League Finances and Entry Fees
Group Pricing
As a point of clarification, League packages do not get an extra
free team for the league champion (the package price includes 6 free
teams). However, Conference or Division packages will get a small
discount for league championship teams. A conference package will
receive a $10 discount if the league champion comes from that
conference and a division package will receive a $20 discount for
any league champs. If any prize winners from the Benchwarmer Bash
come from a package, whether it is league, conference, or division,
that package will receive a $30 discount for the seasons covered by
Bash prizes.
Postseason
Game Selection – Benchwarmer Bash
This was actually instituted for the 2007 Bash and will become
official. The standard way to handle game selection and pitching
performances during the Bash is to reset the process every two weeks
(to mirror the normal BWB postseason). If the Bash format requires
an odd number of weeks, the first set of games/pitching performances
(or a later round that involves byes) will be reset after 3 weeks
instead of two. This will, in a sense, give a slight potential
advantage to teams that earn byes.
Game Selection/Scoring – Relief Performances
Relief appearances will use the 6-game span ending with the same
game used for hitters. This is actually the written rule, but in a
scoring glitch discovered during 2007, it has been done incorrectly
for years. This will be fixed for the 2008 playoffs.
Lineups
Note on Switching Positions - Emphasis in 2008
This is not a rule change, but a point of emphasis.
This is just the way things work… In order to account for any holes
in your lineup, only players in the DH role or in the bench slots
can be considered for multiple positions when attempting to fill all
open spots. If you have a player listed as a starter at 3B, but he
is also eligible to play 1B, he will NOT be considered to fill in at
1B even if no one else in your lineup can play there and you have an
eligible player for 3B on your bench. Thus, one piece of lineup
strategy is often to use players who can play multiple positions at
DH, unless you have fielding considerations to put another player at
DH.
Mapping MLB Games to BWB Games
Correcting Mistakes
Regarding official stat corrections by MLB: BWB will receive a
stat correction file each day and will attempt to match that and
correct the stats before they are used. However, once a game is
scored, it is “official” and a late stat correction will not be
considered.
Inactive Owners
BWB will formalize processes for handling missed deadlines so
that we don’t delay critical off-season and pre-season activities.
Inactive Owners – Carry Over Decisions
We’ve gone through some winters where the off-season activity is
delayed by owners not making roster cut-down decisions in time. In
order to keep the league on schedule and get the Redistribution
Draft done in a timely manner, there will no longer be any date
extensions for carry-overs.
If a team does not meet the roster guidelines due to roster size or
salary cap considerations, BWB will take the following approach:
- As required, all players currently under multiyear contracts will be
retained.
- Any players known by BWB* to be retiring, strongly considering
retiring, or otherwise ineligible for BWB rosters next season
(foreign leagues, etc.) will be cut.
- Any players known by BWB* to be on the DL at the beginning of
the next season will be cut.
- Any players known by BWB* to be a free agent with little or
questionable expected interest from MLB teams will be cut.
- Of the remaining players:
- BWB will automatically keep the position player with the
highest salary, the starting pitcher with the highest salary,
and the relief pitcher with the highest salary.
- BWB will automatically cut the position player with the 2nd
highest salary, the starting pitcher with the second highest
salary, and the relief pitcher with the 2nd highest salary.
- BWB will keep any players who were first round draft picks
in the just-completed season.
- Random decisions** will be made after that to get the roster
into guidelines for roster size and salary cap position.
- BWB will attempt to leave about $10 million available for
the Redistribution Draft and off-season moves.
*”Known by BWB” is a non-scientific phrase.
Since a lot of effort is required for running the game, the owner
of BWB is often not completely on top of all the MLB player
status. The point is – make the decisions yourself, rather than
tempting fate.
**”Random decisions” often means pulling out
the old Dungeons and Dragons 12-sided or 20-sided dice (RIP Gary
Gygax) and picking cuts that way. Again – make the decisions
yourself and avoid the grief.
Inactive Owners – Redistribution Draft – Emphasis for 2008
Again, we’re no longer able to put off roster decisions for a few
teams while 100+ other teams complete on time. Since the
Redistribution Draft is an optional activity, teams that do not
submit picks for the draft on time will not participate in it. This
is how it’s always been done – and typically 1-3 teams in each
league skip this (intentionally or not). There are generally some
good players available in the draft – don’t miss out on your chance.
Inactive Owners – Startup Draft
This is essentially how BWB has always done startup drafts for a
team that begins as an Orphan so that the league can kick off in a
timely manner.
In most cases, teams will have about a week to fill out their
initial draft lists after the league is completely full. This
deadline may be a bit shorter for drafts started in mid-March or
later. As a team joins BWB, it can begin to assemble the draft list
immediately – even before choosing a league. So, there should be no
excuse – other than perhaps the late-joining teams – to miss a draft
deadline.
If a team does not have a draft list – or if it has started but
is incomplete - the BWB office will randomly pick or complete* a
team’s draft list so that the draft can proceed on time.
*”Randomly complete” is done by picking a mix of players with
high and low salaries and to fill all the positions. Some minor
leaguers and prospects may be thrown in. No players who are
knowingly questionable to make rosters or to be injured at the time
of the draft will be chosen. When picking among a group of possible
players, the old D&D dice often get a good workout. The moral of the
story is to pick your own team.
Salary Calculations
Pitchers Formula
The section of the salary calculation dealing with closers was
modified to attempt to keep closer salaries in line with other
positions:
From (5 * Sv – (2.5 * BS)) to (4 * Sv – (3 * BS))
In addition, there was a one-time reduction in closer salaries
between 2007 and 2008.
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