The Ultimate Strat Baseball Newsletter - Issue #4, Commisioner's Corner

Issue #4, June, 2013

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** Commissioner's Corner - Part IV- Notes
from the Commish **
(by Marc Wasserman, Commissioner of the Cyber Baseball Association {CBA} )

(Note from the Wolfman: - Here is part four of this new column by Marc Wasserman, discussing his experiences and insights about being a commissioner of a Strat-o-matic baseball league. Each month as we continue this column, Marc will share with us different aspects of the job of being a commissioner and what is necessary to run a successful league. We hope this column is helpful to enhance your own leagues or what you should be prepared to do if you decide to form a new league and act as its commissioner.)

Built It, They Will Come, Build It Strong
and They Will Stay

The final word. The SOM league Constitution is as I've mentioned previously a living breathing document vital to the health and maintenance of a fine Strat-o-matic league. The Constitution is the final word that is hopefully the map and guideline to your league's success. There really is little chance any league with credibility can flourish or even survive without a strong well written document. Unless were talking about a group of old friends whose defacto league is based upon their trust, a Constitution must be enforced and which this key league document can be referred to with clear concise wording perhaps as an example or two for reference.

At the level of league play that we are in (for the CBA), our GM's (managers) seek every possible advantage to win and gain entry to their leagues final playoff or tournament. Things must be spelled out clearly and with long range vision considering even the smallest of circumstances. Many GM/managers will always seek to exploit the loopholes and gain advantage, you must assume as the commissioner. If you think a far fetched situation or complication can't arise, your wrong. Even after 17 years, our own CBA is subject to "Executive Council" ruling clarifications. For that I appointed a select executive rules committee chaired by founding member Cory Light. He presides over discussion and rules clarifications and is certainly well versed in the ramifications and economics of all the rules reaching consequences. A good league should have perhaps a committee to oversee these issues.

Often league wide votes tend to be biased for GM's personal needs. Whether competitively, self interest, or whatever interpersonal factors come into a person's independent or collective mind at that moment. Often their voting does not have the foresight that a good league requires. For that, I do not feel that democracies work in running a league as I have said before in earlier parts of this column. Rather, league input to an executive committee should be considered in the Constitution writing or amending process.

I've been in a few leagues that lived by a vote, and then died by the vote when the trade market and competitive balance turns around the time for league growth. I have seen leagues get generally screwed up by the popular rule changes for the sake of changing league events which come up yearly. In one league for example, the use of a 100% usage of players became a120% usage, and thus, waves of player's value plummeted due to this. The superstar yearly high performance guys became supremely unattainable except for the loaded teams that had strong duplicatable players at key positions. Rarely can teams which residie in the second division, uhhh, or the lower end, have a chance to catch up with such an extreme market. Of course then apathy sets in, and now the leagues are defunct leaving many upset at their waste of time to be involved in such leagues. Build it and they will come. Build it strong and they will stay. Popularity contests and league wide rules voting can kill you.

So how can we build a Constitution that is flawless? We can't but over time it can become stronger and your league can become stronger. So where do we begin? At the start. With paragraph 1. The title and theme of your league where you outline and structure your creation. Its like building a skyscraper, where you start with a framework for your document and an continue with the outline of the structure of your league that becomes the initial structure. Your title should reflect your leagues persona or personality. The title could be serious, ridiculous, tribute, or anything that can be imagined. Professional or ridiculous have fun with it. Perhaps a league phrase or motto is required. After that decision, then your document can be set up into sections. Each section 1,2,3, etc will have sub sections. Each subsection may have smaller sub sections as well.

Model: Article I and then its related rules. Each may be titled a 'section'. Sub sections can be called 'parts'. For sake of example only:

Article II

1} At the end of the yearly spring draft each team will consist of, no less and no more, than 35 strat carded and computer carded players that must meet the requirements of the minimum rule (see section 3 below) At no time during the season a team may drop down below 30 players or go over 35 players.

a) A 2 day period of grace is extended to teams to meet compliance from the date and time of trade posting to ****_List@yahoogroups.com

2} If a team goes over 35 players because of a trade it must release a player, via the waiver wires, immediately upon reporting the trade.......

Notice the clear formatting. Articles become the main rule components. Sections being the smaller components of the general area of structure. Parts are further definitions and clarifications.

It's best to set your league's most defining characteristics into Article I of your document. This should include your leagues name and identity in section 1 along with any slogan or mottos or mission statements. Make your message known! Let your first Constitutional statement introduce your league to the world. Section 2 could begin to define the basic league structure or the set up. The Strat-o-matic game company version Ver.18 or whatever is being used for that season. Add a section to state and name the Conferences, the name and number of divisions and teams. You may or may not write in the franchise names to that.

Section 4 will briefly describe the schedule whether weighted by division, percent of night games, etc. Have Section 5 include a description about the playoff structure and how the league championship works. Perhaps stet the reward for such as a league trophy. Section 6 is devoted to how games are run by the league or players with sub sections detailing the procedure of file transfer and deadlines. A section should also be devoted to the games settings being as thorough as possible. Include all preferences, settings, and toggles expected to be used in game play. This will be used to check by gamers for reference. This is critically important and will save many headaches down the line especially when guys start altering settings and such.

Oh yes, don't allow the managers to change settings on their own as the files may not match and nightmares can occur on importing results and the CM's. This is a rough guideline for reference for your Article I which should get into the nuts and bolts or the technical information you need. I believe all game preferences, miscellaneous rule settings, even those which are used an not must be documented into Article I of your new Constitution.

The next Article (II), could then define the rules by which Teams are governed. I excerpted some Team rules for you to use as an example for the Article and sections which teams are subject to. Remember, all throughout the Constitution we want to be as thorough as can be.

II. The teams

2} If a team goes over 35 players because of a trade it must release a player, via the waiver wires, immediately upon reporting the trade.

3} Each team must have at least one backup at every defensive position during games.

4} All teams must cut their roster down to a total of 24 before the draft. This years deadline is Dec 11th 2012.

5} A Players service to a team may be released to free agency at anytime to facilitate a trade, draft a free agent or RFA (Restricted Free Agent)

6} A team must have between 30-35 players on roster at all times after the draft until season ends.

7} A minor league designee is considered part of a teams 35 man roster as a non-carded, ineligible player. That players services may be retained. That player may be cut however is not considered a free agent, and is not added to free agent list.

8} During the playoffs and prior to "roster expansion" during the regular season, a CBA team is limited to 25 "eligible" players per block. Scheduled SP's may be made "ineligible" in order to control usage, but in no circumstances shall the combination of scheduled "ineligible" SP's and the "eligible" players exceed 25. Pitchers in the HAL rotation and demoted, must be announced via e mail to the league at time of CM submission to public list.

9} No team may have more than 35 players at any time

When things are spelled out clearly, expectations are set and these can be referred back to at any time by all. In this case we can see that this league Constitutional model is using a 35 man team in Article II of it's document. In a 24 team league this size roster gives ample amount of flexibility to meet strict usage situations. It provides for a roster where there is bench strength yet an ability to hold a few "minors" players for development. It does not provide too much space to stockpile talent and deplete future drafts. It is a comfortable balance between the strategy of maintaining strategy, competition and interest by keeping players actively participating their management to maintain strict usage, yet groom players for years ahead.

Too many spots not only thins a draft in following years, but makes usage too easy, and less demand for trades. You want as a good league, for GM's to have a good trade demand which is a by product of the strategy decisions and balance of usage. Too much freedom on a roster and apathy sets in. Too few roster spots and teams will not be able to build. Perhaps there could become a league-wide discrepancy in the haves and have nots. An injury year could kill a franchise scrambling to meet usage via trades, who was forced to deal good talent only to have their usage requirements satisfied for the season. So some extra roster spaces are advisable. The trade market is dependent upon the roster sizes, so tweaking it can be quite dangerous. There are other ways to induce a trade market to health by changing the vitals of the roster size.

In this example we see that teams may cut players to accommodate new acquisitions. This way other teams could benefit from cast off players. In a small way, top teams shedding some bottom roster guys can help a weaker franchise who needs to make usage requirements or compete by grabbing that RFA (Restricted Free Agent – in our league a player not part of any team you can acquire but lose rights to at the end of the season). A player who is an RFA (in the CBA) can be acquired during the season only and is not eligible for the playoffs. Thus, this player goes into the annual spring draft replenishing that draft.

Some good names could and often do re-emerge the following year such as castoffs that help to meet usage because of non preparation. These players can come back into the draft as key individuals. I once reluctantly cut Jose Bautista in a 15 man keeper league, because I would need usage at other positions. Still cryin' about that one. This was long before his power surge. Usage is a strategy base and key factor in any league. It must be governed carefully, and in my humble opinion is so vital in keeping a healthy trade market for players to work with. The usage will dictate planning and trades, as the GMs need flexibilty to move players around while maintaining usage requirements and not being forced to shed their prospects which are being groomed to accommodate future trades. A section in your Player Eligibilty rules is warranted just for usage itself and key corollaries.

For the record, in my CBA league I have created this concept of an R.F.A. to assist with usage or trade flexibilty (as the need arises) as an undrafted Restricted Free Agent Player. The CBA allows the acquisition of 2 RFA per season only. Again know that Ya Can't give 'em too much room or there won't be enough participation or player dealing that can happen. These team rules are essential as are the other Constititional Articles. In the next issue, we will look at some more about the Constitution and the rules which can help shape a league making it successful for years to come. If you have any thoughts, comments, feedback, or whatever comes to mind, hit me up at marc.wass@ultimatestratbaseball.com

-- Let them dice roll! Wass

Contained inside this exciting issue of Ultimate Strat Baseball Newsletter:
(to view the various interviews, articles, columns and special sections click on the links {underlined} and this will take you to the appropriate webpage)

♦ RETURN TO NEWSLETTER MAIN PAGE

♦ INTERVIEW with BRYAN ALBIN, Tournament Director of Pure Strat

♦ INTERVIEW with GENE ABOOD, Tournament Director of Star NetPlay Tourneys

♦ INTERVIEW with RICK SUTCLIFFE, former major league starting pitcher

♦ EARLY SOM CONVENTIONS COLUMN with WOLFMAN SHAPIRO -- editor of
"The Ultimate Strat Newsletter" and 2012 CBA Champion. Wolfman takes us back in
this article to the fourth national Strat-o-matic Convention in 1975 held in Champaign-Urbana, IL, at the University of Illinois as the Wolfman and his buddies organize their second convention. Wolfman will be our guide through the first nine conventions going through 1980 of which he was present at each one. We now begin the era from 1974-1980 when the conventions moved to Illinois. We will continue to share one new convention in each future issue till all of these early ones are published. Also as an inspiration for the SOM On-line Baseball Convention this year.

♦ INTERVIEW with BUTCH HABER, Baseball Historian and SOM Fanatic

♦ ARTICLE with WOLFMAN SHAPIRO, how the Wolfman prepared for the Pure Strat June Skype Draft Tournament - Part One of Two Parts (Part Two will describe his experiences)

♦ ARTICLE with STEVE MEYERSON, more about the amazing Tom Swank
(personal stories and comments from one of our members)

♦ SOM BASEBALL CARDS with TOM NAHIGIAN- This month we share more of the early SOM Baseball cards from the 1960 and 1961 seasons thanks to Tom Nahigian who has a complete collection of all the cards ever printed and a birthday gift from him to us.

♦ RECOMMEND ON-LINE SOM RESOURCES -- On-line Strat-o-matic and Baseball related websites that offer amazing information, special tools and products to improve your game play that we strongly recommend. In most cases, we have had personal contact with these sources who agree with the principle to work together and help promote each other.

♦ BOOKS TO DIE FOR and Become a BASEBALL GURU -- On this page we have listed special books that we are uncovering that either will expand your insights about the game of Baseball, help you in the creation of your current league teams or with your replays and learn more about the Strat-o-matic Base Game and Game Company's history. We have a special arrangement with Acta Sports to offer our members a 10% discount. We hope to add more books in the future.

Contact Us for Questions or Submissions:

Wolfman Shapiro
co-Founder/Editor, the Ultimate Strat Baseball Newsletter

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