Benchwarmer News Archive - 2013

12/29/13

• Week 30 Transactions Posted (2nd Fall Trading Period) - We're all clear now for the next deadline - finalizing your choices of 28 or fewer players to carry over into 2014.  Deadline is Saturday January 18 at Noon Eastern.
• Wait...checking this - may be a mistake on my part...OK - balances are correct - for some reason the "Cash in Trades" column isn't showing correctly... Team Finances updated including orphan cash for teams assigned so far.  This is all the cash you get until Opening Day, so it has to cover you for salaries for players carried over, the Redistribution Draft, and any free agents you sign in February and March.

12/26/13

• New Players! - 110 new players added to the BWB Player List.  This is the ONLY addition before Opening Day.  From here on out, players must register MLB stats to be added...so don't look for Tanaka (if he actually comes) until April.
• Anchorman League is full!! - One tiny deadline change...with the later posting of new players and draft rule changes, we'll push back to the weekend - your draft lists are due Saturday, January 4, 2014 at Noon EST.

12/24/13

• The order of resolving contested draft picks has changed in the League Startup Drafts - here's a listing of the 2014 Rule Changes
  • As before - any player uniquely drafted by a team automatically goes to that team.  However, those salaries and roster spots do not count in the tiebreaker criteria for resolving contested picks.
  • NEW - All contested picks of players making salary 100 will be resolved first.  This will even out the playing field for awarding rookies and prospects.  (We'll use the existing process of total cap space left and roster slots filled for tiebreakers).
  • As with unique choices, the awards of players making 100 to the actual roster will be postponed until the end of the draft.
  • So rosters/salaries reset again - and then we'll award contested picks of players making > 100 in salary.

12/23/13

• I added some additional detail on the postseason information page about what's coming up now with rosters and the Redistribution Draft - including a new section about your cash balances and what to expect for getting new cash.
• One more person to follow up with, but otherwise all the "no answers" to coming back in 2014 have been converted to orphan teams.  This is essentially your final list of orphan teams for the coming year.

12/22/13

• House cleaning - all positions now verified and 183 minor leaguers and former major leaguers removed from the player list.
• Checking the 40-man rosters...new players should be added sometime Mon-Thur this week (how's that for specific?)
• Deadline reminders:
  • 2nd Fall Trading Period - Saturday, Dec. 28 noon EST
  • Carryover selections - Saturday, Jan 4 noon EST

12/21/13

• A very slight rule change posted today, but there's a major one coming in the next couple of days in how the Startup Draft works - here's a listing of the 2014 Rule Changes

12/17/13

• After the Rule 5 Draft, I go through the 40-man rosters and any guys there who are not currently in the BWB player list get added.  Yeah - the draft was last week...I usually do this over the Christmas break.  Look for the players to be added by around 12/22-23.
• There are several orphan teams available but I'll be adding several more by this weekend.  You can send me an email if you're interested in one now...or wait to see what gets added.
  • "Invitation Only" Leagues in the Orphan list include:
    • Experts League - for Fantasy Baseball writers, bloggers, etc. plus other media - and the winner of the Benchwarmer Bash plus winner of the Winners Circle League.
    • Winners Circle League - kind of a League of Champions - reserved for winners of 2013 league championships.  I'm slowly going through the list but if you won a championship in 2013 and I haven't contacted you yet, let me know.
    • Beer League, Moneyball League, Murderers Row - these are "private" leagues that have a separate entry fee but also prizes.  If you're interested, I can connect you with the league owner(s).

12/7/13

• Two Deadlines Today - Saturday December 7
  • Coming back in 2014 or not? Let us know yes/no if you're keeping each of your teams in 2014.  You must answer "yes" before you may submit any trades or before anyone can contact you for trades.  Answer today or we assume the unanswered teams become Orphans.
  • The Black Friday/Cyber Monday specials are over, but don't forget we still have an early special for existing owners getting new teams in new leagues: Save $25 per new team instead of the normal $10 multi-team discount.  Sign up today - December 7 is the final day!

12/16/13

• I've got a couple of deadline shifts that will fit better with my holiday travels and allow new orphan team assignees extra time:
  • Next trade deadline is now Saturday, Dec 28
  • Carry over selections for your roster is now Saturday, January 4

12/1/13

• Don't forget to indicate if you're keeping each of your teams in 2014.  You must answer "yes" before you may submit any trades or before anyone can contact you for trades.  Deadline is December 7 or we assume the unanswered teams become Orphans.
• Week 29 Transactions Posted (1st Fall Trading Period) - Week 30 Deadline - the 2nd trade window - is Saturday December 21 at Noon Eastern.
• We don't worry about roster limits right now...when you cut down to 28 players in December that will take care of the roster size.
• Salaries are now final for 2014 - Premium adjustments were applied (some up to 30% or more).

11/28/13

• Player of the Year results final
• Team Finances updated for POY results and playoff outcomes.
• Reminder - Salaries not yet final - top players could see a 10-20% increase

11/25/13

• Team Payment for Returning Teams - Not due until Opening Day, but...
  • Reminder - pay for your teams before Thanksgiving and save $5 per team (Orphans not included).  Deadline expires midnight Pacific on Wed. night (3AM EST Thursday).  See your payment summary.
  • For packages (season ticket, Cooperstown Club), no discount - but let's just say there will likely be a sale on Season Tickets next weekend.
  • If you're in a private league, you pay through your league owner.
• Don't forget to indicate if you're keeping each of your teams in 2014.  You must answer "yes" before you may submit any trades or before anyone can contact you for trades.  Deadline is December 7 or we assume the unanswered teams become Orphans.

11/17/13

• Not much changed here yet - but there are some potential things - here's a listing of the 2014 Rule Changes

11/11/13

• OK - here we go - BWB is officially kicking off the 2013-2014 off season:
  • New salaries and positions are posted.  NOTE - salaries are preliminary subject to premium salary adjustments in the next week or so.  Any position with an "x" at the end is not yet fully verified for 2014 AND that player is not yet confirmed to be in the 2014 master player list.
  • Time to indicate if you're coming back in 2014 or not.  You must answer "yes" before you may submit any trades or before anyone can contact you for trades.
  • Things to note before deciding to come back:
    • There's a $5 increase in team fees - the first increase since 2007
    • Package prices for leagues, etc. and Season Tickets have increased accordingly
    • In 2014, there will be a season interruption before the Week 25 games are scored and the playoffs begin (something to hold your interest during the World Series.
    • Pay before Thanksgiving - Nov 28 at 3AM Eastern - and you'll offset that $5 increase with an early payment discount.
  • Teams with league championships and other post-season tournament winners have free bonus teams to use.  See the list of new leagues coming in 2014.
  • You can also pick up new teams for 2014.  In an early season special - and again to combat the price increase, any add-on teams you get before Dec. 7 will be at $25 off instead of the normal $10 multiteam discount.
  • Trades are now open - the window has increased a little bit - you have until November 30 for the first trade session.  The second session will extend through Dec. 21.
  • You can also begin choosing your carry over players - visit your team roster(s) for a link to do that.
• There may be some pages that don't yet work or haven't been fully switched to 2014.  Be patient - I'll get those working soon.  Let me know if you find anything.

11/7/13

• This includes stuff about the end of the season and the playoffs, but here's a repeat of: Things to know about the postseason - and prepping for 2014.

10/31/13

• We're down to the final two in the Benchwarmer Bash:
  • #5 Seed: Las Vegas Billionaires (88-62, Shadowball League) owner Jim Sowerby
  • #3 Seed: Backwoods Sasquatch (98-52, Phightin' Phils League) owner Kevin Connors
  • Final Result: Backwoods defeated Las Vegas 4-3; Congratulations Kevin!

10/30/13

• 2013 Benchwarmer Bash - Semifinals complete: Games 5-7 posted
  • The Benchwarmer Bash is a season-ending tournament, designed to crown one overall champion among the 37 BWB leagues.  The winner gets 2 additional free seasons for the team - the runner up gets 1 more.
  • See The Benchwarmer Bash Page
  • On to the Benchwarmer Bash Finals Thursday or Friday.

10/29/13

• 2013 Benchwarmer Bash - Quarterfinals complete

10/27/13

• 2013 Benchwarmer Bash - Federation Finals Complete: Games 5-7 posted
  • The Benchwarmer Bash Page is a launching spot for all results.  From there, click on the links to the Federation Results to see game scores.

10/26/13

• 2013 Benchwarmer Bash - Federation Semifinals Complete

10/24/13

• 2013 Benchwarmer Bash - Federation Quarterfinals Complete

10/23/13

• Don't worry about roster/lineup warnings!  All roster slots and positions were cleared out for the postseason.  If you need to doublecheck your BW Bash roster, change the roster week to 28.

10/18/13

• Congratulations to owners with multiple league championships:
  • 5 - Michael Quinn - (14 division champions)
  • 4 - Jesse Roche - (6)
  • 3 - Tom Twomey - (20)
  • 2 - Robert Elias (8), Don Kruse (7), Michael Lehman (6), Matt Strawbridge (2), Sherman Wan (5), Danny Zaccaro (3)

10/17/13

• 2013 Benchwarmer Playoffs - Championship Week Complete - Game 7 posted
  • Congratulations to all the league champions - see the full list: Playoffs for all leagues
  • Recap of just the League Championships for all Leagues
  • Benchwarmer Bash starts this weekend - all league champs plus several wild cards advance.  You can reset your lineup one more time (for the entire Bash) by Saturday at noon.

10/13/13

• Lineups are open again for changes.  If you want to reset your lineup for the Benchwarmer Bash (Week 28), the deadline is Saturday, Oct 19 at Noon EDT.  Again, you can reset your pitching rotation.  This is the last lineup change - if you're in the Bash, the lineups are locked throughout.
• Also a quick note on the Benchwarmer Bash - in the Federation round, we have some Feds with 5 leagues, some with 4 - so the wild cards will return to set each federation to a first round of 8 teams.

10/11/13

• 2013 Benchwarmer Playoffs - Week 1 Complete - Conference Championships settled
  • Also completed the Gore Cup semifinals and the Bottom Feeder Open semifinals

10/4/13

• Congratulations to owners with multiple division wins:
  • 20 Teams - Tom Twomey
  • 14 Teams - Michael Quinn
  • 8 Teams - Robert Elias
  • 7 Teams - Don Kruse
  • 6 Teams - Michael Lehman, Jesse Roche
  • 5 Teams - Mike Prohaska, Sherman Wan, Jon Swanson
  • 4 Teams - Jamison Reese
  • 3 Teams - Ricardo Alexander, Kevin Connors, Philip Dang, David Henning, Christian Ingram, Danny Zaccaro, Leif Jonson (including co-owned teams)
  • 2 Teams - Ken DeGroot,  Roland Dupont, J.C. Freeman, Andrew Lehman, Jerry Stevens, Matt Strawbridge, Jacob Vass, Adam Wilson, Scott Campbell and Leif Jonson co-owned teams

9/29/13

• Week 25 Statistics and Players of the Week
• Delay on playoff lineup deadline - there's no rush until I'm getting close to having the playoff brackets set up...so let's be fluid with this deadline - right now it's set to Wed. Oct 2 at noon EDT.
• Final set of Division Champions from September 28 playoff games: (See standings for all leagues)
  • Bronx Bombers - Rizzuto Division: Reese's Pieces (owner Jamison Reese - 3rd win in 2013) - Conference champ in 2012
  • Experts - Web Division: NYC FantasyBaseballSherpa.com (owner Scott Swanay) - Repeat division winner
  • Bleed Dodger Blue - Campanella Division: Wisconsin Dawgs (owner Greg Flees) - Defending league champ

9/28/13

• Division tiebreakers complete - see results below
• Three division ties to break- will require one more game to settle it all - Jerry King is in 2 Game 151 situations.  Results coming by Saturday night
  • Bronx Bombers League - Rizzuto Division: Defending conference champ Reese's Pieces (Jamison Reese) at Santa Cruz Waves (Andrew Lehman) - Result: Reese's 3  Santa Cruz 2 - Box
    • Santa Cruz won the season series 11-7
    • The teams split 3-3 in the final two weeks of the season. Reese's had pulled ahead by 1 game heading into the final game of the season where Santa Cruz won 4-1.
    • Record for last 10 games: Reese's 8-2, Santa Cruz 5-5
  • Experts League - Web Division: Defending division champ NYC FantasyBaseballSherpa.com (Scott Swanay) at Irish Alcohooligans (Jerry King) - Result: NYC 6  Irish 4 - Box
    • Coming into the final 2 games of the season, Africa was actually leading the division with both NYC and Irish one game back.
    • Irish won the season series 11-7
    • Irish won 4 of 6 in the final three weeks.
    • Record for the last 10 games: NYC 7-3 Irish 6-4
  • Bleed Dodger Blue - Campanella Division: Defending league champion and BW Bash runner up Wisconsin Dawgs (Greg Flees) at San Luis Obispo Silent Assassins (Jerry King) - Result: Wisconsin 5  San Luis Obispo 4 - Box
    • San Luis Obispo won the season series 11-7
    • Wisconsin won 4 of 6 in the final three weeks.
    • Record for the last 10 games: Wisconsin 7-3 San Luis Obispo 6-4

9/28/13 Continued

• Division Champions from September 27 games: (See standings for all leagues)
  • Hall of Fame - Wagner Division: Las Vegas Lounge Lizards (owner Jon Swanson - 3rd win in 2013) - Returns to playoffs for the first time since 2007
  • Hall of Fame - Cobb Division: San Diego Surfers (owner Andy Deeble) - 3rd time in playoffs - first time since 2005
  • Shadowball - Chicago American Giants Division: Las Vegas Billionaires (owner Jim Sowerby) - Defending league champion (also in 2007) - 5th division win
  • Bronx Bombers - Ford Division: Iowa Farmers (owner Tom Kohl) - First title - last 2 seasons finished 25 GB
  • Fenway Fenatics - Fisk Division: The New Hit Squad feat. Aaron Hernandez (owner Christian Ingram - 3rd win in 2013) - Midseason ownership change allowed repeat playoff appearance
  • Reality Bites - Bachelor Division: Memphis Bighitters (owner Michael Quinn - 14th win in 2013) - Repeat division win - League champ in 2011
  • Four Star - Eisenhower Division: Georgetown Canal Mules (owner Yuri Belova) - Also won in 2010
  • Redbirds - Brock Division: Manalapan Monchichis (owner Tom Twomey - 19th win in 2013) - Conference champ last year - 4th division win
  • Blame Canada - Kenny Division: Thunder Bay Voyageurs (owner Jerry Stevens - 2nd win in 2013) - Previous best finish had been 3rd
  • Cleveland Rocks - Doby Division: Shaky Heights Bombers (owner Jim Meyer) - Initial Season
  • Deuces Wild - Cobb Division: Wet Hens (owner Roland Dupont - 2nd win in 2013) - First title
  • Murderers' Row - Big Puma Division: Guttenberg Gandolfinis (owner Tom Twomey - 19th win in 2013) -Defending league champ and won in 2010 too; 4th straight division title
  • Phightin' Phils - Roberts Division: Phillie Cream Cheezers (owner Jamison Reese - 3rd win in 2013) - First divison champtionshipr
  • K Street - Blyleven Division: Kansas City Destroyers (owner Matt Stawbridge - 2nd win in 2013) - 2nd division win - League champ in 2009
  • K Street - Perry Division: D.C. Lobbyists (owner Jon Swanson - 4th win in 2013) - Repeat winner
  • Geek Pride - Zuckerberg Division: Athenian Sea Merchants (owner Thomas Heymsfeld) - Initial season
  • Blue and Gray - Grant Division: Gettysburg Rifles (owner Jon Swanson - 5th win in 2013) - Three straight 2nd place finishes - first team other than Detroit to win
  • Blue and Gray - Lee Division: Confederate Freemen (owner Adam Wilson - 2nd win in 2013) - Also finished first in 2010
  • Bleed Dodger Blue - Sutton Division: Team Dominican Republic 2013 WBC Champs (owners Scott Campbell & Leif Jonson - 2nd win in 2013 as co-owners; 3rd overall for Leif) - League champ in 2011; Third division win
  • Superman - Christopher Reeve Division: Krypton Krushers (owner David Henning - 3rd win in 2013) - First time on top

9/27/13

• Week 25 Complete - Games 149-150 posted.  See Results
• Regular Season is Complete!  Well...almost.  There are three divisional ties to break:
  • Bronx Bombers League - Rizzuto Division: Reese's - Santa Cruz
  • Experts League - Web Division: Irish - NYC
  • Bleed Dodger Blue - Campanella Division: San Luis Obispo - Wisconsin
• Game 151 will be scored on Saturday.

9/25/13

• Division Champions from September 24 games: (See standings for all leagues)
  • Hall of Fame - Ruth Division: Seattle Survivors (owners Scott Campbell & Leif Jonson - 2nd win in 2013 for Leif) - Returns to playoffs for the first time since 2007
  • Shadowball - Memphis Red Sox Division: Louisiana Born on the Bayou Boys (owner Michael Lehman - 6th win in 2013) - 5th division win - first since 2009
  • Chevy Chase - Ty Webb Division: Detroit Dusty Bottoms (owner Mike Prohaska - 5th win in 2013) - New owner - first division win since 2009
  • Perfect World - Kenny Rogers Division: Ehime Ichiban (owner Tom Twomey - 17th win in 2013) - Defending league champ - 4th straight division title
  • Winners Circle - Alexander Division: Santa Fe Gun Runners (owner Robert Elias - 8th win in 2013) - Highest finish had been 2nd place
  • Winners Circle - Spahn Division: Uruguay Urusai (owner Tom Twomey - 18th win in 2013) - Repeat division winner
  • Federal - St. Louis Terriers Division: Lexington Rupps (owner J.C. Freeman - 2nd win in 2013) - Defending conference champ
  • Motor City - Gehringer Division: Macon Whoopie (owner Stephen Chase) - Initial Season
  • Longball - McGuire Division: Nokomis Choo Choo Trains (owner Jacob Vass - 2nd win in 2013) - 8th division title - Won 4 League Championships
  • Blame Canada - Stan Division: South Alabama Juggurnauts (owner Christian Zaccaro) - First division win
  • Triple Crown - Yastrzemski Division: Hornsby Cards (owner Michael Quinn - 13th win in 2013) - 5th franchise season - first 4 were all 4th place finishes
  • Triple Crown - Klein Division: Underwater Flying Submarines (owner Jason Kiernan) - New owner - first franchise division title
  • Cleveland Rocks - Boudreau Division: The Flats ! (owner James Doud) - Initial Season
  • Cleveland Rocks - Averill Division: Kentucky Sluggers (owner Tom McGraw) - Initial Season
  • Deuces Wild - Biggio Division: Yellowstone Geysers (owner Jamison Reese - 2nd win in 2013) - Repeat division winner
  • K Street - Sutton Division: Aksarben Bugeaters (owner Don Kruse - 7th win in 2013) - 4 previous division wins - all 4 teams went to finals but has yet to win title
  • Geek Pride - Dorsey Division: Seattle Grunge (owner Philip Dang - 3rd win in 2013) - Initial season
  • Geek Pride - Berners-Lee Division: Mt. Airy Diplomats (Micah Bustard) - Initial season
  • Blue and Gray - Jackson Division: Charleston Cannon Fodder (owner Jerry King) - 5th division title - League champ in 2009
  • Superman - Brandon Routh Division: Dodge City Oracle (owner Brad Matthews) - 99 losses in 2012 - new owner takes division title

9/22/13

• Division Champions from September 22 games: (See standings for all leagues)
  • Perfect World - David Cone Division: Arkansas Hogs (owner Michael Quinn - 11th win in 2013) - Return to playoffs after division wins in 2010-11
  • Beatleball - Lennon Division: Rome Gladiators (owner Danny Zaccaro - 3rd win in 2013) - Defending League Champion
  • Firemen - Smith Division: Mammoth Grizzlies (owner Michael Quinn - 12th win in 2013) - New owner - team finished 4th in 2012
  • Firemen - Wagner Division: Reggae Boys (owner Ricardo Alexander - 3rd win in 2013) - Finished 3rd last year in league's first season
  • Firemen - Eckersley Division: Axacan Lost Spaniards (owner Robert Elias - 6th win in 2013) - New owner - team was 3rd last season
  • Reality Bites - Amazing Race Division: Detroit Realists (owner Mike Prohaska - 4th win in 2013) - Second division win - last was in 2010
  • Three of a Kind - Speaker Division: Hudson River 3-Eyed Fish (owner Tom Twomey - 15th win in 2013) - 5th division win in league's 6th season; League champ '08
  • Golden Throat - Ernie Harwell Division: Massapequa Chiefs (owner Vito Selvaggi) -3rd straight title; League champ in 2011
  • Murderers' Row - Big Donkey Division: Mayan Shamans (owner Kevin Connors - 3rd win in 2013) - First win after 2 straight 2nd place finishes
  • Commissioners - Frick Division: Cincinnati The dl2 (owner Michael Horvitz) - First title in franchise history
  • They Might Be Giants - Marichal Division: Edgewater Underwear Thieves (owner Tom Twomey - 16th win in 2013) - Division winner in league's first season last year
  • They Might Be Giants - Terry Division: Istanbul not Constantinople (owner Adam Wilson) - 4th place in 2012 to Division Champ in 2013
  • Geek Pride - Tomlinson Division: Phantastic Phenoms (owner David Henning - 2nd win in 2013) - Initial season
  • Batman - Keaton Division: Infinity Island Shadows (owner Robert Elias - 7th win in 2013) - New owner - closest team finish had been 22 GB in 2012
  • Batman - Clooney Division: Gotham City Knights (owner Jon Swanson - 2nd win in 2013) - Repeat division winner
  • Superman - Dean Cain Division: Morristown Feelin Friskies (owner Jamison Reese) - 4th place finish last year in league's first season

9/20/13

• Division Champions from September 19 games: (See standings for all leagues)
  • Shadowball - Pittsburgh Crawfords Division: Jersey City Dirty Bombs (owner Tom Twomey - 12th win in 2013) - 5th division win - first since 2009
  • Fenway Fenatics - Boggs Division: Hawaiian Surfer Dudes (owner Andrew Lehman - 2nd win in 2013) - Won division in 2011 too
  • Chevy Chase - Clark W. Griswold, Jr. Division: Bath County Black Sheep (owner Tom Twomey - 13th win in 2013) - Defending league champ - 4th straight division title
  • Perfect World - David Wells Division: Mississippi Mudjackers (owner Gregory Mills) - First title after three straight 3rd place finishes
  • Beer - Water Division: Foster's Cardinals (owner Michael Quinn - 6th win in 2013) - New owner - first division win for franchise
  • Beatleball - Starr Division: Underground Cardinals (owner Michael Quinn - 7th win in 2013) - Won division and conference last year
  • Reality Bites - Fear Factor Division: Minneapolis Coonhounds (owner Jon Swanson) - Second division win - last was in 2010
  • Kings of Queens - Koosman Division: Greek Gods (owner Roland Dupont) - Best finish had been 2nd last season
  • Four Star - Patton Division: Miami County Mercenaries (owner David Henning) - New owner turns around 95-loss team from last year. 2011 League champion
  • Four Star - MacArthur Division: Men Injecting Men 2 Still Roided Up (owner Christian Ingram - 2nd win in 2013) - Defending conference champ
  • Three of a Kind - Wagner Division: Kansas City Crusaders (owner Matt Strawbridge) - Repeat division winner
  • Three of a Kind - Beckley Division: Death Valley Chubascos (owner Allan Hodgson) - Conference champion in 2009
  • Federal - Brooklyn Tip-Tops Division: Del Mar Longshots (owner Ken DeGroot - 2nd win in 2013) - 3rd place last season in league's first year
  • Federal - Buffalo Buffeds Division: Buffalo Wings over America (owner Michael Lehman - 4th win in 2013) - Defending division champ
  • Motor City - Horton Division: Gratiot Cards (owner Michael Quinn - 8th win in 2013) - Initial Season
  • Motor City - Greenberg Division: Detroit 8 Milers (owner Mike Prohaska - 3rd win in 2013) - Initial Season
  • Longball - Robinson Division: Trinidad Island Vikings (owner Leif Jonson) - Defending league champ. 2008 BW Bash champ; 6th division win
  • Cleveland Rocks - Harder Division: Toledo Torpedoes (owner Tom Twomey - 14th win in 2013) - Initial Season
  • Phightin' Phils - Alexander Division: Hannibal Cannibals (owner Michael Lehman - 5th win in 2013) - Repeat division winner
  • K Street - Seaver Division: Wayne Mad Generals (owner Robert Elias - 5th win in 2013) - First division title in 9 years of league. Had finished 2nd 3 times
  • Bleed Dodger Blue - Sutton Division: South Hills California Elite (owner Michael Quinn - 9th win in 2013) - Repeat win for division - won League title in 2009
  • Batman - Kilmer Division: Brinkley CP Bulldogs (owner Michael Quinn - 11th win in 2013) - Defending league champ - only team to win this division in 4 years of league
  • Batman - Bale Division: KC Sporting Quadricorns (owner Michael Walker) - Won conference in 2012
  • Pacific Northwest - Huskies Division: Kingston Don Dadda (owner Ricardo Alexander - 2nd win in 2013) - Initial season
  • Pacific Northwest - Cougars Division: North By Northwest Crop Dusters (owner Danny Zaccaro - 2nd win in 2013) - Initial season

9/18/13

• Week 25 Transactions Posted - Week 26 Deadline - Setting your lineups for the first week of the playoffs - is Saturday September 28 at Noon Eastern.
• Division Champions from September 17 games: (See standings for all leagues)
  • Fenway Fenatics - Cronin Division: Utopia Unibrows (owner Tom Twomey - 7th win in 2013) - 3rd Division win - Defending league champ
  • Chevy Chase - Emmit Fitz-Hume Division: Quahog Drunken Clams (owner Don Kruse- 3rd win in 2013) - Returns to the playoffs for the first time since 2008
  • Perfect World - Randy Johnson Division: California Overalls (owner Craig Burke) - First division win
  • Winners Circle - Mathewson Division: Longfellow Public Television Donors (owner Jacob Vass) - Repeat division winner
  • Kings of Queens - Harrelson Division: Dunder Mifflin Sabres (owner Don Kruse - 4th win in 2013) - Three straight division wins - Conference title in 2011
  • Four Star - Bradley Division: NYC2ATL Jr Blackbirds (owner Ricardo Alexander) - Defending league champion
  • Redbirds - Smith Division: Cape Horn Penguins (owner Doug Schnack) - Won division last year too
  • Redbirds - Dean Division: Detroit Thundercats (owner Mike Prohaska - 2nd win in 2013) - Third straight title - Conference champ in 2011
  • Motor City - Newhouser Division: Windsor Wolverines (owner Tom Twomey - 8th win in 2013) - Initial Season
  • Blame Canada - Kyle Division: Windsor Runaway Shania Twains (owner Danny Zaccaro) - Won in 2011 too
  • Golden Throat - Bob Prince Division: St. Louis Browns (owner Michael Quinn - 5th win in 2013) - Franchise's fifth straight title; Won the league in 2010
  • Golden Throat - Jack Buck Division: Blair Bears (owner Don Kruse - 5th win in 2013) - Defending league champ; 5th division title for franchise
  • Experts - Print Division: Men Injecting Men - Fantasy on Roids (owner Christian Ingram) - Previous high finish was 2nd in 2010
  • Experts - Blogs Division: Malta Falcons (owner Sherman Wan - 5th win in 2013) - Took over midseason and won franchise's first title
  • Moneyball - Art Howe Division: Crumpton Roches (owner Jesse Roche - 6th win in 2013) - Initial season
  • Moneyball - Scott Hatteberg Division: Jenks Jerks (owner Tom Twomey - 9th win in 2013) - Initial season
  • Moneyball - David Justice Division: Coco's Crispies (owner Andrew Lehman) - Initial season
  • Triple Crown - Robinson Division: Kylertown Shoeless Joes (owner Aaron Tiracorda) - Defending conference champ
  • Triple Crown - Medwick Division: Boston Lobstahs (owner Michael Travers) - First title; never higher than 3rd before this season
  • Commissioners - Ueberroth Division: Miami Fruitcakes (owner Philip Dang) - 3rd division win - won the Conference in 2010
  • They Might Be Giants - Hubbell Division: Long Island Lightning (owner Philip Dang - 2nd win of 2013) - 4th place and only 45 wins in 2012
  • Minnie & Paul - Oliva Division: Kansas City Monarchs (owner Don Kruse - 6th win in 2013) - Returns to playoffs after 2011 division win
  • Minnie & Paul - Blyleven Division: Tonga Tarantuala Hawks (owner Tom Twomey - 10th win in 2013) - Three straight division wins - Conference title in 2011
  • Superman - George Reeves Division: Minnesota Gophers (owner Jerry Stevens) - Finished 4th last year in league's first season
  • Pacific Northwest - Beavers Division: Bluff Creek Sasquatch Hunters (owner Robert Elias - 4th win in 2013) - Initial season
  • Pacific Northwest - Ducks Division: Sagle Shroomage (owner Tom Twomey - 11th win in 2013) - Initial season

9/16/13

• I thought there was a lineup-setting problem that affected the score of a game and was all set to change the result, but I finally realized the situation and the game score will NOT be modified, although there are some things that could be examined in the future.  I haven't mentioned this in many, many years - so here's a recap:
  • In order to automate setting lineups, some assumptions must be made.  The primary assumption here is that the "best" lineup of available options when choosing between choices that will leave a Benchwarmer Batter is to have the Benchwarmer(s) as low as possible in the lineup - even if it means filling the DH spot with a bench player and leaving a position open (with 2 automatic errors) -- this may be something to change, but the idea here is to have a hole in the bottom of your lineup and not in the 4th or 5th spot.
  • It may happen in some cases that the DH stays at DH and a bench player fills a position spot...again something in the future that may need fixing as it goes against the spirit of moving the DH into a position first.  Still - the more important idea here was to leave open spots in the batting order at the end.
  • There's a huge loop in the lineup-setting process that checks as many possible lineup solutions as we can in filling all the open lineup slots with bench players.  However, that same resetting of the entire lineup DOES NOT happen with callups of taxi squad players and minor leaguers.  We use the best available lineup after checking all the bench players - and then if there are any remaining holes in the lineup, we try to fill those specific openings - we don't try to rearrange all the previously-placed bench players as well. (We're literally just trying to fill any remaining holes, not redo the entire lineup).
  • This may leave some Benchwarmers in place if a minor-leaguer can't fill a specific open position.
  • It's not perfect - it might be fixed in the future - but it's worked that way since the September callup rule was added in 2006 and the lineup-setting process was automated in 2003.

9/15/13

• Division Champions from September 12 games: (See standings for all leagues)
  • Shadowball - Birmingham Black Barons Division: Tombstone Gun Fighters (owner Robert Elias - 2nd win in 2013) - 7th division win - still looking for first league title
  • Bronx Bombers - Gehrig Division: Go Richmond Spiders! (owner Jesse Roche - 5th win in 2013) - 2-time defending league champion
  • Bronx Bombers - DiMaggio Division: Zephyr Cove Zombies (owner Michael Lehman) - Repeat division winner
  • Beer - Malt Division: Canadian Moosehead (owner Mike Cerny) - New owner - 3rd division crown for franchise
  • Beatleball - Harrison Division: Margaritaville Parrotheads (owner Tom Twomey - 4th win in 2013) - Repeat win in the division; League champ in 2010
  • Reality Bites - American Idol Division: Parkville Dorados (owner Michael Gaston) - After 4 2nd place finishes in 6 seasons, makes playoffs for the first time
  • Kings of Queens - Hernandez Division: Little Neck Cards (owner Michael Quinn - 3rd win in 2013) - New owner - team won division in 2010
  • Three of a Kind - Connor Division: Damien Boys of Summer (owner Michael Quinn - 4th win in 2013) - 3rd title - League champ in 2009
  • Federal - Baltimore Terrapins Division: Devil's Den Sharpshooters (owner Robert Elias - 3rd win in 2013) - Defending league champion
  • Longball - Killebrew Division: San Marcos Speed Sloths (owner Tom Twomey - 5th win in 2013) - Followed up 2012 Conference title with 4th trip to playoffs
  • Blame Canada - Eric Division: Mogadishu Pirates (owner J.C. Freeman) - First division win
  • Deuces Wild - Musial Division: Washington Insiders (owner Don Kruse - 2nd win in 2013) - 3rd division title; Conference champ in 2012
  • Deuces Wild - Brett Division: Savannah Engineers (owner Willis Lee) - Returned to playoffs after 2011 division win
  • Murderers' Row - Big Poison Division: Fordham Flashes (owner Dave Regan) - Surprisingly took Regan 4 years to win his first division crown here
  • Commissioners - Chandler Division: Detroit Pizza Pizzas (owner Mike Prohaska) - 5 years, 5 division wins - plus League champ in 2011 & 2012
  • Commissioners - Giamatti Division: South Park Butters (owner Tom Twomey - 6th win in 2013) - Also 5 years, 5 titles - looking for first league crown
  • They Might Be Giants - Ott Division: San Jose Usurpers (owner Michael Lehman - 2nd win of 2013) - Won conference in 2012
  • Minnie & Paul - Carew Division: Old Hickory Longshots (owner Ken DeGroot) - 3rd time in playoffs - won the league in 2011
  • Blue and Gray - Sherman Division: Vicksburg Siege (owner Michael Lehman - 3rd win of 2013) - 1 game out in 2012 - wins first division title in 2013.

9/12/13

• There are no free agent signings this week. Week 25 Transactions are only cuts and IR moves.

9/11/13

• Division Champions from September 8 games: (See standings for all leagues)
  • Hall of Fame - Cooperstown Division: Oaxaca Revolution (owner Sherman Wan - 2nd win in 2013) - 7th Division Title, first since 2010. League Champ 2008-09
  • Fenway Fenatics - Doerr Division: Giza Resistance (owner Kevin Connors - 2nd win in 2013) - First-year owner - League Champion in 2011
  • Chevy Chase - Fletch F. Fletch Division: Santa Ana Ball Bearings (owner Brian McGettigan) - 2nd playoff appearance - defending Conference champ
  • Beer League - Yeast Division: The Natty Lights (owner Jesse Roche - 2nd win in 2013) - 4th straight division win - defending League Champ
  • Winners Circle - Galvin Division: Crumpton Roches (owner Jesse Roche - 3rd win in 2013) - Defending League Champion
  • Beatleball - McCartney Division: London Groove Armada (owner Sherman Wan - 3rd win in 2013) - 3rd consecutive title - League champ in '11 and '06
  • Redbirds - Slaughter Division: Montara PacSox (owner Sherman Wan - 4th win in 2013) - Defending League Champ - 3rd straight division win
  • Longball - Mays Division: Mudville Nine (owner Rob Behymer) - 4th trip to playoffs, first since 2010
  • Experts - Airwaves Division: Crumpton Roches (owner Jesse Roche - 4th win in 2013) - 3rd straight win - 4th overall - has yet to advance to finals
  • Moneyball - Ron Washington Division: Mudville Nine (owner Michael Quinn) - Initial season
  • Phightin' Phils - Ashburn Division: Kalas City Broadcasters (owner Robert Elias) - 3rd consecutive division win
  • Minnie & Paul - Viola Division: Minneapolis Millers (owner Michael Quinn - 2nd win in 2013) - Defending league champ; 3rd division title

9/9/13

• Late on this (I'll spare you the technical issues I've had over the last few weeks), but here's a new page: A listing of all the transactions for your team all season on one page.

9/5/13

• This is the final week (Week 24) to sign free agents. Week 25 Transactions are only cuts and IR moves.

9/3/13

• Orphan Clearance - $5 gets you a free team in 2014 - two left: $30 price reduced to $5 for the remainder of 2013 plus you get that team for free in 2014 if you keep it.  Free team does not apply to orphans picked up on Season Ticket plans.  See the list of available orphan teams and let me know your choice.  You'll be locking up a team with waiver priority for late-season call-ups and prime position for this winter's Redistribution Draft.

9/2/13

• Reminder: Roster expansion for "callups" occurs in Week 23-25 to allow your taxi squad and minor league players to contribute to game action.
• The Second Set of Division Champions from August 26-September 2: (See standings for all leagues)
  • Firemen - Franco Division: Smoke on the Water (owner Sherman Wan) - New owner turned around 105-loss team from 2012
  • Kings of Queens - McGraw Division: Woodside Dingos (owner Tom Twomey - 2nd win in 2013) - 4th consecutive division title - Leauge champion in 2011
  • Golden Throat - Haray Carey Division: Newport News Aliens & Predators (owner Tom Twomey - 3rd win in 2013) - Defending league champ; 5th division title for franchise
  • Murderers' Row - Big Ed Division: Crumpton Roches (owner Jesse Roche) - League champion and Benchwarmer Bash winner in 2011
  • Phightin' Phils - Klein Division: Backwoods Sasquatch (owner Kevin Connors) - Division champ 2011; Conference champ 2012; do they get to League champ this year?
  • Bleed Dodger Blue - Reese Division: Aksarben Krusaders (owner Don Kruse) - Missed playoffs in 2012 after two straight division wins

8/30/13

• Trades are finished for the season.

8/26/13

• Reminder - Trade Deadline this Wednesday
• Roster expansion for "callups" occurs in Week 23-25 to allow your taxi squad and minor league players to contribute to game action.  It won't count yet in Week 22, but you can begin to put your players into order now in the lineup change form.

8/25/13

• Things to know headed into the final 5 weeks of the season - the postseason - and prepping for 2014.
• Our first Division Champion:
  • Beer League - Hops Division: Kingfisher Ale Slammers (owner Tom Twomey) - Repeat division winner from 2012 - League champ in 2011.

8/22/13

• This is the final week for trades (due 8/28).

8/20/13

• Don't Forget: Transaction deadline switches to Wednesday this week.
• Orphan Clearance - Final Call: $30 price now reduced to $5 for the remainder of the season plus you get that team for free in 2014 if you keep it.  Free team does not apply to orphans picked up on Season Ticket plans.  See the list of available orphan teams and let me know your choice.  All out of contention, but you could be locking up a team with waiver priority for late-season call-ups who get added to the player list and prime position for this winter's Redistribution Draft.

8/15/13

• You have two more weeks left to complete trades.

8/3/13

• We hit the 2/3 mark of the regular season with Game 100

7/23/13

• REMINDER - This is the FINAL week for contract extensions during the 2013 regular season.
• Contract extensions -  due Friday 7/26 7 PM Eastern.
  • You must have all the cash on hand to sign a contract.  You already have the extra 1000 in cash given to all teams at the end of July.  The cash you have on hand is all that you have to sign contracts.
  • You're doing this to save money on 2014 salaries - not to pick which players you want to keep next season.  Cash balances do not get reduced until April 2014 next spring - this is NOT a "use it or lose it" situation for your cash!
  • Rules for Contract Extensions and Discussion about extensions in old blog entries.
  • Some examples of good contract signings in 2011 and bad contract signings.  Look for some 2012 examples later this week.

7/22/13

• Orphan Blowout: Down to a handful of orphans.  The $30 regular price is now just $10 for the final 10 weeks of the season plus you get that team for free in 2014 if you keep it.  Free team does not apply to orphans picked up on Season Ticket plans.  See the list of available orphan teams and let me know your choice.

7/20/13

• To make signing contracts easier - we distributed the extra 1000 cash for all teams THIS week instead of next week.
• We're still supposed to be on Thursday transactions, but with the 1-day extension for Week 15, my inability to get transactions done on Friday night, and the big All Star break, we can postpone the deadline an additional day - this will give you a bit of extra time in finalizing your contract extensions.
• As a first round choice who did not sign, Phil Bickford (Toronto draftee) will be removed from the player list once he's off all rosters or at the end of the season, whichever occurs first.  No need to waste a roster spot on him...

7/11/13

• Reminder - this is the FINAL WEEK to get salary rebates for cut players.  Deadline Friday
• Also...just a quick reminder with all the trades going on - you do NOT get any transaction/roster limit warnings for trades - too many moving parts.  You have to keep track of that yourself - make sure you're looking at your 40-man limit plus the limits on players over salary 250.

7/6/13

• Note - this is the FINAL WEEK to get salary rebates for cut players.

7/3/13

• With Game 75 we've hit the halfway point of the 2013 regular season

6/17/13

• Continuous, but sometimes slow, improvements: It was getting pretty clear that I could no longer do the "Team History" section of the team rosters manually, so I stopped the 2012 season updates and started making changes to allow an automatic lookup.  That's now ready and all 32 leagues that existed in 2012 are now updated - and in the future this should be posted and updated in November.
• In a similar way, other pages will be converted from manual creation to database lookups - hopefully soon: League History and League Records, neither of which I've had time to get done for the last several years.

6/16/13

• First round draft picks for 2013 are now in the player list.  If the players do not sign a contract, they are removed from the game (you don't get to keep them for the next draft).
• Your first chance to sign the new draft picks is this week with deadline of Friday at noon Eastern.  The transaction order for this week should be set and posted by Wednesday night.

6/12/13

• New orphans...old orphans...it's time to start Orphan Blowout: $30 price now reduced to $15 for 2/3 of the season plus you get that team for free in 2014 if you keep it.  Free team does not apply to orphans picked up on Season Ticket plans.  See the list of available orphan teams and let me know your choice.

6/8/13

• First round draft picks:  The players will show up on the BWB Player List after the Week Eleven transactions post.  Your first chance to sign them will be Week Twelve (deadline Friday June 21 - you'll have June 15 through noon on June 21 to submit your picks).  The standings after Week 10 will determine the transaction order for that week.
• Last call for payment - Payment was officially due Week 1.  Check out the team payment summary to verify your status.  I've also sent out notices to the few teams still unpaid.  Teams not paid by Saturday June 8 at noon Eastern will lose your team.  If you know you're dropping out, let me know so that we can orphan your team before that.

5/26/13

• All teams received an extra million in cash for the May distribution (another one comes at the end of June and end of July).

5/6/13

• Still not paid yet? - Payment was officially due on the Week 1 deadline.  Head to the team payment summary to figure it out.  This will include information on how to pay via PayPal/credit card (preferred) or by check.  Teams not yet paid are now subject to blocked lineup changes in addition to transaction restrictions.  Teams not paid by Week 10 (June 8) will lose their teams.  If you know you're dropping out, let me know so that we can orphan your team...

4/25/13

• Blog posting coming soon (sometime Saturday-Sunday) with further discussion about when starts count in the pitching queue.  But in a short statement, you should be safe to add any pitchers you picked up in the Week 3 transactions to your rotation in Week 4 and get credit for starts.  Pitchers that you're moving from spot, taxi, or minors to the starting rotation in Week 4 will not get credit for any starts before the week's deadline (Sunday April 28).

4/20/13

• Not paid yet? - Payment was officially due on the Week 1 deadline.  Head to the team payment summary to figure it out.  This will include information on how to pay via PayPal/credit card (preferred) or by check.  Teams not yet paid are now subject to transaction restrictions.
• New multiteam tool!  This already existed on a single team basis - the ability to clear out your entire transaction list or clear out any incomplete transactions (no round listed, no transaction type, etc.).  NOW, you can clear transactions for all your teams with a single click (OK, sometimes 2 clicks).  See transactions for all your teams as a starting point.

4/19/13

• Reminder on the 2013 rule change - as you switch pitchers from Spot roles to the regular rotation, you are "resetting" their start queue.  Any queued start remaining from their time as a spot starter is dropped.  Pitchers coming into the queue (including those moving from spot to rotation) will not have any starts count before that week's lineup deadline.  This is to cut down on the potential for "streaming" in pitching performances that you already know occurred.
• Are you having a problem with the BWB site "logging you out" periodically (maybe even often)?  Are you using Chrome as a browser?  I use Firefox and IE regularly with the site and don't experience any similar problem - but a couple people have reported the problem and both were using Chrome.  I'll start checking into it but if you've also had it happen and found a workaround/fix, let me know.

4/7/13

• Reminder that Week One lineups are due Monday April 8 at Noon Eastern.
• Payment information - Payment is officially due on the Week 1 deadline.  Head to the team payment summary to figure it out.  This will include information on how to pay via PayPal/credit card (preferred) or by check.  Teams not paid by Week 2 will start to have transaction restrictions.

4/4/13

• Note on the rule changes posted for when player stats start counting: The rule change about setting the date for the lineup and pitchers for stats to begin will be put off for 2013 based on some implementation concerns and some worries about unintended consequences.  The rule regarding clearing the start queue for pitchers moving from spot starter to the main rotation will remain (I think this will actually take care of most of the worry about streaming in known pitching performances).  The display of start dates for stats on the team roster page and lineup change page will be removed in the next couple of days.

4/2/13

• All transaction/lineup deadlines throughout the season are moving back 9 hours.  The weekly deadlines will now be at NOON EASTERN on the listed date.  There used to be a time when the deadlines were midnight Eastern that I could run transactions, etc. the same night.  With the move to 3 hours later, that was typically not possible - and this now allows people morning adjustments and still have a deadline before that next day's games.
• Meanwhile, the 2013 schedule is on the web.

3/31/13

• Due Noon EDT on Monday April 1 - Week Zero Transactions - check the schedule page for more details as well as the rules for "inactive owners" (if your roster does not reach minimum levels by the end of this week, you've been inactive this pre-season).  Things to consider:
  • You must have a legal roster after this week's transactions.
  • Salary rebate for cut players goes up to 80%.
  • Cash balances for returning leagues (not newly drafted ones) must be at or below 5000 after this week's transactions (including salary rebates...so be careful if you're cutting guys or trading them away this week).  Balances above 5000 will be reduced to that level.
  • All teams will then get 2000 in Opening Day cash...in a little loophole in the calculation, you can actually count on that 2000 to use for transactions this week if you're short on cash.
  • No new players added yet - see the home page note below on 3/27.
  • Transaction order will be reset to the reverse of 2012 standings (or team total salary for new leagues) for the Week One transactions (due April 6).
  • You don't have to have a lineup set until April 6, but it doesn't hurt to start setting it now.
  • This is a 2009 posting, so ignore the dates and the specific names of new leagues, but here is some additional discussion about Week Zero in the Benchwarmer Blog

3/27/13

• Welcome to Benchwarmer Baseball - It's a different form of fantasy baseball as we play individual head-to-head games simulated from daily MLB stats - this isn't a Rotisserie game.
  • This is fantasy baseball 365 days a year.  Teams are putting finishing roster touches to get ready for the 2013 season.
  • Check out the Benchwarmer Baseball Tour for an introduction.
  • We are not drafting any additional new leagues in 2013 - But, would you like to attempt to turn around a struggling team?, these orphan teams are still available...pick up an existing team and rebuild it, rather than start from scratch.
  • Want to sign up for an orphan team in 2013?  If you're new to BWB, you can sign up here.  Existing BWB owners can pick up brand new extra teams.
• Some notes about new players...
  • After the addition of guys on 40-man rosters in December/January, the next time we add players is when they appear in a regular season MLB game.
  • Players are added to the list only at the time we process weekly transactions, so that all teams have an equal opportunity and at least 4-5 days to see that players have been added.
  • Our Week Zero deadline is Mon April 1 and Week One (when BWB Opening Day lineups are due) is Sat. April 6.  Expect that the Week Zero transactions will get posted on the night of April 1.
  • We process stats every few days - and with only 1 game on March 31, I don't expect to really do any stats on April 1 prior to posting the Week Zero transactions.  So the first time that any new players will show up will be the following week.  Any players who appear in MLB games for the first time on or before April 6 will get added to the player list in time for the Week Two transactions (deadline 4/13).  If they do not appear by that time, then they'll likely be available for the Week Three submission (due 4/20).
  • Week 1 & 2 transaction order is in reverse order of 2012 standings - the same as was the case for the Redistribution Draft (new leagues are in reverse order of total team salary after Week Zero).  Starting with Week 3 we look at 2013 win-loss records to set the order.

3/26/13

• Geek Pride League Phase Two, Part Three Draft completed and posted. Rosters, cash balances, and free agent list now reflect the results.  See the Geek Pride Draft Central for details.  Draft is complete!  Your league now enters weekly transactions starting with this week (April 1 deadline).

3/25/13

• Moneyball League Phase Two, Part Three Draft completed and posted. Rosters, cash balances, and free agent list now reflect the results.  See the Moneyball Draft Central for details. Draft is complete!  Your league now enters weekly transactions starting with this week (April 1 deadline).

3/23/13

• Rules Changes/Process Changes
  • We're going to do some things to tighten up moving players in and out of the lineup (the primary focus being starting pitchers) so that we reduce the effects of knowing the MLB results and adjusting your BWB roster.  See the rule change and discussion on the Benchwarmer Blog
  • Kind of fits in with my preference, but the early comments were all for keeping a maximum of 4 pickups per week and not increasing the number or making them unlimited.  No change anticipated here, but comments are still open.
• Good luck to BWB Experts League participant Scott Swanay today in Tout Wars mixed league auction.
• Lots of site/page changes today, so running behind on the transactions and draft processing - will try to get as much done as possible tonight.

3/22/13

• See the Benchwarmer Blog for notes on rule changes in general and a specific rule change proposal open for comment - Should BWB allow more than 4 rounds of picks each week for transactions?
• Reminders: Geek Pride League draft picks due tonight (Friday) - Moneyball League picks due Saturday night.
• Thinking ahead: Friday night is the deadline for Week minus One transactions.  Check out the schedule/deadline page for some planning about what you need to do for Week Zero and Week One.  Lineups are due Week 1, but there's a one-week lag between picking up a player and using him.  So if you need to fill spots for Opening Day, you need to pick them up by April 1.

3/19/13

• Motor City League Phase Two, Part Three Draft completed and posted. Rosters, cash balances, and free agent list now reflect the results.  See the Motor City Draft Central for details. Draft is complete!  Your league now enters weekly transactions starting with this week (Friday deadline).
• Benchwarmer Baseball welcomes the newest team owners to the Experts League - Please check out their sites:
  • David Temple from the podcast Stealing Home
  • Kyle Ratke from LeagueSafe Post
  • Brian Dorsey from Rotoballs

3/18/13

• We're done with signups for new 2013 leagues, but if you'd like to attempt to turn around a struggling team, these orphan teams are available...pick up an existing team and rebuild it, rather than start from scratch.

3/16/13

• Cleveland Rocks League Phase Two, Part Three Draft completed and posted. Rosters, cash balances, and free agent list now reflect the results.  See the Cleveland Rocks Draft Central for details. Draft is complete!  Your league now enters weekly transactions starting with this week (Friday deadline).

3/15/13

• Are you new to Benchwarmer Baseball?  Want some more expansive explanation of the rules and processes?  The Benchwarmer Blog has some help for you.  The examples and some details like dates may be a bit dated, but the concepts are the same.  Any conflicts in rules are settled by rules here on the main website - contact me with any questions.
  • Did you take over an Orphan Team for 2013?  You've landed in a league where most or all of the other owners already know what's going on.  Here are a series of postings from the Benchwarmer Blog to fill you in on some of the things you need to know - it's called Orphan School
  • The Orphan School posts included this link too - and this is appropriate for people in new leagues too - it's the BWB Primer.

3/10/13

• Pacific Northwest League: Phase Two Draft - Part Four completed and posted.  Rosters, cash balances, and free agent list now reflects the results. See the Pacific Northwest Draft Central - Draft is complete!  Your league now enters weekly transactions starting with this week (Friday deadline).

3/7/13

• This link is always found on the Help Page: As you're putting together your 2013 roster, particularly if you're new to BWB you might want to check out the sample scoring page that allows you to play around with a batting order and see how it can affect your offensive score for a game.
• If you're new (or as a reminder to returning players) - a move to injured reserve (IR) is permanent for the entire 2013 season.  You will not be able to activate that player again (he can only get back on an active roster if he is cut or traded).

3/5/13

• Payment information - If you're a returning owner from 2012, you don't need to pay for teams until April 1 - but now's the time to take care of that.  If you're new in 2013, you'll need to pay for your teams before joining leagues.  Either way, head to the team payment summary to figure it out.  This will include information on how to pay via PayPal/credit card (preferred) or by check.

2/25/13

• Contract extensions are now open.  The strong suggestion is unless you need to get your cash balance to 5000 or below by April 1 that there is no rush and great risk to do these now.  You have until the end of July to complete multiyear contracts.

2/3/13

• Redistribution Results Index Draft complete - Rosters updated with new players
• Free agency and trades are open.  This week's deadline is Friday night Feb 9 at midnight Pacific.  Transaction order for this week is the same as for the Redistribution Draft.

1/17/13

• Quick web hint: if you've got multiple teams and you're ever in a situation where you can't seem to switch from team to team (the "Switch Leagues" and "Multiteam Tools" links are gone), just click Leagues at the top of any page and you'll get to the right spot.  I think there's something in the code on roster pages during Redistribution Draft time that doesn't save the status correctly...this seems to happen more this time of year.