On Time Baseball Association

CONSTITUTION

August 26, 2000

Download the PDF of the OTBA Constitution

Index

Statement of Purpose

Membership

Member Responsibilities

League Officers

Rosters

Free Agents

Players and Eligibility

Trades

Postseason Play

Start Up Draft

Rookie Draft

Schedule

Ball Parks

League Play

Penalties

Expansion

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE The On Time Baseball Association (OTBA) is a Strat-o-Matic baseball league designed for and by its members to build franchises and have fun. By joining, the members agree to follow the rules and guidelines of the league. While all managers shall strive to succeed, they should never forget that the purpose of the league is to have fun.

MEMBERSHIP The league will be made up of 16 teams, divided into four divisions of four teams each. Teams will be made up of players from both the American and National Leagues. All managers will need: 1) The latest CD-ROM version of Strat-o-Matic available. 2) Internet access with a home email address. 3) A dedication to timeliness with results. 4) A will to win.

MEMBER RESPONSIBILITIES 1) There will be annual dues of $20, to be paid before the start of the new season. 2) Completion of all home games on or ahead of schedule. 3) Emailing all instructions, results, statistics and other information on or ahead of schedule. 4) Logical and fair application of strategy in game situations not specifically covered by instructions provided. 5) The home manager, using HAL instructions sent by the visiting manager will play games. 6) Additional instructions are encouraged, such as suggested pitchers in certain situations (as HAL is not always so dependable with such things).

LEAGUE OFFICERS The league will have a commissioner. His duties shall include, but not be limited to: 1) Interpretation of the rules and constitution of the league. 2) Publishing of schedules, newsletters, instructions and statistics. 3) Initiating changes in league policy as voted on by league members. 4) Maintaining rosters and overseeing player transactions. 5) Conducting drafts. 6) Initiating disciplinary action against owners failing to meet league regulations and requirements. NOTE: decisions of the commissioner can be overturned by a 2/3-majority vote of the league members.The league will also have a statistician. His duties shall include, but not be limited to: 1) Compilation of accurate results and statistical records of all games. 2) Providing such information to commissioner and all league members on request. 3) Issuing monthly stat updates by providing stat files to the league. 4) Assisting the commissioner in keeping all games up to date.

ROSTERS 1) Each team will keep a 25-man active roster. 2) There will also be a minor league roster. At the start of any season, each team will be allowed a maximum of 35 players (active and minor league combined). 3) After opening day, there is no minor league roster limit (until draft cutdown the following season). 4) As of August 31 each season, all teams with a .500 or better record will submit a 25-man playoff roster to the commissioner. 5) As of September 1 each season, the active roster limit will be waived until the following rookie draft in February/March. 6) All teams must have a backup for each position on the active roster at all times. (Of course, some players may back up several spots.) 7) Teams will send monthly rosters to their road opponents and the commissioner. 8) Rosters will be limited to those monthly rosters for road games, but players can be called up for home games by emailing both players involved (called up and sent down) to the commissioner and opposing manager before the series is played. No response or approval is necessary from either source before playing the games.

FREE AGENTS 1) Free agents will be all carded players not on an OTBA roster as of Opening Day. 2) Each team may sign free agents during the season (maximum of 3 free agents per season). Those free agents signed must go on your active roster for the following month, and one player must be cut to the free agent pool when the new player is signed. 3) All free agent transactions take effect on the first day of the next month. 4) To sign a free agent, a manager must email the names of player to be signed and the player to be cut to the commissioner. 5) Deadline for free agent requests will be the 25 th of each month, midnight CST. 6) When multiple teams request the same free agent, the player will be awarded to the team with the lowest winning percentage. 7) The commissioner will then announce the signing to the league. 8) Free agent signings will be permanent (not for remainder of the season only).

PLAYERS AND ELIGIBILITY 1) All position players will be limited to 110% of actual PLATE APPEARANCES (at-bats + walks + sacrifice hits and flies + HBP). 2) All position players with 600+ actual plate appearances will be allowed unlimited use. 3) All starting pitchers will be limited to 110% of actual starts. 4) All starters with 200 actual IP can pitch on 3 days rest. 5) All relievers will be limited to 110% of actual innings (rounding partial innings up to figure this availability). 6) Pitchers who both start and relieve will be limited by both starts and innings pitched (example: Garrett Stephenson in 1999 started 12 games, and pitched 85.1 innings overall for the Cardinals. He would be eligible to start 13 games (12 x 110% = 13.2, rounds to 13), but could not total more than 95 innings (85.1 rounds to 86 x 110% = 94.6, rounds to 95). 7) Pitchers who both start and relieve may do one or the other in any series, not both. 8) If a player is carded in both leagues, we will use the composite card. 9) For drafting purposes, only carded players are eligible to be selected. However, if a player is carded for one season, then loses his card the next season, his manager may hold onto his rights at the cost of that roster spot (ex: Kerry Wood from 1998 season was carded, then missed all of 1999 and has no 2000 card. If you are willing to wait for him, you can keep him on your roster). 10) Injuries and pitcher fatigue: There will be no injuries used in the league. However, pitcher fatigue rules will be used (no pitch count). Fatigue will be reset at the beginning of each series.

TRADES 1) Trading is allowed and encouraged. You may trade any players on your roster, active or minor league. 2) Draft picks may be traded for the following season ONLY. 3) For trades to be valid, both managers must report them to the commissioner. 4) Trade cutoff days for monthly rosters and for the season will be announced with the schedule. Trades made after the monthly cutoff will not take affect until the following month (ex: cutoff for May might be April 25, and any trade after April 25 would not take effect until June 1). Trades made after the season cutoff would not take effect until the offseason.5) The commissioner reserves the right to convene a trade review board of 3 managers in the case of lopsided or massive trades. The procedure would be as follows: A) Two or more managers must file a written complaint with the commissioner within 3 days of a trade being posted. B) The commissioner would then select a 3-person board to review the trade and rule on whether said trade ruins the competitive balance of the league. C) The board would then make recommendation for resolution, void the trade, force additional players to be included, etc. D) The commissioner will make final ruling on any recommendation, unless the commissioner is one of the parties involved in the trade. In that case, the boardÕs recommendation will stand.

POSTSEASON PLAY 1) The four division winners will be eligible for the playoffs. 2) The format will be best of seven, 2-3-2. 3) The division winner with the best record will play the winner with the worst record of playoff qualifiers. The teams with 2 nd and 3 rd best records will play each other. 4) The winners of these series will play each other for the league title under the same format. 5) Home field advantage goes to the team with the better record. 6) Tie breakers will be: A) Head to head play B) Record within division C) Record vs. all playoff qualifiers 7) All players will be limited to 10% of actual plate appearances, starts and innings pitched for each playoff series. 8) Pitchers who only start or relieve may not Òcross overÓ for the playoffs. 9) The playoffs will be conducted under a the same format as the regular season, with the home manager playing all games.

STARTUP DRAFT 1) Each member will draft one major league franchise to start the league. This draft order will be determined by lottery. This draft will be conducted no later than November 30, 2000. At that point we will name our teams, also. 2) Each team will then possess all carded players who finish the season on their roster (ex: Dwight Gooden has played with 3 teams this season. Assuming he finishes the season with the Yankees, Gooden would be considered a Yankee for these purposes). 3) Each team must cut to 15 players from that original roster. This cutdown will occur by December 15, 2000. 4) The league will conduct a startup draft, using all (carded) cut players and all carded players from the 14 franchises not drafted. 5) This draft will be conducted after ratings come out (usually January). All members are encouraged to purchase the Baseball Ratings book to assist them (approx. $10). 6) The draft order on this will be the reverse of the franchise draft. (The team with the sixteenth pick of franchise gets first pick of players in the startup draft.) Draft order will be fixed, not serpentine. 7) We will draft to 35 players to set opening day rosters. 8) Trading will be allowed as soon as the original cutdown list and 15-man roster for all teams is published. 9) Once trading begins, and from that time on, there is no minimum requirement of players from your original franchise.

ROOKIE DRAFT Since we will be starting from a 35-man roster, there will be no rookie draft until the beginning of the second season of OTBA. 1) All carded players from the previous season not currently on an OTBA roster are eligible for the draft. 2) Draft order will be determined by record. The team with the worst regular season record drafts first, the team with the best regular season record drafts last, etc. 3) Tie breakers will be: A) Head to head play B) Record within division C) Coin toss 4) All teams must cut to 25 players one month before the scheduled draft date. 5) Each team will draft to 35 players, however many rounds are necessary (if picks have been traded). 6) This draft will be conducted around the end of February each year.

SCHEDULE 1) The league will play a 162-game schedule from April to October, with the playoffs conducted in after the completion of the regular season. 2) The schedule will be divided by calendar month for roster purposes.

BALLPARKS 1) Ballparks will be the home park of the original franchise for the team. 2) Each season, before opening day, each owner may change the ballpark effects for their home park by +/- 3 on singles and homers for lefties and righties.

LEAGUE PLAY 1) Instructions for each month are due on the first of that month. 2) At the beginning of the season, all members must send a full set of default instructions to the commissioner. 3) Pitching rotations must be set in SuperHAL. 4) Remember that additional instructions are encouraged. (Ex: if you always want Trevor Hoffman in the game when you are up 1-3 runs in the ninth inning, include that in written form with your Computer Manager to that.) 5) The interpretation of any unclear or incomplete instructions will be left up to the judgement of the home manager (you know, the guy trying to beat your team!). 6) All games shall be played by the calendar week that they fall within. 7) Results from each series will include game result files and a box score for each game to the opposing manager, commissioner and the statistician. 8) These results shall be sent within one week of the game dates involved. 9) If you do not receive instructions or results in a timely manner, please email the member in question. 10) After allowing a fair time (two days) for a response, email the commissioner and the member (so they are aware that the commissioner has been notified). 11) At that time, the commissioner will resolve the issue by either getting instructions/results from the member or instructing the ÒplaintiffÓ to play the games with default instructions. STRAT-O-MATIC RULES 1) Main rules will be Super Advanced with BK/WP/PB. 2) Ballpark and clutch ratings will be used, weather effects will not. 3) Super advanced stealing and strategy charts will be used. 4) Miscellaneous rules, closer and GB A on pitcherÕs card are all in effect. 5) Injuries will not be used. 6) Pitcher fatigue will be in effect, 7) Pitch count will not be used. 8) DH is in effect in all parks.

PENALTIES 1) Penalty points will be issued for the following infractions: A) Late instructions B) Late results C) Late reporting on other deadlines (trades, playoff roster, etc.) D) Player overuse E) Failure to follow opponentÕs instructions 2) Punishments will be as follows: A) 0-6 points = warning B) 7-10 points = lose 5 th round pick C) 11-13 points = lose 4 th round pick D) 14-15 points = lose 3 rd round pick E) 16-18 points = lose 2 nd round pick F) 19+ points = automatic expulsion 3) Late instructions and results are defined as being more than two days after a reminder email has been sent. Following the procedure laid out earlier in this constitution, when a reminder is sent a two-day grace period will follow. After that time, the commissioner is notified and a penalty point shall be assessed. 4) Penalties for lateness will be waived if the commissioner is notified AHEAD OF TIME by a member that he/she will be unavailable (vacation, work, etc.). However, every effort shall be made by the member to play games and provide instructions ahead of schedule to minimize this problem. 5) Player overuse is defined as follows: A) Exceeding position player limit of PA by more than 10. B) Exceeding pitcher limit by more than 1 start or 5 IP. C) Exceeding the limit by any amount for 4 or more players on your team. 6) Penalties for overuse are as follows: A) 1 player overused as a result of a road series is cause for a warning only. B) Any position player breaking A) above will be suspended for the first 3 games of the playoffs and will have his available PA reduced by the overrun the following season. Member will also be charged one penalty point. C) Any pitcher breaking B) above will be suspended for the first 3 games of the playoffs and will have available starts/IP reduced by the overrun the following season. Member will also be charged one penalty point. D) Breaking C) above will result in all involved pitchers and players being suspended for the first 3 games of the playoffs, and having their available PA/IP/starts reduced by the amount of overrun the following season. The member will also be charged one penalty point. 7) Failure to follow opponentÕs instructions will be defined as follows: obvious and blatant disregard for opponentÕs direct written instructions (which pitcher to use, how and when to use him, rotation of starters, lineups, etc.). One penalty point will be assessed for each infraction, and the game in question will be replayed.

EXPANSION, AMENDMENTS AND VOTING Any member may make proposals for changes to this constitution or for expansion. All such changes would require a 2/3-majority vote, and in the case of expansion would require at least 4 reliable managers on the waiting list to fill the new team spots. Any expansion would require a draft procedure to be established at that time.