"Classic Retro League" Constitution
1. League Structure
A. The Classic Retro League (CRL) is a "continuous" retro league that will begin with the 1963 season. CRL will consist of sixteen Strat-O-Matic baseball teams divided into two leagues (East & West) of eight teams each. Both leagues will expand by two teams each for the 1969 season, with realignment into divisions (five teams per division).
B. The league officers are Pete DeStefano (Commissioner), Dennis Van Langen (Assistant Commissioner) and Larry Reeves & Steve Dewing (Rule Change Committee Members). Any changes or additions to this constitution must be made by a majority decision between the league officers, except as stated 1C.
C. In some circumstances, the league officers may present a proposal to all managers for a league vote. Proposals for rule changes or other matters will be approved with a majority vote. In case of a tie, the Commissioner will make the final decision.
2. Software Requirements
A. Each league member is required to purchase the current season's roster disk from the Strat-O-Matic (SOM) Game Company. Current versions of the SOM computer baseball program (updated annually in February) are required. All patch files from the SOM website are to be downloaded and used in a timely fashion.
3. Team Names & Ballparks
A. All teams must represent a city of major or minor league size. All teams must have a nickname that has been used previously by a professional, college or minor league sports team. See http://www.logoserver.com/index.html for some ideas. It is not necessary to use both the city and the nickname combination of any actual franchise or team. The Portland Panthers, St Louis Hawks and the Syracuse Stars are all acceptable combinations. A team may never change their name unless the team is transferred to a new owner. All teams must have a unique city and nickname.
B. League members have the choice of using a real major league ballpark such as Fenway Park or a fictitious name that suits their team. For example, Syracuse Stadium or Stars Field are acceptable names for the Syracuse Stars. If a fictitious ballpark is used, the manager must choose the ballpark factors (singles and homeruns for righties and lefties) associated with that park before the start of the draft. These ballpark factors may be changed after each season, but limited to a value change of "2". For example, if the ballpark homers for the current season are 1-15 for righties and lefties, then the owner can change this to 1-13 for lefties and 1-17 for righties for the following season. For simplicity, the ballpark factors for doubles and triples will be 100 for any fictitious park and cannot be changed.
C. Click here to see the current list of owners and their team names.
4. Inaugural Draft (1963)
A. The draft for the 1963 season will be a "serpentine" draft. The draft "order" will be random and determined by the "random generator" on this website... http://www.firststepconsulting.com/UFF/RandomGenerateStart.asp. The draft will continue until each team fills its roster with 30 players.
B. Players on a roster disk must meet the following minimums to be eligible for the draft: 35 AB for a batter and 15 IP for a pitcher. Players not meeting these criteria will be considered "uncarded" and ineligible for use during that season.
5. Schedule & Player Rest
A. Each team will play a 22-week, 162 game schedule, consisting of 81 home games and 81 away games. Each team will play 14 games (7H/7A) versus each of the other 7 teams in its own league and 8 games (4H/4A) versus each of the 8 teams in the other league. A one week (real life) break will be given at the All-Star break (after Week 11). On the SOM schedule, there will be 3 days off at the All-Star break.
B. Each week will consist of a "home and home" series versus your opponent. The week will consist of either two 3-game series or two 4-game series. One day of rest will be given on the schedule after each "home and home" series. Word of caution: manage the pitching staff wisely... no other days of rest will be given during the regular season, except during the All-Star break.
6. Game Play & Game Files
A. Netplay is strongly encouraged, but not required, except for all playoff games. When netplay is not feasible during the regular season, teams will play their home games solitaire versus the opponent's computer manager (CM) and must follow instructions (a specific lineup versus a certain pitcher, for example), if given by the visiting manager. The CM must, at the very least, specify the 25 "eligibles", starting rotation and starting lineups for the series.
B. After playing his weekly home games (solitaire or netplay), each owner must email all game files and boxscores to the Commissioner by 11:59 pm EST every Saturday night... series summaries are certainly welcomed, but not required.
7. Game Rules
A. The following rules will be used:
Main rules: Maximum Level. All maximum rule settings will be used except for Improve Statistical Accuracy, Home Field Advantage, Starting Pitcher Clutch, Force Daily Injuries & Allow extra pre-1920 errors.
BP/Weather/Clutch: Ballpark effects will be used, but weather and clutch hitting will not.
Stealing: Super Advanced Steal System
Strategy: Super Advanced Strategy Charts.
Miscellaneous: Use miscellaneous rules.
Closer: Use closer rules.
Injuries: Do not use injuries.
Pitcher Fatigue: Use SADV fatigue and pitch count.
Groundball A: Allow GBA on pitcher cards.
B. Lineups will be set for "Draft League Mode No Rest". No scheduled days off will be given except as stated in 5B. Overusage will be set to "Ignore" and Minor Leaguers will be set to the "40/25 Method".
C. A player rated to play any outfield position may play any outfield position (SOM Rule 25.21). If a player is rated in LF only, he may play CF or RF, but must suffer the following range penalties (maximum range is a "5"):
LF to RF +1, LF to CF +2, RF to CF + 1.
Other OF moves have no range penalty. Players may only play the infield positions for which they are rated, except in emergency situations.
Pitchers rated only as "Starters" by SOM are allowed to pitch in relief and "Relief Only" pitchers may be used as starters, but pitch counts, usage limitations and fatigue levels will naturally limit this. Position players may be brought in to pitch during blowouts. However, they can only be used after the 7th inning or later by a team that trails in the game by ten runs or more. This is meant to discourage owners from using position players as "innings pitched savers" for a team's regular pitchers.
D. If the current season being used does not include pitcher's "hold" ratings, then CRL will not use hold ratings for that season. Pitchers will be presumed to have hold ratings of zero during such seasons. If the current disk has only generic ratings such as, the balk rating of "3" and the WP rating of "7", then ratings from Gary Simond's website will be used... http://www.geocities.com/gls84/.
E. No DH will be used.
8. Player Eligibility (For the Draft)
A. Players on a roster disk must meet the following minimums to be eligible for the draft: 35 AB for a batter and 15 IP for a pitcher.
9. Player Eligibility (For Seasonal Play)
A. Players on a roster disk must meet the following minimums to be eligible for seasonal play: 70 AB for a batter and 35 IP for a pitcher. Players not meeting these criteria will be considered "uncarded" and ineligible for use during that season.
B. A batter exceeding the minimum requirements as noted in 9A will also be considered "uncarded" if the player's card is from Gary Simond's website AND at least one of the following is true:
i. His homerun percentage on either side of his card is greater than 8% (8.64 chances out of 108)... ballpark HR chances will be multiplied by 0.5 when determining the number of chances. For example, if a player versus lefties has a homerun on 1-5 (4 chances) and 1-6 (5 chances), he will be considered "uncarded" because his 9 total chances exceed the limit of 8.64. The card would be ruled "ineligible" for play regardless of how many homerun chances he has on the opposite side of his card.
ii. His on base (hits, walks, HBP's) percentage on either side of his card is greater than 50% (54 chances out of 108)... ballpark HR and single chances will be multiplied by 0.5 when determining total chances. For example, if a player versus lefties has singles and walks in the entire 1 and 2 columns (72 chances), he will be considered "uncarded" because his 72 total chances exceed the limit of 54. The card would be ruled "ineligible" for play regardless of how many on base chances he has on the opposite side of his card.
10. Rosters
A. Each team can have up to 30 players on their roster at any time, with a 25-man "active" roster available to play in a given series of games. These 25 "eligibles" must be announced at the start of each 3 or 4 game series and cannot be changed once the series begins. The lone exception to this rule is when their is no limit to the number of players on a team's active roster, which begins on September 1 or before the start of a series that extends into September. For example, if a 6-game home and home series begins on August 27 and ends on September 1, then the rosters will be expanded beginning on August 27.
B. Each team's 25 "eligibles" must consist of players providing adequate depth at every defensive position. "Adequate depth" is considered to be:
i. At least two players available/carded to play each infield position.
ii. At least two players available/carded to play catcher.
iii. At least five players available/carded to play an outfield position.
C. At the end of each season, each owner may select up to 18 players to be kept/frozen for the following season. The only requirement for the "keepers" is that the player must have at least 80% of his AB/IP total from the previous season. For example, for Sandy Koufax to be eligible as a "keeper" for the 1964 season, he must pitch at least 249 innings in 1963... 0.8 x 311 IP (311 was his real life total in 1963) = 248.8. This is known as the "Use Him or Lose Him" (UHOLH) rule. The only exception to this rule is stated in 10D.
D. If a manager has an oversight and fails to reach 80% usage on a player, he has the choice of keeping that player or players. The penalty for such will be a loss of one or more draft picks to be determined by a unanimous choice by the league officers listed in 1B. The penalty will be based on a variety of factors including the player's future value, number of AB/IP he fell short and if the underusage helped the team in question make the playoffs... But the player(s) in question must exceed 60% usage to qualify for this "second chance". This is to prevent managers from using this "second chance rule" as a loophole for keeping players while sitting them on the bench all season.
E. The "keepers" do not need to meet the minimum requirements as stated in 9A, but these players will be ineligible for play during the following season and are considered "uncarded". A team cannot have more than five "uncarded" players on its roster during any given season.
F. Players who get two "cards" on a roster disk will count as only one player on a team's roster. The card representing his stats from the first part of the season must be used first. When the budget for that card is spent the card representing his stats from the second part may be activated. A player may have only one card active during any week. Both player "cards" are subject to rule 9A & 9B regarding eligibility. A player whose individual cards do not meet the 70/35 minimum but whose combined total exceeds 70/35, are also not eligible. An owner may select which one of the two "cards" is eligible for the playoffs. Budget will be based upon the actual AB/IP for the card to be used and not the total of the two.
G. Playoff teams must announce their 25 "eligibles" before the playoff series begins. After the first playoff game has been played, the 25 "eligibles" cannot be changed for any reason throughout the playoffs.
11. Usage
A. Each player will be limited to 110% of his real life AB/IP usage. For example, in 1963, Willie Mays will be limited to 655 AB (1.1 x 596 = 655.6)... 110.01% is considered "overused".
B. If one or more players are overused in a particular game or games, the Commissioner reserves the right to forfeit the game(s) by the offending team.
12. Free Agents
A. After the draft, there will be a handful of players left over. These players will occupy the free agent pool. During the regular season, free agents may be picked up. However, in order to pick up a player, you must first release a player from your roster. If two teams want to pick up a player during the same week, then the team with the worse record gets that player.
13. Trades
A. Owners may trade any amount of players and/or draft picks subject to the approval of the Commissioner.
B. Draft picks may only be traded one season in advance. For example, during the 1963 season, you may trade your 1964 draft picks, but not your 1965 draft picks. At the conclusion of the 1963 World Series, you may begin trading draft picks for 1965.This is to prevent owner's from sacrificing a franchise's future.
C. The trade deadline for the season will be at the end of Week 13... (after Game 104).
D. Trades may resume again after all teams declare their "keepers" (see 10C) AND after the World Series concludes.
14. Playoffs
A. The top two teams from each league will qualify for the League Championship Series (LCS). "15 days of rest" will be given before the start of the series. Each LCS will be a best of seven, with the first place team having "home field advantage". The series format will be 2-3-2 with a single day of rest after Games 2 and 5.
B. Ties shall be broken per the following:
i. Best head to head record amongst tied teams.
ii. Best road record amongst tied teams.
iii. If a tie still exists, the Random Generator will break the tie.
C. If two teams are tied for a single playoff spot, then a 1-game playoff will determine which team advances to the LCS. Home field will be based on a mutually agreed time of a state (3 number/ball) lottery... odd numbers for one team (i.e, 723), even numbers the other team (i.e. 010).
D. If two teams are tied for first, a 1-game playoff will not be played and the home team advantage for the LCS will go to the team that wins the tie-breaker (See 14B).
E. If three or more teams are tied for first, then the team with that wins the tie-breaker (See 13B) will be recognized as the first place team. Second place will be determined as stated in 13C, 13F or 13G.
F. If three teams are tied for a single playoff spot, a "2-game", single-elimination playoff will take place. The team that wins the tie-breaker (see 13B) will receive a "bye" and the remaining two will play a 1-game playoff to determine which team advances to the second playoff game.
G. If four teams are tied for a single playoff spot, then a "3-game" playoff will take place. A "Final Four", single elimination "mini-tournament" will decide which team advances to the LCS.
H. See 10F for 25-man roster requirements.
I. No days of rest will be given for a 1 (or more) game playoff (prior to the LCS). These games are considered an extension of the regular season.
15. World Series
A. The LCS winners will face off in the World Series. "15 days of rest" will be given before the start of the series. The series will be a best of seven, in the 2-3-2 format with a single day of rest after Games 2 and 5. The "home field advantage" will be based on the following tie-breaker:
i. Best regular season winning percentage... "tie-breakers" to determine playoff teams are considered regular season games.
ii. Best head to head record.
iii. Best winning percentage on the road.
iv. If a tie still exists, the Random Generator will break the tie.
16. Usage for the LCS & World Series
A. For each playoff series, an owner may use up to 8% of a player's real life AB/IP. For example, a player with 99 AB in real life is allowed only 7 AB in an LCS... 8 AB is more than 8% of 99, so only 7 AB is allowed in this case. The usage limitation is independent of the number of games that the series is played... in the above example, 7 AB is allowed in a 4-game sweep or a series that goes all seven games.
B. The only exception to the usage rule is if Game 7 goes into extra innings... at that time, all players are waived their usage "limitations".
C. Players with two cards in a set must have one of them declared eligible for the post-season when a manager announces his post-season roster. The other card will not be used and post-season budget will be computed using the selected card’s AB or IP.
17. Subsequent Drafts (1964 and beyond)
A. The draft for the 1964 season (and beyond) will be a "straight" draft. The draft order will be in reverse order of regular season record except:
i. The winning team in the World Series will draft last in each round.
ii. The losing team in the World Series will draft second to last in each round.
iii. The twelve teams that do not make the playoffs will enter a "lottery" (see 15B) to determine the order for the first round only. All subsequent rounds will be in reverse order of record, except as noted in 15Ai and 15Aii. Ties by two or more teams will be broken in the following manner:
a. Best head to head record amongst tied teams. The team with the best head to head record will get the higher (earlier) draft pick.
b. Best road record. The team with the best road record will get the higher (earlier) draft pick.
c. If a tie still exists, the Random Generator will determine the order.
B. A draft lottery will be used to determine the first 2 picks (for the first round only). The twelve teams that do not make the playoffs will have a shot at the #1 or #2 pick... each team will get the following number of chances out of 1000. The California Daily 3 (midday) lottery on a pre-determined date will decide who gets the #1 pick. The California Daily 3 (evening) lottery on that same pre-determined date will decide who gets the #2 pick. If the evening lottery yields the same result (the team with the #1 pick is not eligible to get the #2 pick), then the midday lottery on the following day will be considered and so on. The remaining 10 teams will draft in reverse order of record... so the worst team can do no worse than pick third in the first round.
1st worst: 205 chances (#'s 000 to 204)
2nd worst: 175 chances (#'s 205 to 379)
3rd worst: 150 chances (#'s 380 to 529)
4th worst: 125 chances (#'s 530 to 654)
5th worst: 100 chances (#'s 655 to 754)
6th worst: 75 chances (#'s 755 to 829)
7th worst: 60 chances (#'s 830 to 889)
8th worst: 45 chances (#'s 890 to 934)
9th worst: 30 chances (#'s 935 to 964)
10th worst: 20 chances (#'s 965 to 984)
11th worst: 10 chances (#'s 985 to 994)
12th worst: 5 chances (#'s 995 to 999)
C. A live draft via a chat room will be the preferred way to conduct the draft at a mutually agreed upon time. If that's not possible, then an email draft will take place.
