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Benchwarmer News

3/14/24

  • Pre-season/early season transactions - I've had delays and we're running close to the start of the regular season, but we're going to squeeze in 2 short transaction weeks before the BWB season begins:
    • Thursday, March 21 7 PM EDT - Redistribution Draft reset - Rounds 3-5
    • Tuesday, March 26, Time TBD - Week minus one - Free agent signings/cuts/trades
    • Sunday, March 31, Time TBD - Week zero - Free agent signings/cuts/trades - Plus, all teams get an extra 2000 in cash
    • Wednesday, April 3, Time TBD - Week one lineups due
  • The dates are subject to change. I do have some family obligations during the last 9-10 days of March that could affect these if I'm unable to process transactions in a timely matter.
  • Last season, I adjusted the schedule to have a little bit earlier deadlines for each week. This year I have to revert back to where we used to be with the Week 1 deadline coming after maybe a full turn in the MLB rotations already in the books.
  • Normally, we have at least 4 weeks of free agency between the draft and Week 1.  With only 2 weeks, there are a couple of changes:
    • Week minus one and Week zero will have more than 4 rounds of free agent picks (exact number TBD).
    • I will not enforce the 5000 cap on team cash balance heading into the season. You can wait longer this year to sign your multiyear contracts.

3/13/24

2/28/24

  • Redistribution Draft deadline is Sunday night. You can check the lists for all your teams to see if you have any errors.
  • I still could use some foster owners to do the draft lists for orphan teams. Let me know if you are willing to do that.  (Michael Gaston and Bill Munger - I have your emails - I'll try to set you up with something on Thursday).

Did You Know? You can list your Instant Messaging IDs in your personal profiles

2/17/24

  • Results of carryover choices posted.  View the Transactions page to see the cuts in your league.
  • The 2024 Redistribution Draft is now open.  You'll 2 weeks to make your first selections.  Deadline is Sunday 3/3/24 at Midnight Eastern
  • Visit your team roster to see the link to begin making your picks.
  • For more information, see the rules regarding the Redistribution Draft
  • There are 2 weeks to do your list for Round 1, but you should consider building for all 5 rounds - or at least as much as you can, because if any of your listed picks/alternates are gone by your turn in the order, we'll pull up picks from Round 2 and beyond to make sure you get 3 selections.
    • After March 3, we post the results of only Round 1 only - any drafted players will be removed from the remainder of your lists.
    • You'll have one week to redo draft lists (if you choose), then we post the results of only Round 2 (again removing drafted players from your rounds 3-5)
    • Then one more week for an optional redo of your draft lists, and we post the results of Rounds 3-5
  • The season calendar of deadlines is not yet updated for 2024, but the deadlines for the Redistribution Draft are:
    • Sunday evening 3/3 Midnight EST - First submission - we post results for Round 1
    • Sun night 3/10 Midnight EST - Adjust your lists for Rounds 2-5 - we post results for Round 2
    • Sun night 3/17 Midnight EST - Adjust your lists for Rounds 3-5 - we post results for the remaining 3 rounds
    • Because of delays to this point, we'll have a compressed time for free agency - squeezing in 2 weeks of transactions in about 10 days...but we'll increase the number of rounds of picks during those weeks.
  • Any players on your Prospect Roster have been moved back to your 40-man roster.  You can begin to move players to prospect status again after the Redistribution Draft.

2/9/24

  • Check the carryover status for all your teams
  • I've set the roster cutdown deadline to midnight Eastern on Sunday, Feb. 11 - it could change if I am still working with orphan teams.
  • Can you help out with orphan teams as a foster owner?  Whether you want to just help with the roster cutdowns, get them through the Redistribution Draft, or run them until we get a new owner, please let me know and how many teams you'd take.  Thanks!

2/3/24

  • With all the orphan teams to go through, this weekend won't work for the cutdown deadline.  I'm going to extend it out to Sunday, Feb. 11 - however, it might be earlier in the day than midnight - stay tuned.
  • There's another round of orphan team requests that came in on Thursday or later and I'll assign those teams later today - as well as assigning foster owners to those of you who have volunteered for that.

1/25/24

  • Week Thirty Transactions Posted (2nd winter trade period)
  • I'll have an email out to everyone discussing the delays.  At this time, roster cutdown decisions are due on Sunday, February 4 at midnight Eastern time.  However, due to the large number of orphan teams, it's possible that this could be pushed out further.
  • Orphan Teams - here's the initial list of 170 available orphans for 2024.  There may be a few more added once I verify if some "no answers" on returning will indeed become orphans.  Email me if you want to pick up any of these orphans and we still might be able to get you to pick your roster cuts/keeps.
  • 84 New players added to the game based on the 40-man rosters for MLB teams as of mid-January.
    • This is the only player addition until after Opening Day
    • To find them - In the filter/search area of the player lists, look for the "New in 2024" menu - See the list of new players
    • NEW - While we're in the cutdown period and Redistribution Draft, you can also view players who were added in Week 25 in 2023. Since the last free agent signings were in Week 24, these players have not yet been available to sign.
  • Payment information is not yet set up for 2024.  While I'd love to take your money, hang on tight for a week or two until that's ready.

1/7/24

  • Deadline changes. I have some things going on in real life and will not be ready to open up the Redistribution Draft next week after the roster cuts deadline, so I'm going to extend everything out another week.
    • Winter Trade Period #2 deadline - extended to Sunday, January 14 at midnight Eastern - all trade offers set to expire at the January 7 deadline have been moved out to January 14.
    • Roster cutdown decisions deadline - extended to Sunday, January 21
    • First submission for Redistribution Draft expected Saturday, February 10
    • See season deadlines

1/6/24

  • Coming back with your teams in 2024? A few of you haven't answered yet for any teams - and some of you have left some of your teams undecided.  I'll contact the people who haven't weighed in, but you can help out by answering yes/no for all of your teams.

12/31/23

  • Looks like the site I was using to link player stats when you click on a name has shut down. I've changed the links so that will work again, in case you've tried for the last few days.
  • Check all your teams to see if you have any pending trade offers. The next trade deadline is Sunday 1/7.

11/21/23

11/20/23

  • Lots of changes and updates as we move on to the 2024 season!
    • Salary cap cash has been distributed.  The 2024 salary cap is 40575 (was 41833 in 40735).
    • Cash rewards for playoff performance will be distributed on Wednesday
    • 2024 salaries are posted and are final - Premium salary adjustments have already been applied
    • 2024 player positions are updated but not final
      • Any player showing an "x" in their position didn't have any MLB stats in 2023, so I need to go back in and check what they did in the minors in 2023 (or maybe they didn't play at all and might be removed from the list) - their positions may change.
      • That usually takes a lot of time and will be finished sometime late December/early January
    • Player retention decisions for 2024 can now be made from your team roster pages.  Deadline to complete this is expected to be Sunday, January 7 - if you have a lot of teams, don't wait!!
    • First step before you can do any trading or pick your carryover players - indicate if you're keeping each of your teams in 2024.  You must answer "yes" before you may submit any trades or before anyone can contact you for trades.  Deadline is December 31 or we assume the unanswered teams become Orphans.
  • New leagues for 2024 will be opened in late December.
  • As people indicate they're dropping teams, orphans will become available.
  • Trades are now open for a 3-week trading period, ending on Sunday, Dec. 10.  Following that will be another 3-week trade period open through December 31.

11/19/23

  • Team finances updated with cash awards on final division placement. Post season rewards are added after the salary cap is calculated.
  • Player salaries for 2024 are final (but not yet posted) - working today on salary cap and positions and will open up the rosters when all that is complete (maybe tonight, but definitely by tomorrow).

11/12/23

  • Benchwarmer Bash 2023 - Final Results: Kingston Baseball Club (Marxball) defeated Suffolk Steel (Perfect World League) 4 games to 2
    • Congratulations to team owner Ricardo Alexander.
    • This is Ricardo's 3rd straight win in the BWB ultimate tournament. This franchise also won it in 2021.
    • Ricardo won 10 league championships in 2023 and had 16 teams in the field of 128 that started out the Bash.
    • Also congratulations to runner-up Robert Elias in his second trip to the finals.

11/11/23

  • Benchwarmer Bash 2023 - Semifinals: Games 1-7 posted
  • Benchwarmer Bash Bracket
  • We're down to our final two teams. Kingston (Marxball) and Suffolk were victorious in the semifinals:
    • Kingston Baseball Club (93-57, Marxball, Power Rank 55) - Ricardo Alexander vs. Suffolk Steel (96-54, Perfect World League, Power Rank 42) - Robert Elias
    • Ricardo won the Bash last year with Kingston (from That's the Fact Jack League). This Kingston team from Marxball won the Bash in 2021.
    • This is a championship match of owners - Robert Elias had the runner up Valley Forge Continentals in 2022. Robert has never won the bash before.
    • No winner has come out of Perfect World League before. Marxball has had 2 teams win the Bash.

11/10/23

11/9/23

  • Benchwarmer Bash 2023 - We move on to the Bash round with the final 8 teams. See the bracket
  • Quarterfinal results will post on Friday
  • Previewing the Bash:
    • There are 8 teams remaining - 6 league champions and 2 wild card teams
    • Last year's champion, Kingston from That's the Fact Jack League (Ricardo Alexander), is back again as the #2 seed.  Ricardo's Kingston from Marxball won the 2021 Bash and is this year's #5 seed.
    • No other franchise in the field has won the Bash before, although 2 owners have won with different teams - Jason Kiernan and Jay Snyder
    • Kingston (That's the Fact Jack) is the only repeat Federation champion from last year.
    • Federation titles by seed:
      • 1st: 1
      • 2nd: 1
      • 3rd: 5
      • 4th: 1
    • Owners with multiple teams in final 8:
      • 3 teams: Ricardo Alexander
      • 2 teams: Sherman Wan
      • Two of Ricardo's teams face each other in the first round, so he's guaranteed to have 1 team in the semifinals.
    • Our top seed based on BWB's power ranking, is Interlaken Cheese Transport (Reality Bites) with an Power Index of 10. For the 2nd straight season, the top-ranked team did not make it and to have only 1 team in the top 10 matches the situation from 2015.
    • Chicago (Anchorman) has a BWB Power Index of 276 which is the lowest-ranked team to make the Bash quarterfinals.

11/8/23

  • Hello! My intention was to run the final 3 rounds of the Benchwarmer Bash to wrap up at the same time as the World Series (if it went for 7 games).  When the Rangers finished it off in Game 5, I took a day off and unintentionally that's turned into a week. I'm out tonight but plan to get the Bash started again on Thursday and wrap up by Saturday or Sunday.
  • Other schedule things as we move into the offseason (subject to change):
    • I'll start work on 2024 salaries and positions later this week - with the goal of being ready to post this weekend.
    • Once the salaries and positions are updated, I'll unfreeze the rosters and you can begin work on trades and carryovers.
    • First offseason trade deadline - Dec. 10
    • Second (and last) offseason trade deadline - Dec. 31
    • Roster carryover/cut selections deadline - Jan. 7

10/31/23

See the News Archive for older headlines.