Rule Changes for 2006

Extra Cash for Teams*

Benchwarmer Baseball will provide an additional 3 million dollars in cash to teams over the course of the 2006 season.  Each team will continue to receive 2 million Benchwarmer Bucks just before Week 1.  The new distribution will not mess up strategies or "bail out" teams with low cash balances.  Instead, each team will receive an extra distribution of 1 million BW Bucks during the last transaction weeks in May, June, and July.

Financial Penalties and Compensation*

Benchwarmer Baseball reserves the right to fine teams in Benchwarmer Bucks for actions not in the interest or spirit of the game.  In addition BWB may set up, in advance, team penalties for rules infractions, such as roster problems or missing deadlines.  At this time, there is no intention to use either of these options, but simply to code it into the rules.

More likely, however, the league may provide teams with financial compensation in certain situations.  From time to time, the league office will make mistakes and, if caught soon enough, will reverse the mistake.  However, it may occur that too many subsequent actions have taken place for reversals to be handled easily or without disrupting other teams (for example, a mistake in transaction order that is not caught until many later selections are affected).  In that case, the league may provide Benchwarmer Bucks back to the team in an effort to provide a good-faith effort at compensation.

Transaction Order*

Current Process

1. Team with the lowest winning percentage at the end of the previous week
2. Team with the lowest place standing in its division at the end of the previous week
3. Team the most games behind the leader of its division at the end of the previous week
4. Team the fewest games ahead of the team directly behind it in the division standings*
5. Team the most games behind the team directly in front of it in the division standings*
6. Team with the worse head-to-head record (2-way ties only)
7. Team with the most money remaining at the end of the previous week
8. Coin flip (Commissioner's team always loses coin flip)

New Process in 2006

1. Team with the lowest winning percentage at the end of the previous week
2. Team with the lowest place standing in its division at the end of the previous week
3. Team the most games behind the leader of its division at the end of the previous week
4. Team the fewest games ahead of the team directly behind it in the division standings*
5. Team the most games behind the team directly in front of it in the division standings*
6. Team with the worse head-to-head record (2-way ties only)
7. NEW - Team with the worse division record.  (Only when the teams are in the same division).
8. NEW - Team with the worse conference record (Only when the teams are in the same conference).
9. NEW - Team with the worse record in the last 10 games.
10. Team with the most money remaining at the end of the previous week
11. Coin flip (Commissioner's team always loses coin flip)

* Note: If tied with another team, the value of this is "0"

Basically, we're trying to reduce the use of cash balances to figure out the transaction order.

As a point of clarification (this is the way it's always been done), if more than two teams are tied, as we go down the list and are able to pull out a team as the first team to pick, we then go back to the beginning to see about the other teams.  For example, if we need to go to Conference record to pull out the first team among a three-way tie, then it's still possible for head-to-head records to determine the remaining two teams' positions.

Transaction Order for New Leagues - First 2 Weeks*

In returning leagues, for the first two weeks of the season, teams pick in the same order as they did for the Redistribution Draft, based on their finish in the previous season.  For new leagues, there is no such history, so teams will pick in order of total team salary, using it as a basic mark of initial team strength.  This will be reordered between Weeks 1 and 2.

Note: in a clarification from 2005, now that there are off-season rebates for player cuts that new teams might already have conducted, this is based on total team salary, not total cash available. (There's a slight distinction)

Injured Reserve*

Through the years, I've often been asked about having a disabled list.  Well, we don't call it that, but that's essentially what the "Taxi Squad" is (borrowing terminology from the NFL though that's probably 20 years old and they don't call it that anymore).  But it's actually better than a disabled list, because you don't have to be hurt to be put on it.

Anyway, beginning in 2006, we add a new roster designation - Injured Reserve (IR).  And, like the taxi squad, the player does not have to be injured to be put on it.  However, again borrowing from the NFL, when you put a player on IR, he is done for the season.

Beginning with Week One transactions (in this year, at least, it will not be available during Spring Training), you may place one player on IR.  There is no cost associated with this move, and once you do that, his roster spot becomes open for another player - so, in a sense, the maximum roster size goes from 40 to 41.  But, the only option you have for that player the rest of the season is to keep him on IR or cut him.  He cannot be placed back on your active roster - including for the playoffs.

If the player is cut and goes back into the free agent pool, and another team signs him, he can be made active - we're not going to track it that far.  I'm still deciding if a player can be traded while on IR and if he can become active on the new team...

This change allows you to hang on to a player who suffers a season-ending injury early in the season and maintain some roster flexibility with your taxi squad positions.  Keep in mind, one of the "benefits" of cutting a player in this situation, particularly early in the season, is to get a pro-rated salary rebate.  Putting a player on IR will not do that for you.

In 2006, this will be limited to one player, as the rule is in kind of an experimental phase.  BWB still likes to see teams have to make some difficult choices on rosters which from time to time puts some premium players back into the free agent pool (where another team might be in a better position to hold on to an injured player and build for the future).  If you already have a player on IR, and want to put another player there, you're going to have to decide to cut one of them.

Early Payment Discount*

This has been modified from $10 to $5, at least for 2006 (primarily because BWB is opening the payment process much later than normal and the benefit for getting the cash sooner has been reduced).  This may revert back in 2007.

September Call Ups*

Through the years, this is another request that has come in several times.  And now I think I can make this work.  During the final three weeks of the season, Benchwarmer weeks 23-25, taxi squad players and minor league players will become eligible to fill holes in game lineups - whether as players in the field or an emergency starting pitcher or coming out of the bullpen.

Following the normal lineup process, if there are any holes in a team's lineup, the taxi squad will be checked to see if there are any eligible game performances to fill in.  Following that, if any spots are still open, the minor league roster will be checked.

This is slightly subject to cancellation, depending on whether or not it actually works as an addition to the current program that fills the lineups.  At this time, there is no plan to have teams begin ranking the extra players, so if more than one minor league player is eligible, it may be a matter of random luck on which one actually fills in.

Since the last three weeks are 18 games played within your division, this should help reduce the number of Benchwarmers and Pinesitters that appear in crucial games (and we've had several pennant races come down to the last game - and even beyond), giving you a chance to settle it "on the field."

League Placement for New Teams made after payment*

There is no change to the payment deadline for returning teams.  You must have paid your BWB fee by Opening Day or you face some restrictions on your lineup and roster moves.  However, as we continue to grow, I want to head off a potential problem before it grows out of hand: Someone signs up at BWB and I assign him or her to a league.  Perhaps the new owner drafts a team and then vanishes during Phase Two, or during Spring Training, or right after the season starts, or maybe doesn't come back to the web site ever again.  We're kind of stuck when we have to track down this person - particularly if we're still trying to get draft lists or Opening Day lineups done.

It's been our policy before to hold new owners to the same standard - pay by Opening Day.  However, beginning in 2006, we will no longer place a new team in a league until it is paid in full.  Changes to the signup mechanism will now allow new players to set up their team information and begin assembling a draft list, but they won't actually draft until paid.  This will prevent situations as in Spring 2005 where I'm trying to track down payment or even involvement from some new people by April.  It will hopefully weed out people early who aren't committed at least to the first few months in getting a team going.  And, ideally, it will make the process much more satisfying for other owners in the league as we hope to cut down on situations where we're waiting for one or two people during the draft process.

Exceptions:

1. Existing owners establishing new teams will be placed immediately.  However, any lineup/roster restrictions for non-payment will apply to all the owner's teams until the account is current.
2. When people are joining Benchwarmer Baseball at the recommendation of others - to be in the same league - they will be placed immediately.