WoCo Baseball League Official Rules
New Teams: A new owner can join the league only when an existing team drops out. When a team leaves the league, its players are first made available to the new team(s). The new team(s) draft 4 to 8 players off the teams that drop out. The players who are left over are added to the pool of players available for the regular draft. For odd-numbered seasons (winter-spring), the new teams fill out the majority of their roster during the regular draft. For even-numbered seasons (summer-fall), new teams will draft one player from each returning team (who will protect 25 players each).
Regular Draft: The 3-3-3 2-2-2 1-1-1 format (each team gets 3 picks in a row) is used before even-numbered seasons, while 3 rounds of the traditional 321-321-321 format takes place before odd-numbered seasons. [3=team with the worst record, 2=rest of the teams, and 1=Champion] The change in format makes up for the lack of talent in the even seasons from having to pick from the same pool of players that has already been picked over the previous season. Only players who appeared in at least one MLB game the previous season can be drafted. For every two worthless or retired players you trade in, you get one extra draft pick at the end of the regular draft. The regular draft is administered through email. The draft list is passed around so that when you're up, you can copy the list, add your pick to it, and send it to the whole league. Everybody will include each player's full name, ID #, and position.
40-Man Off-Season Rosters: During the regular draft, any player not on your 40-man off-season roster will be available. For every player that is selected from your team, you will credit for half a trade-in pick. After every season, you can update your off-season 40-man roster through your Owner's Section.
Hall of Fame Players: The last place team drafts first and selects one player and the champion drafts last. New teams draft immediately preceding the eight playoff teams. After a Hall of Fame (HOF) player finishes a season, he is discarded and can not be picked up again. The HOFs can't be traded in any way. The HOFs stats are based on their seven best consecutive seasons and adjusted for time period differences. We only draft HOFs for the even-numbered seasons, which differentiates those seasons from the odd-numbered seasons in which the same MLB stats and no HOFs were used.
Rule 6 Draft: This draft only takes place in the summer, before even-numbered seasons. Each team protects 25 players. First, each team will lose one player for each new team entering the league (Expansion Draft). Then, the last place team drafts one player from any team. All the non-playoffs teams go through two rounds before the playoff teams begin. Once a team loses two players, it is locked up and will not lose another player. Each team in the league drafts two players, ending with the previous season's Champion.
Minor League Players: A three level player system is in effect. First, there is your 25-man “active roster”. Second, there are your “minors leaguers,” which can be up to 15 players, who can be interchanged with the 25-man active roster during the season. The first two levels of players make up your 40-man roster. Finally, you have your “third level,” players that can’t be used at all during the season, and remain down there for the entire season. Any player who did not have enough playing time (usually 30 IPs or 30 Abs) to be on the program is relegated to the third level. The only way to ensure a player with horrible stats never steps foot on the field is to put him on the third level. The active roster is expanded on September 1 of each season to include your minor leaguers, for a total of up to 40 players.
Roster Requirements: Each violation will result in a penalty, such as dropping a position in the draft. Every team must have a minimum
of 1300 MLB IP and 5000 MLB AB on their 40 man roster at all times during the
season. These are bare
minimums for players on your 40 man roster:
* 5 starting pitchers
* 10 total pitchers
* 1 player at every position
* Also, there must be 25 players on your active roster at all times.
No matter the extent to which a team is rebuilding, every owner must put a team on the field.
Trades: To prevent a rule violation, I will certify a trade after the details are sent to me from each team involved. The trading deadline is on July 31st of each season. Draft picks 2 or more seasons away can not be traded. I review all trades: (1) made by owners during their first two seasons in the league; (2) between close friends and relatives; (3) where cheating may be involved or where a team may be dropping out within the a year (action can be taken retroactively). No trade will be approved that leaves a team in violation of the roster requirements.
Injuries: As with the MLB injury system, players can go on the 15 or 60 day disabled list. When a player is injured (more than just a daily injury or fatigue), he is automatically put on the DL and replaced by a minor leaguer and the lineup is temporarily altered. Once the player is off the disabled list, he automatically returns to the lineup you set.
Season Length: The season consists of a 162 game schedule. Stats are posted on the web site during each of the 12 weeks in the spring and fall.
Playoffs: The playoffs take place the week after the regular season ends and each round is formatted H-H-A-A-A-H-H with the best record playing at home first. There are 4 division winners and 4 wild card teams. The match-ups are based solely on record, with 8 vs.1, 7 vs.2 etc.
League Dues: The league dues must be paid a season in advance. The Champion receives credit for an extra season of dues.
Owner/GM: You make all the decisions regarding your team that you want (within the rules), but for the ones you don’t, the computer will make for you (ex.- Lineup vs. lefties, Pitching Rotation, Manager Profile, etc.). You can adjust your Manager Profile throughout the season by sending me an email with what changes need to be made.
Sportmanship: Demeaning behavior (cursing at other owners or any number of other immature actions) and actions detrimental to the league will result in removal from the league. The overwhelming majority of our owners are extraordinary individuals. To keep it this way, anyone who acts inappropriately when communicating with other owners will be kicked out in order to maintain the type of genial atmosphere that makes WoCo the most entertaining league on the internet. Any owner can bring a complaint to the WSC, which is a three-member sportmanship committee (two-year non-consecutive terms). Two affirmative votes sends the issue to a league-wide vote. To remove someone, a plurality of affirmative votes with a quorum (at least 13 voting). All voting is confidential.
Multiple Ownership: As long as owners are open and honest about owning more than one team, then there is no problem. Situations that fall under this rule include ownership of separate teams when the owners are related. I will carefully scrutinize all player movement that involves players from one of their teams going to the other, directly or indirectly. Anyone not forthcoming is subject to removal from the league.