COMPOSITION

MEMBERSHIP

COMMISSIONER

RULE CHANGES

EXPANSION

ELIGIBLE PLAYERS

LIMITS <> Offense

MLB PA per game @ 3.1 or more = actual games

MLB PA per game between 2.4 and 3.1 = actual games x 0.7 (fraction is rounded off)

MLB PA per game less than 2.4 = actual plate appearances rounded up to the next 5 appearances.

played five games at the position in the last MLB season or

played 5% of games at the position if actual games are less than 100

RCMBA qualified defensive players will be used first

if none are available, then any APBA rated player for that position will be used

if no player as noted above is available then any player may be used to finish the game.

MLB SEASON

• In the case of an abbreviated MLB season all limits will be adjusted to reflect a 162 game season.

OVERUSE

GENERAL

• Off-season - unlimited roster size except for the week prior to the free agent draft. See section 5 for details.
• Regular season - Maximum roster size is 36 players, carded or not.

Active rosters must have players RCMBA qualified as starters for all defensive positions.

Active rosters must have at least one RCMBA qualified defensive backup at C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS and two OF.

GENERAL RULES

• All trades shall be reported promptly, to the commissioner or delegate.
• The commissioner will rule on any disputed trade.
• The commissioner may declare any trade void, in the best interest of the association.

TIME

• The draft will be held on the internet, in an AOL Chat Room or by telephone.
• The draft will be held on the first or second Saturday of February.
• Starting time will be 12 noon- EST

PRE-FREE AGENT DRAFT

• At a designated date all teams will reduce their roster to 30 (or 35 for expansion teams).
• Anyone reducing to less than 30 will gain bonus draft picks equal to the excess reduction.
• Bonus picks will begin with round nine, in the same drafting order.

FREE AGENTS

• All carded players not on an RCMBA roster are eligible to be drafted.

DRAFT ORDER

• Expansion teams will draft after all teams with 100 loses or fifth, whichever is lower.
• Teams will given a draft position based on the inverse order of the previous seasons winning percentage.

TIEBREAKERS

• Ties for draft pick seeding will be broken in the following manner & order:
• record vs each other (team with more losses/worst pct is awarded the better pick)
• away pct vs all teams (team with best pct is awarded the better pick)
• division standing (team with lower position is awarded the better pick)
• coin flip (winner receives the better pick in odd numbered rounds)

LENGTH

ROTATION

• Each team must have a starting rotation complying with rest requirements.
• The away games for each series will be considered to be first.
• The rotation is sequential from one series to the next series.
• The rotation may be altered by either skipping a starter or inserting an additional starter.

REST DAYS & APPEARANCES

• Starting pitchers must have at least three games rest between starts.
• Any starter who can also relieve, must have 3 games rest between starting and relief appearances
• On June 1st and August 1st the rotation may be reset without regard to the above.
• Byes do NOT count as 3 games rest.

PITCHING UPGRADES/ DOWNGRADES/ LIMITS

DESIGNATED HITTER

• The DH may be used in any game as stated by the official rules of Major League baseball.

"a batter may be designated to bat for the pitcher, prior to the beginning of the game. Any eligible player may be substituted for that batter and he will become the designated hitter. If the designated hitter takes a defensive position, the pitcher will then bat in the place of the replaced defensive player and use of the designated hitter is terminated for the remainder of the game."

PITCHERS HITTING or RUNNING

INSTRUCTIONS

• The visiting manager shall mail his instructions to the opposing manager, by the 5th day of each month for all games scheduled within that month.
• The instructions will include information meant only for those 4 or 5 games with a pitching rotation listed using names and in the correct game order.
• The instructions will include:

active roster

lineups, pitching rotation, relief pitchers, injury replacements and strategy.

GAME PLAY & RESULTS

• The home manager shall play all games scheduled for a month & have results compiled and mailed to the visiting manager by the last day of the scheduled month.
• The manager shall indicate on each game scoresheet when the following items occurred:

hit & run was used.

unusual play card or error card was used.

infield was moved in.

substitution was made.

other noteworthy occurrences.

• After completing the series the home manager must:

compile stats for both teams

update his own team statistics

mail a copy of each game scoresheet and series stats to the visiting manager, if previously requested.

mail/e-mail league Excel series recap & stats report/highlights(or hand version) to the opposing manager & commissioner.

• After receiving results of the series the manager should check the items for errors & update his y-t-d- stats.

STATS

• The following statistics will be kept and the commissioners totals are considered official:

BATTING (G-AB-R-HT-RBI-2B-3B-HR-BB-K-HBP-SB-CS-SF-SAC-DP-E)

PITCHING (W-L-ERA-SV-G-GS-CG-ShO-SIP/RIP-HT-R-ER-HR-BB-K)

PENALTIES

METHOD

TIME FRAME & PARTICIPANTS

• Playoffs begin immediately following the regular season.
• The playoffs will include the first place team of each division and one wild card (determined by the best overall W/L pct).
• The playoffs will consist of two rounds, in a best of seven format

SEEDING/SCHEDULE

• Teams will be seeded based on WL%, in descending order, as 1, 2, 3 and 4 is the wildcard team.
• The first round of the playoffs will be 1v4 and 2v3.
• In the case of the wild card being in the same division as seed 1 then 1v3 and 2v4.
• The team having the best WL% will be home for games 1, 2 & 6, 7 in any round of the playoffs.
• The wild card team will always be away for games 1,2 & 6, 7 in any round of the playoffs.
• The World Series will have the winners of the first round meeting for the Championship.

PLAYOFF TIEBREAKER RULES

• BOTH TEAMS WILL QUALIFY FOR PLAYOFF SEED:
• Record vs each other (team with more wins is home or seeded higher)
• Away pct vs all teams (team with better pct is home or seeded higher)
• Coin flip (winner is home or seeded higher)
• BOTH TEAMS DON'T QUALIFY FOR PLAYOFF SEED:
• A one game playoff will be held as game 163. See above for home team.

The active roster will be the same as that used in the following playoff rounds.

All players will have one extra game (or 1 PA for players limited to PA) added to their season limit for this game.

All starting pitchers will have 1 extra start added to their season limit and 7 starting innings for this game.

All relief pitchers will have 1 inning added to their season limit for this game.

Starting pitcher rest requirements will apply.

REST

• All players are considered to be fully rested at the beginning of the playoffs.
• There is a scheduled rest day between each round of the playoffs.
• Bonus Rest Days - Any series ending prior to the maximum number of games will count as rest days equal to the number of unnecessary games.

ACTIVE ROSTER

• All teams will be restricted to the same 25 active players for the entire post season.
• No player who was overused in the regular season will be eligible for any post-season play.

INJURIES/ DH USE

• All injuries will be enforced as per our regular season rules. That is the J-factor will apply.
• No injury will carry over from one series to the next.
• The DH is mandatory for the start of each game.

PITCHER LIMITS PER ROUND

• Starting pitchers (those permitted to start per regular season rules):

• Relief pitchers (those permitted to reliever per regular season rules):

Limit is 10% of the regular season limit (not rounded up) with a maximum of 7 innings.

• One starting pitcher, normally ineligible to relieve and not starting any games in that round, may be used once per round as a reliever for a maximum of 7 innings.

ROTATION

BBW COMPUTER GAME

*** Bob Fick is the only one permitted to use the "BBW" computer game for all of his home games.

*** The commissioner may use the computer game, for games when a team is without a manager.

• The APBA "BBW" Computer Game will be allowed under the following conditions:

ERROR CARD

• Will be used whenever the play result is 15-21 except when the result is "hit by pitcher".
• Reroll dice and use the following result:

FIELDER CHART

• Whenever the bases are empty & the play result is 18, 19 or 20, the following fielding modification will be used:
• 2B8 or SS9 or 3B5 - roll 1 die and record as follows.. 1-3 out/ 4-6 error
• 2B9 or SS10 or 3B6 - roll 1 die and record as follows.. 1-4 out/ 5-6 error

• Any play result of 21 (except hit by pitcher) use the firstbaseman to determine fielding column:
• 1B4/5= column 1 <> 1B3 = column 2 <> 1B2 = column 3

SLOW RUNNERS CARD

• APBA's "Optional Base Coaching" (ie; "playing safe") will not be used no matter the situation or result.
• The below chart will be used whenever the runner is slow and the hit & run board is not in use & play result is 7-11.
• The slow runner will advance safely the following number of bases unless "SR" indicates otherwise.

"*" = with two outs 2 bases

"$" = and batter steals 2nd

"SR" = same as regular boards

 

UNUSUAL PLAY CARD

• Will be used whenever the play result is 23 or 36-41, reroll dice & use the following result:

BALL/STRIKE

• Any result of a ball or a strike is changed to two balls or two strikes.
• NOTE: Per MLB rules, a foul is a strike unless the batter has two strikes.

HIT & RUN USE

• The batter is limited in use of the hit & run per game, equal to the number of 31's on his card.

INJURIES

• No injury will carry over to the next series.
• After game 112, all injuries will be for that game only.
• Pitchers injuries will be for that game only.
• Position players injury duration

--- J0= remainder of that game.

--- J1= remainder of that game + 1 game.

--- J2= remainder of that game + 2 games.

--- J3= remainder of that game + 3 games.

--- J4= remainder of the series.

PITCHING UPGRADES/ DOWNGRADES/ LIMITS

NON PITCHER LIMITS

• See section two regarding game limits.

RAIN OUTS

• There will be no rainouts. It will be recorded as a rain delay and completed. Any pitcher continuing after the delay will be reduced one grade, even if the rain delay happens in the top of the 1st.

XIII-SCORING AIDS - MLB RULEBOOK

10.04 - RBI .. A statistic credited to the batter whose action causes one or more runs to score as set forth in this section.

(a) The official scorer shall credit the batter with a run batted in for every run that scores;

(1) unaided by an error and as part of a play begun by the batter's safe hit (including homerun), sac bunt, sac fly, infield out or fielder's choice unless rule 10.04(b) applies.

(2) by reason of the batter becoming a runner with the bases full because of a base on balls, hit by pitcher, interference or obstruction; or

(3) when before two are out, an error is made on a play on which a runner from third base ordinarily would score.

(b) The official scorer shall NOT credit a run batted in;

(1) when the batter grounds into a force double play or reverse force double play; or

(2) when a fielder is charged with an error because the fielder muffs a throw at first base that would have completed a force double play

10.07 - STOLEN BASE/ CAUGHT STEALING

(h) The official scorer will charge a runner as "caught stealing" if such runner is put out or would have been put out by errorless play, when such runner

(1) tries to steal;

(2) is picked off and tries to advance; or

(3) overslides while stealing

10.16 - EARNED RUNS AND RUNS ALLOWED .. An earned run is a run for which the pitcher is held accoutable.

In determining earned runs, the official scorer shall reconstruct the inning without the errors (which include catcher's interference) and passed balls, giving the benefit of the doubt always to the pitcher in determining which bases would have been reached by runners had there been errorless play. In determining earned runs an intentional base on balls, regardless of circumstances, shall be construed in exactly the same manner as any other base on balls.

(a) The official scorer shall charge an earned run against a pitcher every time a runner reaches home by aid of safe hit, sacrifice bunt, sacrifice fly, stolen base, putout, fielder's choice, base on balls, hit batters, wild pitch (including a wild pitch on a third strike that permits a batter to reach first base) BEFORE fielding chances have been offered to put out the offensive team. For purposes of this rule, a defensive interference penalty shall be construed as a fielding chance. A wild pitch is solely the pitchers fault and shall contribute to an earned run just as a base on balls or a balk.

(b) No run shall be earned when scored by a runner who reaches first base;

(1) on a hit or otherwise after his time at bat is prolonged by a muffed foul fly;

(2) because of interference or obstruction; or

(3) because of any fielding error.

(c) No run shall be earned when scored by a runner whose presence on the bases is prolonged by an error, if such runner would have been put out by errorless play.

(d) No run shall be earned when the scoring runner's advance has been aided by an error, a passed ball or defensive interference or obstruction, IF in the official scorer's judgment the run would not have scored with the aid of such misplay.

(e) An error by the pitcher is treated exactly the same as an error by any other fielder in computing earned runs.

(f) Whenever a fielding error occurs, the pitcher shall be given the benefit of the doubt in determining to which bases any runners would have advanced had the fielding of the defensive team been errorless.

(g) When pitchers are changed during an inning, the official scorer shall not charge the relief pitcher with any runs (earned or unearned) scored by a runner who was on base at the time such relief pitcher entered the game, nor for runs scored by any runner who reaches base on a fielder's choice that puts out a runner left on base by any preceding pitcher.

(h) A relief pitcher shall not be held accountable when the first batter to whom he pitches reaches first base on four called balls if such batter has the following counts when pitchers are changed. It will be charged to the preceding pitcher. Any other result except four balls will be charged to the relief pitcher.

2 balls, 0 or 1 strike(s)

3 balls, 0 or 1 or 2 strike(s)

(i) When pitchers have changed during an inning, the relief pitcher shall NOT have the benefit of previous chances for outs not accepted in determining earned runs.

10.19 - SAVES FOR RELIEF PITCHERS

The official scorer shall credit a pitcher with a save when such pitcher meets ALL 4 of the following conditions;

(a) He is the finishing pitcher in a game won by his team;

(b) He is not the winning pitcher;

(c) He is credit with at least 1/3 of an inning pitched

(d) He satisfies ONE of the following conditions:

.....enters the game with a lead of no more than 3 runs pitches for at least one (complete) inning;

.....enters the game, regardless of count, with the potential tying run either on base or at bat or on deck;

.....he pitches effectively for at least 3 (complete) innings and maintains the lead.