free agency for $.08 and will replace Josh Fogg (The Pirates released him). Fogg must be released.

9. If a released player returns to a National League active roster during the following week, his status is still that of a free agent, and is not placed on the waiver wire.

10. A player legally placed on the waiver wire by a roto owner, who subsequently is removed from a National League active roster and then returns to a National League active roster during the same transaction week, will be considered a free agent and is no longer on the waiver wire. See the example in section XVI:C.

11. If a player is released or is not on an active major league roster—by definition—that player cannot be claimed by another team until a National League club activates him. See Section XV:A.

12. Any free agent claimed for between $.11 and $.24 is signed to a guaranteed two-year contract. Such a player can be released before the next year's auction, but only by "buying out" the contract for half the players salary times 100 cents. See section VII:F.

Example: To buy out Moises Alou's guaranteed contract of 17 cents, it would cost $8.50.

13. Any free agent claimed for greater than or equal to $.25 is signed to a guaranteed two-year contract and must be retain through next year’s auction (if he is still on a National League roster). After the following year's auction, such player may be released from his contract for a fee as described in Section VII:F.

14. Any roto team suffering a loss of a player due to a trade to the American League has his FAAB increased by the amount of that player’s salary.

D. On or after 1 September, free agents can still be bid upon per the post all-star break rules, but the minimum bid for any free-agent is $.10. All other rules in section XV:C apply.


XVI. WAIVERS


A. If a National League team places an owner’s reserve list or farm player on their active roster, the owner has three transaction periods to either

1. waive the reserve list/farm player or

2. activate the reserve list/farm player to the active roster and waive (or release) a player from their active roster.

If a roto owner takes no action on the player coming off the farm team or reserve list within the allotted time, that player is automatically waived.

B. A player who is not on an active National League roster that is replaced on a roto owner’s active roster by a player from the roto team's farm team, reserve list, waiver wire, or from the free agent pool cannot be placed on waivers, but must be released.

C. Any player that is placed legally on the waiver wire, but becomes ineligible for the waiver wire during the subsequent week (put on a major league DL, sent to the minors, etc.) cannot be claimed off the waiver wire, and is considered to be released even if that player returns to an active National League roster during that same week.

Example: An owner waives Bobby Hill on Monday night. On Wednesday, he is sent to the minors, and then brought back up to the majors on Saturday. Hill would be considered a free agent and would be removed from the waiver wire. He could be picked up via free agency.

D. Waiver claims are handled in reverse order of the standings. In other words, the roto team lowest in the standings (section X:G--JP most likely) is awarded the cast-off in case of multiple claims on that player.

E. A maximum of ONE waiver claim is allowed for each roto team per week.

F. The fee for claiming a player off of the waiver wire is $.10, and that player's salary shall be either $.10 or the current salary of that player (from the team he was waived from), whichever is greater.

G. An owner can make a waiver claim on a player he waived the previous week. That player can only be obtained if no other owner makes a waiver claim on the player in question (but why you would want to do such a thing is beyond me).

H. Players remain on the waiver wire for one week. If left unclaimed, they become free agents.

I. A player with a guaranteed contract may be waived during the season provided the rules regarding guaranteed contracts in Section XVII are followed.

J. A player is allowed to only be involved in one roster move per transaction period (in addition to one trade, as in section XII:L). Thus, no player can be waived and involved in another transaction during the same transaction period—except for a trade with another roto team. Also see section XIII:M (reserve list).

K. In the event an owner’s waiver claim is denied, the player on his team’s active roster cannot be involved in any other transactions…PERIOD.

L. Players on the waiver wire are not eligible to be Free Agent Replacement Player pick-ups nor can they be bid upon using FAAB.


XVII. PLAYER CONTRACTS


A. National League baseball players occupying a spot on any roto teams active roster or reserve list or on the WCGDL waiver wire have one (1) of the following contract types:

B. For the duration of this discussion, a player’s continuous service shall be considered all the time that he was continuously either on

1. any roto team’s active roster,

2. any roto teams reserve list,

3. or the WCGDL waiver wire.

C. A player’s continuous service need only comprise a part of any season for him to have used a year of contract status.

D. Players having a 1st year contract status are those whose continuous service includes one (1) season.

E. Players having a 2nd year contract status are those whose continuous service includes two (2) seasons.

F. After the completion of a player's 2nd year of continuous service he may either be signed to a long-term guaranteed contract or allowed to play out his final (3rd) year.

1. Players having an third year contract are those whose continuous service includes 3 seasons who were also not signed to long-term guaranteed contracts. After the completion of a player’s 3rd year of continuous service he must be released back into the free agent pool.

2. Players may be signed to guaranteed long-term contracts of any length after their second year of service but they cannot be released from such contracts without considerable monetary penalty (See sections VII:F, and XV:C.12-13).

3. The salary of a player who is signed to a long-term contract immediately goes up 5 cents for each additional year of the guaranteed contract.

4. Players must be released back into the free agent pool after the normal completion of a long-term guaranteed contract.

5. The first year of a guaranteed long-term contract begins during a player’s 3rd year of continuous service. In addition to the guaranteed salary, a signing bonus equal to one-half the total value of the long-term contract shall be paid (See sections VII:F). This signing bonus does not count against your $2.60 salary cap.

Evolution of a guaranteed long-term contract

Back in 1995, the Indiana Wizards acquired a young, hard throwing, right-handed reliever named Mark Wohlers for 1 cent. Wohlers quickly emerges as a dominant closer for Atlanta—a real bargain! After Wohlers completes his tenure as a 2nd year player Gary Cannalte decides to give him a long-term deal because this guy seems like a lock for 30+ saves a year. Our roto owner gets a little too excited and gives him a 5-year deal. Wohlers’ salary immediately becomes 21 cents
(((5-1 yrs)*5 cents)+1 cent). Wohlers, at 21 cents, is still a modest bargain and Cannalte is thinking that he doesn’t have to worry about saves until the next millennium. By 1998, Wohlers is unable or unwilling to throw a strike and Atlanta banishes him to the nether regions of their farm system. Our roto owner, sheepishly, decides to release Wohlers from his guaranteed long-term contract at a cost of $10.50. But the ridicule of having this story recounted in our rules is, of course, priceless.

G. Players who were acquired via free agency at a price greater than 10 cents have guaranteed 2-year contracts. See section XV:C.

H. A player who has a guaranteed long-term contract and has a salary greater than 24 cents (asterisk player) must be retained through a minimum of one active player auction.

I. Contracts are entirely transferable during trades between roto owners, both in status and salary. A player, initially acquired during a given year, who has been on 6 different roto teams that same year can still be a 1st year player as long as his service has been continuous.

J. Contract status is entirely transferable during waiver moves—this includes guaranteed long-term contracts. A player can be on the waiver wire 6 times during a season but his status does not change as long as he never clears waivers and is released back into the free agent pool.

K. If an owner waives a player with a guaranteed long-term contract (provided the conditions in section XVII:H are met or don’t apply), the owner must pay the fee for releasing a player from a guaranteed long-term contract regardless if the player is subsequently claimed off of waivers the following week.

L. A player’s contract salary is increased to 10 cents during a waiver claim if the player’s original salary was less than 10 cents. If a player’s contract salary is greater than or equal to 10 cents, it remains unchanged during a waiver claim.

M. Any contract becomes null and void at no expense to the roto owner if the player in question is traded from the National League, retires or is released from their National League club and is not subsequently acquired by another NL club. If the player was in an active roster spot a new player may then be acquired to replace him if the other rules on player acquisition allow it.

N. At the end of the season all owners will be asked to verify the contract status and salary of all players on their roster. After this point, all contracts are exactly as shown on the final roster sheet. Errors found subsequently are not propagated between seasons.

O. Examples

1. In July of 1993, the Gashouse Gorillas picks up a guy named Barry Bonds from the free agent pool for 8 cents. He decides to keep him for the 1994 season. Because 1993 is considered a complete year of service, at the end of the 1994 season Larry must decide whether to:

a. release him back to the free agent pool.

b. keep him for one more year at 8 cents

c. sign him to a long-term contract

The Gorillas sign him to a 4-year contract; Bonds' salary for 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998 is 23 cents. (4-1)*5+8=23. In addition, he must pay the league one half the total salary as a signing bonus ((4*23)/2=46 cents).

2. Bruce acquires Ruben Amaro at the 1993 auction for 3 cents. He keeps him for the entire 1993 season and through the 1994 auction. In May of 1994, he waives him. The following week, Rob picks him up off the waiver wire (new salary = 10 cents). Rob keeps him for the entire 1994 season. But, because Amaro is a sled on the base paths, Rob loses a tiebreaker to Matt for the last money spot at the end of the season. Because Amaro never cleared waivers, at the end of the 1994 season Rob must decide whether to release him, let him play out his option year, or give him a long-term deal.

3. JP acquires Terry Mulholland at the 1997 auction for 3 cents and keeps him through June of 1998, at which point he is waived. Nobody picks Mulholland off waivers so he is moved to the free agent list. The following week, Tim picks Mulholland up off the free agent list. Because Mulholland cleared waivers, 1998 is his first year of continuous service.

4. In July 1997, Mark McGwire is traded to the St. Louis Cardinals from the American League. Larry acquires him for 62 cents via his FAAB. Since McGwire’s salary is greater than 24 cents and he has guaranteed long-term contract, Larry was required to retain McGwire through the 1998 auction.

5. Kasten has Barry Bonds in the second year of his contract for 22 cents. Before the 2001 auction, Kasten signs Bonds to a guaranteed 3-year contract extension putting Bonds’ new salary at 32 cents. In April, Bonds decides he wants to hit right-handed for the rest of his career. Predictably, his production plummets. Kasten waives Bonds in May. Kasten must pay $16.00 to break Bonds’ guaranteed long-term contract.


XVIII. ROSTER PROTECTION


A. Each team can retain, from one season to the next, no more than 15 of the players on its 23-man roster.

B. Any player on a rotoball team’s final roster (active roster or reserve list ) at the end of the year (to be approved by other owners at the end of the season) is eligible to be retained on the 15-man protected roster prior to the following season’s rotoball auction.

C. Players on a rotoball team’s final roster at the end of the season can be retained on the active roster at the start of the next season as long as he is still affiliated with an eligible National League team—even if he does not make a National League active roster. His salary will subsequently count against the $2.60 available on draft day.

D. If a player on a reserve list is tied to another player on the active roster at the end of the year, only ONE of these players may be retained on the 15-man protected roster at the start of the next season.

Example: If David Weathers is tied to Greg Maddux. Only one of these players may be kept on the 15-man protected roster.

E. The names of players being retained must be recorded with the commish by 10 AM on the opening day of the National League season or three days prior to the auction in years when the auction is conducted before the opening day of the National League season. Specific notice must also be made at that time of any long-term guaranteed contract signings and farm system renewals. Farm players not explicitly requested to be retained will be lost. 3rd year players not explicitly given long-term guaranteed contracts will be assumed to be playing out their option year.

F. The cumulative salaries of players protected prior to auction day are deducted from a team’s 260-cent payroll, and the balance is available for acquisition of the remaining players needed to complete the team’s 23-man roster.

G. All teams' protected rosters will be supplied to all owners by the league commissioner within 2 full days prior to auction day regardless of when the auction is held.

H. POST-OPENING DAY Active Player Auction Rule: Any rotoball team’s farm player who subsequently makes his National Leagues team’s active roster on opening day may be added to the roto teams protected list (and another player dropped if 15 players were retained) before the active player auction, or he may be released. He may not be retained on the roto farm system.

I. PRE-OPENING DAY Active Player Auction Rule: Farm players retained on a roto farm roster who make an NL opening day roster must be released and are added to the free agent list (see section IV:D.2). Farm players added to a rotoball team’s active player roster prior to the auction who subsequently do not make an NL opening day roster can be placed back on the roto farm team (see section IV:D.3). He can be replaced via free agency following rules governing farm teams (section XIV) and free agency (section XV:B).

J. Only two farm players can be released between the end of the season and the day protected rosters are due.

K. On roster protection day, TWO (2) lists will be provided to the commissioner:

1. the normal roster protection list of up to 15 players

2. an "emergency" list of up to 17 players.

L. The players listed on an owner’s protected and emergency lists need not agree. In other words, players showing up on one list need not be included on the other.


XIX. THE EMERGENCY LIST


A. If an owner is unavailable to attend the rotoball auction in case of an emergency, this owner may submit to the league on roster protection day a list containing up to 17 players the owner wishes to retain on his protected roster. This list will be called the EMERGENCY ROSTER.

B. After the auction has concluded, but before any free agent claims for injured players are collected, the non-participating owner may fill out the remainder of his roster with those eligible free agents remaining after the auction has been conducted. The salary assigned to each player selected via free agency is NO LESS THAN 10 CENTS, and must be available from that owner's auction budget ($2.60) for the remaining players, no matter how many are retained on the emergency list.

C. If two or more owners cannot be at the draft, they will obtain free agents in the reverse order they finished in the previous year's standings (e.g. the lower player will draft first, then the higher player, and so on).

D. If this situation occurs more than ONCE for ANY owner, this owner can be brought up to the league for expulsion. This rule is for EMERGENCIES ONLY, and should not be abused.

Example 1: an owner turns in an emergency roster containing 17 players whose total salary is equal to $1.82, leaving $0.78 for the remaining six (6) players (78 cents / 6 players = 13 cents per free agent).

Example 2: Before the 2001 auction, Bruce turned in an emergency roster containing 11 players, with a total salary of $1.40,leaving $1.20 for the remaining 12 players (120 cents / 12 players = 10 cents per free agent).


XX. GOVERNANCE


A. Before the start of each season, a commissioner is elected by a simple majority of the roto owners in the league.

1. The commissioner collects transactions and supplies rules clarifications as necessary during the course of the season.

2. The commissioner cannot rule alone on issues not completely covered in these rules, disputed interpretations of these rules, or issues that are brought up during the off season.

B. Before the start of each season, a small panel of 3 roto owners (the triad) is elected to rule over all disputes during the course of the season.

1. Disputes may be brought up to the triad by any owner in the league.

2. The commissioner cannot be a member of the triad.

3. The triad rules on interpretations of these existing rules.

4. The triad cannot make decisions on new rules.

5. The triad may elect to put disputes before the league in its entirety if such an opportunity presents itself.

C. When the league decides on issues as a whole, a simple majority is necessary during voting unless the issue involves changes to these rules. For such issues, a 75% majority is necessary.

D. If a rule change or clarification to fix an obvious problem is deemed necessary by 75% of the owners, and there are only two choices to fix the problem, the choice receiving the majority of the vote is all that is necessary to enact the choice.

E. By the end of the calendar year, new rules or rule modifications can be brought up for a vote to the league. This allows rules to be introduced and voted upon OUTSIDE of our "end of the year" meeting.

18