USBL - new fictional/historical league

[statfreak]

League name: United States Baseball League (USBL)
League URL: http://www.sttfrk.com/usbl/
League type: historical/fictional
Number of teams: 26 MLB / 10 USBL
Number of games in season: MLB - 162, USBL - 156 (24 in division/12 out of division)
OOTP version: OOTP8/2007
Sim deadline/schedule: 11AM Central Time on Tuesday and Friday. 8 days will be simmed on Tuesday with 7 days simmed on Friday. The league file and html reports will be updated anytime between 11am and 11pm Tuesday/Friday. In most cases the sim will be run at noon with updates following shortly thereafter.


**Very important** if you are interested in joining, please email me (sttfrk-at-yahoo dot com). I am unable to check the forum regularly and can not guarantee I'll see any replies to this thread. Please indicate your top 3 USBL team choices in your email.

League Concept:

A new professional baseball league, the United States Baseball League (USBL), was formed and began play in 1979 fielding 10 teams. Even though it will be competing with MLB for players and fans, the USBL considers itself a third major league, not a rival of MLB. In addition to the online league, This will be an alternative MLB replay as well.


I am only looking for owners for the 10 team USBL. The MLB teams will be run by the AI. I would prefer to stick with the citites as I currently have them, but am open to nickname changes and would consider other city suggestions. Personalized logos and colors readily accepted. If there is overwhelming interest, I would also accept owners for MLB teams once the USBL teams are filled.

The complete league rules can be found here.

Some highlights:

Coaches/Scouts will be disabled.

Development randomness will be reduced to 35 from 100.

Ratings scales will be 1 - 10.

Overall/potential will be displayed as 20-80 (no stars).

Morale system will be turned off.

The DH will be used for all USBL teams and the AL only in the MLB.

The USBL will use a salary cap set to roughly 45 times the "average quality player salary" as determined by OOTP. This will be reviewed and adjusted as needed.

Rule 5 draft will be disabled.

All strategy settings will be imported yearly and determined by OOTP; however, Use of Closers will be set to 'Often' in 1979 for both MLB and USBL.

Financials, Waivers, and DFA will be enabled. DFA length will be 15 days.

MLB free agents are availalble to be signed by USBL teams, who will be competing with the AI controlled MLB teams. USBL players will not be available to MLB during the 1979, 1980, and 1981 seasons, but fictional USBL free agents will be available to both the MLB and USBL beginning in the 1982 season.

No Initial league draft. All teams will be randomly stocked by the AI. There will be a "real player" draft consisting of "unretired" players who last played in the MLB in 1978 or earlier and who will 33 years old or younger as of 1/1/1979. Additional details will follow.

USBL division winners meet in the 7 game USBL Championship series. The non-playoff teams will play in a double elimination tournament. Both the Championship series and tournament winner will get an additional draft pick between rounds 1 and 2.

The USBL will have a one round free agent draft before the official start of free agency in the game. Most, but not all free agents will be available for this draft. A full list will be provided by the league commissioner. Teams are not required to participate in the draft. The draft order will be based on win/loss records with the worst team picking first, the second worst picking second, etc... The worst team will receive two picks, the 1st and 11th. All players selected will be signed to 3 year contracts at the current "Good Quality Player typical salary" as determined by OOTP. All remaining free agents will be available to be signed by any team during the normal free agency period.

USBL player ratings will be set relative to MLB player creation modifiers as such:

1979 to 1982: 75% of MLB
1983 to 1984: 80% of MLB
1985 to 1986: 85% of MLB
1987 to 1988: 90% of MLB
1989 & after: 100% of MLB

I will not actively control any one team (but may act on behalf of any computer AI teams if trade requests are made).

Thanks for reading all that.

Again, please email me if you are interested.

[statfreak]

New Orleans and Orlando have been filled. Still looking for 8 owners for the other teams.

[statfreak]

San Antonio has been filled.

[statfreak]

Buffalo has now been filed.

[statfreak]

The transfer to the new host is complete. Forums are set up as well. http://www.sttfrk.com/usbl/

Current open teams:

Miami
New York
Washington
Denver
Phoenix
Portland

Two more owners are close to joining and picking their teams, so we should be down to four openings after tonight.

Hope to start simming games next week. Please keep the sign-ups coming.

Thanks,

Joe

[statfreak]

Portland is now taken.

Miami, New York, Washington, Denver, and Phoenix remain open.

The above teams can also be located to a city that would fit within the league as well.

Thanks.

[Rastafreaky]

Financials for both the MLB and USBL will be imported and determined by OOTP. The USBL amounts will be reduced by the commissioner during the first 10 years of the league and then left at the same level as MLB beginning with the 1989 season.

The above quote is from the league constitution. Just out of curiosity....what formula will you use to reduce the USBL amounts? Thanks in advance.

[statfreak]

Washington claimed!

Just 4 teams left... New York, Phoenix, Denver, and Miami.

[statfreak]

Originally Posted by Rastafreaky

Financials for both the MLB and USBL will be imported and determined by OOTP. The USBL amounts will be reduced by the commissioner during the first 10 years of the league and then left at the same level as MLB beginning with the 1989 season.

The above quote is from the league constitution. Just out of curiosity....what formula will you use to reduce the USBL amounts? Thanks in advance.

Nothing too extravagant. I think I set everything at roughly 70 - 75% the first season and will step it up by 2.5% each season until the numbers are the same in both leagues.

I thought about using something more complicated, but decided not to give myself a headache every offseason.

[statfreak]

Miami has been taken.

Just 3 teams remain, New York, Denver, and Phoenix.

[statfreak]

New York has been taken.

Denver and Phoenix remain if anyone is interested.

[statfreak]

Phoenix has been filled.

Denver remains open.

[statfreak]

league is full.

[statfreak]

We recently had 3 teams open up, Portland, New Orleans, and Orlando. We are halfway through the first season and looking to add 3 active owners.

Please email me at sttfrk-at-yahoo.com if you are interested.

Thank you.

[statfreak]

Washington has become available as well.