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SOUTHWESTERN BASEBALL LEAGUE 2009
RULES AND GUIDELINES
PREAMBLE:
This document contains the official rules,
conditions and guidelines that govern the Southwestern Baseball League.
All team owners agree to be governed by these rules, conditions and guidelines.
Failure to comply may subject franchises to certain disciplinary action, even
including the forfeiture of a franchise in extreme cases. This League was
founded in the spring of 1988 on the very premise that we are “in league”
with one another, as defined by Webster, and that each member willingly subjects
itself to the greater good (as defined by these rules and guidelines).
Situations not covered by these rules and guidelines, or differences of
interpretation are arbitrated by The Commissioner. In the end, the
Commissioner’s decisions are final. SWBL uses only National League
players and statistics because the National League is superior in every way, and
because the National League is the only league that is somewhat faithful to the
traditions that made our game great. We believe that if you build it,
people will come.
SECTION
1---FRANCHISES:
A.
The Commissioner is the ultimate authority over League matters. The
Commissioner has broad powers in order to protect the interest of The League as
a whole. The Commissioner serves for life. The Commissioner must
always strive to be pretty fair.
B.
The
following franchises make up The League membership: · · RICHTER/CALDWELL
RIFF RAFF
· · ECKHART
OYSTERS
· BARRY/LANE
TUFFYS · REHM/LANE
NON-NETWORKS
· LOEHMAN
KNICKS · · ALEXANDER/EASON/BROWN
WHITE SOX*
*(Joined
the League in 1993)
C.
Owner
relocations to another city must pay $12 to The League as compensation to other
owners for the loss of a potential expansion site and to cover League
administration cost. In addition there is a $3 handling fee—for a total
of $15. The relocation of a full, half, majority or minority owner
requires full payment. The relocation of a non-owner individual who is
acting as an employee of a franchise in an executive capacity likewise requires
full payment.
D.
Applications
for expansion franchises, or replacement franchises must be considered by all
existing owners and requires a two-thirds approval vote.
E.
The
original eight franchises cost $50 each year with a $15 discount for having
always been there. Expansion franchises receive no discount the first year
they are in The League and only a $10 discount the second year. By the
third year they will have been around long enough to get the full discount.
All of the franchise fees will be used to pay League championship prize money.
F.
Owners
may take on minority or half owners by submitting an application in writing to
the League Office. Since The League naturally wants to continue the high
level of character associated with the original group, any owner may object to
an application. The Commissioner must carefully consider the merits of the
objection(s) before approval. There is a $6 fee for adding partners.
G.
Under
unusual conditions, an owner may need to retain the services of hired help (i.e.
General Manager) for a period of time. The Commissioner determines if the
conditions merit such action. If the use of hired help is approved, there is a
one time $4 fee per employee.
SECTION
2---HOW THE LEAGUE WORKS (OR, KEEPING STATS):
A.
Each
spring, around the time of Opening Day, The Owners will gather and draft players
that make up his/her team. The statistics of those players in 10 major
categories will determine each team’s performance. The categories are: · HOME
RUNS · TOTAL
HITS +WALKS
· RUNS
SCORED · RBIs
· STOLEN
BASES · PITCHING
WINS · TOTAL
INNINGS PITCHED
· ERA
· HIT/WALK
RATIO TO INNINGS PITCHED RATIO
· SAVES
Note
that there are five offensive and five pitching categories. Team results
are a total of the individual members of each franchise’s roster for each
category.
B.
League
standings are determined by rank in the above categories. For example, if
a team finishes first in HOME RUNS and there are nine teams in The League, the
team gets 9 points. If a team is last in home runs, the team gets 1 point.
The total of all categories determines the standings. If two or more teams
tie in a category, the number of points normally awarded for those rankings are
summed and divided by the number of teams tied for the category. For
example, if two teams are tied for second in SAVES, both teams get 7.5 points.
.
C.
Tracking
of stats will be done by ALLSTAR STATS, and the standings will be updated on a
daily basis. Retroactive adjustments based on owner errors or omissions may be
made from time-to-time as needed. Owners are responsible for submitting all
player transactions, including players returning from the DL or minors. D.
Fielding
is important in baseball, but is too hard to fool with in our league.
E.
ALLSTAR
STATS is now the official source of statistics.
SECTION
3---ROSTERS:
A.
There
will be 22 players on each franchise’s active roster. On opening day,
those players must be divided as follows: · 2
CATCHERS
· 1
FIRST BASEMAN · 1
THIRD BASEMAN · 1
SECOND BASEMAN · 1
SHORTSTOP · 1
CORNER INFIELDER (“CIF”-UTILITY FIRST OR THIRD BASEMAN)
· 1
MIDDLE INFIELDER (“MIF”-UTILITY SECOND BASEMAN OR SHORTSTOP) *
· 5
OUTFIELDERS
· 9
PITCHERS
(22 TOTAL Players) *(“Stupid
Paul Lane Middle Infield Rule”)
Note:
A franchise may open the season with 4 outfielders and 10 pitchers, or 6
outfielders and 8 pitchers without using one of their nine Voluntary Moves
(SECTION 7).
B.
In
addition to the 22 man active roster shown above, each franchise will have a
farm team roster of 4 players. Stats for these minor leaguers do not count
toward the official standings. The minor league roster may be made up of
any positions. The purpose of the farm team is to have players readily
available to replace active players who go on the DL or get sent to the minors,
and to give owners option of making shrewd voluntary player moves. Farm
team players also make it easier for teams pull off trades.
C.
The
draft will be for the number of rounds needed for each franchise to have a total
of 26 players. At the end of the final round owners must have drafted
players whose positions meet the requirements shown under SECTION 3-A.
SECTION
4---THE DRAFT:
A.
The draft is to be held as close as practical to Opening Day of the National
League.
B.
The
order of the draft is determined by a drawing. The drawing is held using
The League’s sacred balls. The drawing is to be witnessed and be pretty fair.
After the first round, the drafting order is reversed each round.
C.
ALLSTAR STATS will determine the eligibility of players at one or more positions
based upon a threshold of games actually played at the position to be determined
by the Commissioner. The threshold number of games played at a position may be
adjusted by the Commissioner to maintain pretty fairness. The current thresholds
are as follows: Players are eligible for all positions for which they played 10
or more games last season, and they are eligible for additional positions in the
current season after having played 3 or more games at the position.
D.
Drafted
players hold the same position throughout the season unless they qualify for
additional positions in accordance with the thresholds established for the
season. Owners may utilize voluntary and/or involuntary moves to change player
positions assuming the players qualify at the positions and roster integrity is
maintained. For example, teams may move a MIF to shortstop or second base, or
move a player from second base or shortstop to MIF (assuming the players were
designated to play second base or shortstop prior to The Draft, or have become
eligible by virtue of meeting eligibility thresholds) in connection with a
voluntary or non-voluntary player move. Likewise, teams may move CIF to first
base or third base, or move a player from third base or first base to CIF
(assuming the players are designated to play first or third base prior to The
Draft, or have become eligible by virtue of meeting eligibility thresholds) in
connection with a voluntary or non-voluntary move. If a player is
drafted who was listed at multiple positions and begins the season on the Farm
Team, that player's initial position is determined by the owner the first time
he is called up to the Major League roster.
E.
An
owner may draft players not currently on a National League roster, if there is a
reasonable expectation that the player will show up on a NL roster in the near
future. This option is intended to apply to injured players, holdouts or
minor leaguers who are likely to be called up soon. The option to make
more speculative drafts of players who are in the American League, but may come
to the National League as a free agent or in a trade at some later date is
limited to one such draft a season (“Sneaky Sox Statute”). If owners
draft a player who is on the DL or is in the minors at the beginning of the
season, and assign that player to their active 22-man roster, they may replace
the player with a temporary player, but that move is effective the following
Tuesday (not retroactively to the beginning of the season). However,
frozen players who begin the season on the DL may be replaced retroactive to the
beginning of the season.
SECTION
5---PROTECTED (FROZEN) PLAYERS AND FREE AGENCY:
A.
No
later than March 1 of each year franchises will name players from the previous
season’s roster to make the core of their team going into the new season.
These are called protected or frozen players.
B.
Owners
retain the rights and obligations of these players after the season ends and
until new players are frozen for the next season. Special rules cover
these players during the season and during the off- season and will be described
later.
C.
In the
event that a frozen player is seriously injured after the freeze date but prior
to the start of the National League season opener, the Commissioner may award an
extra draft selection at the end of the first round as compensation should the
franchise request to drop the injured player. However, for any injury occurring
after the start of the National League season, there shall be no compensation.
(The “Griffey Rule”)
D.
For the 2007 season each franchise must name a frozen player and may name 2
frozen players. The franchise must select 1 frozen player for a 2 year
contract and, if freezing 2 players, a second player for a 3 year contract.
The franchise can retain the rights to these players for the length of the
respective contracts. At the end of a contract the player becomes a free
agent ("Curt Flood Formula") and is returned to the pool of draftable
players.
In
2007, If a franchise chooses to freeze only 1 player that franchise will
pick a player at the end of the 2nd round of The Draft so that all teams have
the same number of players before beginning the third round.
For
the 2008 season, and for all future seasons, franchises must freeze 3 players.
The player(s) added to the frozen list will have 3 year contracts, but
any previously frozen players retained will become free agents at the expiration
of their contracts.
Any
frozen player who is traded is subject to free agency with his new team in the
same manner as he would have been with the team who traded him. Any player
previously under contract whose team does not renew his contract by refreezing
him automatically becomes a free agent.
SECTION
6---INVOLUNTARY PLAYER MOVES:
A.
Throughout the season owners will need to
make “involuntary” player moves. Player moves are always made on
Tuesday. The Tuesday date is historical. This date was coincidental with
the Tuesday edition of
The
time of submission of player moves has no significance in terms of the effective
date of the move or a franchise’s rights to that player. In other words, it is
not “first come, first served” when it comes to player moves. A player’s
status is determined as of Tuesday, and players cannot be replaced if they are
not on the DL or in the minors on the reporting Tuesday----even if they were
temporarily sent to the minors during the week. (“Hitchcock Hiatus”)
In
the event that more than one franchise claims a player, either as a result of a
trade or on the regular reporting date, the priority of claims shall be
determined in accordance with other provisions of these Rules.
B.
Replacement
players must be deactivated on the Tuesday following the original player’s
return to a National League roster.
C.
There
is a procedure for selecting temporary replacement players: · Owners
may select a member of their own farm team if that player plays the same
position and is currently on an active National League roster, subject to the
flexibility of Paragraph 6 G. In the event a player on the farm is sent to
the minors or on the DL, the replacement for that player is considered to be
available for calling up in the same manner as the original player who was
replaced. Alternatively, owners may select an undrafted player who plays the
same position and who is from the same National League team. · If
no farm hand is available at the correct position, the owner must select an
undrafted player who plays the same position and who is from the same
National League team, subject to the flexibility of Paragraph 6 G. · If
there is not another undrafted player at the same position on the same National
League team, the owner then “rotates” to the next National League team
(using the following preset order) and selects a replacement:
ARIZONAàATLANTAàCHICAGOàCINCINNATIàDENVERàFLORIDAàHOUSTONàLOS
ANGELESàMILWAUKEE
àNEW
YORKàPHILADELPHIAàPITTSBURGàSAN
DIEGOàSAN
FRANCISCOàST.
LOUIS à
D.
Priority
for voluntary and involuntary move claims for the same player shall be given to
the team losing a player drafted in the earliest round of the draft. In the
event that players were drafted in the same round, priority would go to the
franchise lower in the standings according to the standings which appear on the
Tuesday reporting date, except when a conflict arises with a franchise which has
lost a player in a trade to the
Mid-year
draft picks are always considered last round picks.
E.
Players changing National League rosters have no effect on SWBL rosters.
F.
Members
of the farm team can be temporarily replaced if they go on the 15 Day
Disabled List (or longer), are sent to the minors, or are released.
They are replaced using the same standard replacement guidelines described in
SECTION 5-A, B, C, D, and E above, but they must be reactivated on the farm team
or active roster if they return to an active NL roster. Unlike players on
the active roster, owners have no obligation to replace farm team players.
G.
When
making an involuntary move, owners, at their own discretion, may exercise the
same roster flexibility allowed as the result of trades as described in SECTION
9-B (going up or down an outfielder in exchange for going up or down a pitcher),
if the player is being replaced by a member of the farm team.
Otherwise, replacements must play the same position.
H.
In the
event a player is hurt toward the end of the season after the National League
allows teams to expand their rosters and the formal DL procedure is no longer in
use, an owner may seek The League Office’s permission to replace that player.
“Virtual DL” permission is routinely given if evidence is presented
indicating that the player is actually to be sidelined for the remainder of the
season.
SECTION
7---FARM TEAM OPERATIONS (VOLUNTARY MOVES):
A.
Owners
may make “voluntary” player moves between their major league active roster
and their farm team roster. These moves are made effective on Tuesdays.
The League Office is to be notified by posting the move on the website so that a
report of all player moves can be made to The League, and so owners can comment
on the moves.
B.
The major league roster must meet position guidelines after making any voluntary
moves. However, owners may exercise the same roster flexibility allowable
with trades as described in SECTION 9-B (going up or down an outfielder in
exchange for going up or down a pitcher).
C.
Each
franchise has an unlimited number of voluntary farm team moves in a
season.
D.
Once
chosen, replacement players cannot directly be replaced by another replacement
player. However, if roster moves can be made which result in the demotion of the
chosen replacement player, such moves are permitted.
E.
Voluntary
moves may be utilized to change player positions on team rosters in the manner
described in Section 4D.
F.
Priority for voluntary and involuntary move claims for the same player shall be
given to the team losing a player drafted in the earliest round of the draft. In
the event that players were drafted in the same round, priority would go to the
franchise lower in the standings according to the standings which appear on the
Tuesday reporting date, except when a conflict arises with a franchise which has
lost a player in a trade to the Mid-year
draft picks are always considered last round picks.
SECTION 8---TRADES TO THE AMERICAN LEAGUE
(THE “PENA OPINION”):
A.
In the
event roster players are traded to the American League during the season, SWBL
will use the following rules to compensate owners for their loss: 1.
For compensation for a protected (Frozen)
player an owner may select any non-roster player in the National League.
If the player selected does not play the same position as the protected player,
the owner will need to release a player at a position that will cause the roster
to conform to League guidelines. The owner has the same roster flexibility
allowed when SWBL owners trade players among themselves as described in SECTION
8-B. If the owner does select a player at a different position than the
one lost to the 2.
For compensation for one of the first 6
draft choices, an owner may select any non-roster player in the National
League. If the player selected does not play the same position as the one
lost to the AL, the owner will need to release a player at a position the will
cause the roster to conform to League guidelines. The owner has the same
roster flexibility allowed as a result of SWBL trades as described in SECTION
9-B. If the owner selects a player at a different position than the one
occupied by the lost player, the player will need to select an undrafted player
who plays the same position as the lost player. This selection must be
made from the roster of the same National League team from which the
player traded to the 3.
For compensation for one of the 7th
through 14th draft choices, the owner may select any available
roster player from any National League roster who plays the same position as the
lost player. 4.
For compensation for one of the 15th
through 20th draft choices, or for any farm teamer, the
owner may select any undrafted player who plays the same position on the same NL
team as the lost player. 5.
Players acquired at the mid-year draft are
considered last round selections. 6.
Any drafted player involved in a trade to
the AL who is on the DL or is in the minors at the time of trade will be
considered an active roster player. 7.
Any player who is on a franchise’s farm
team at the time he is traded to the AL for any reason other than for the
purpose of injury rehab will be consider a last round pick regardless of whether
he was a protected (frozen) player or in what round he was originally picked.
This is to protect against some undeserving owner being rewarded for having made
a feeble freeze. 8.
Players who were not on the farm team and
are temporarily filling a roster spot for DL or sent to the minors player, and
are traded to the AL are not considered roster players for the purposes of SWBL
trade guidelines. The affected owner should replace the lost temporary
player in the normal manner. Players who are serving as replacements on other
teams are not available to be selected as compensation for a trade until they
are released on Tuesday. (“Dontrelle Decision” aka “Tuffy Tough Call”) 9.
In the event more than one SWBL player is
involved in the same trade, the following rules apply: · The
team losing the player drafted in the earliest round has first claim on
replacements. · If
more than one team has a player involved who was drafted in the same round, the
team lowest in the standing at the last official report has first claim. · If
a SWBL team has more than one player involved in the same trade, compensation
will be as if each player was the only one traded.
10.
In the
event of multiple claims for the same player, a franchise losing a player in a
trade to the B.
All
player moves that are the result of a trade to the
C.
In the
event a protected (frozen) player is traded to the
D.
Protected
(frozen) players lost to the AL during the off-season through free agency, who
retire, or are lost for all or most of the season due a “severe injury,
illness or other dire circumstance” are covered by the compensation rules.
The Commissioner will determine if the injury, illness or other dire
circumstance is worthy of this compensation.
E.
Unprotected
players traded to the AL, lost through free agency, badly injured, etc., no
matter how fabulous they performed, or how badly an owner wanted to freeze them,
are not covered by the compensation rule (“Moises Memorandum”).
SECTION
9—SWBL TRADES:
A.
Trades between franchises are allowed under the following guidelines: · Trades
are effective on Tuesdays, and stats are effective at the same time. · Stats
complied by the traded players prior to the effective date of the trade remain
with their original team. · The
trading deadline is the Tuesday after Labor Day. · The
Commissioner has the duty and obligation to void any trade that is deemed to be
a threat to the competitive balance of The League or violates the integrity of
the pennant race. · Trades
involving future draft choices, or changes in draft position are allowed but
must be finalized and approved by the Commissioner by the first Tuesday in
August.
B.
As a
result of trades, owners may have certain roster flexibility without incurring a
Voluntary Move charge as follows: 1. Owners
may increase the number of outfielders to six or decrease the number to four. 2. Owners
may increase the number of pitchers to ten or decrease the number to eight.
SECTION 10—MID-YEAR DRAFT:
A.
There is to be a special mid-year League Meeting of owners near the time of the
All-Star break. At the meeting a mid-year draft will be held. The
following guidelines apply to that draft: 1.
Prior to the mid-year draft all players
that have been added to a teams major or farm team roster to replace
DL/sent-to-the-minors players will be returned to the undrafted pool to be
available for drafting. 2.
Prior to the mid-year draft owners may
protect 22 players from their major or farm team roster. The remaining
players are eligible for drafting. 3.
Each franchise has the same roster
flexibility for the mid-year draft as allowed under SECTION 9-B. 4.
The first round of the mid-year draft will
be in reverse order of the most recent League standings available at the time of
the draft. Subsequent draft order will be determined by sacred balls lottery and
will reverse after each round (in the same manner as the preseason draft). 5.
Teams may draft players who are not
currently on National League rosters as a result of injuries or who are in the
minor leagues if there is a reasonable expectation that they will be activated
or called up in the near future. Speculative selections such as drafting an
American Leaguer who is rumored to be heading to the National League are limited
to one per franchise (see “Sneaky Sox Statute SECTION 4E).
At
the end of the Draft, each team must have a total of 26 players. Each franchise
must have a minimum of 2 Catchers, 5 OF, 9 Pitchers, one 1B, one 2B, one SS, one
3B, one MIF, and one CIF SECTION 11---MISCELLANEOUS:
A.
SWBL is
a highly principled, ethical organization. Each franchise is charged with
the responsibility of maintaining the good image of our League. Conduct by
the players on an owner’s roster is the responsibility of that owner.
Acts deemed to be detrimental to the best interest of The League can result in
fines. Abusing our fans, cheating, speeding, fighting, drugs, fits,
gambling, women, alcohol, excessive political correctness, mound charging,
umpire bumping and general tackiness are all examples of actions that can invoke
fines. The Commissioner is the judge and jury for this matter, and must be
pretty fair in all decisions. All fine money is paid to the League Comptroller
and goes toward the championship prize money .The League Champion team is
to designate the charity of its choice and all the prize money is given to that
charity in the teams name. B.
From time to time owners may decide they want to change their team’s name.
Owners request for a name change must be submitted to The League Office and
approved by The Commissioner. Approval should not be withheld if the name does
not in any way harm the image of The League or doesn’t seriously offend fellow
owners. Name changes are $1 apiece.
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