PROPOSAL #2: PLAYER OPTIONS, TWO TOO MANY.
- Player options reduced from 3 per player to 2.

PROPOSAL #3: PLAYERS ON 60 DAY DL
- Rule change denied, 5 votes to 1.

PROPOSAL #4: THE JM IS KILLING MY DRAFTDAY BUZZ RULE
- Rule change denied, but we’re allowed to beat him with a bag of soap.

PROPOSAL #5: IF HE’S ON THE FARM HE’S ON THE FARM/BARTOLO COLON RULE
- Votes were 3 – 3 on this, WTNY, Si7, and JM in favor, no need to ask EE or DMB.  Sticking point is how MLB teams handle DL designation on opening day.  We want to take another look at this once we know the DL rule (do they get designated as MLB or Minor league free agents – Kalish, Revere types).

PROPOSAL #6 25 MAN ROSTER
- Rule change denied. 4 – 2, WTNY and TUSA in favor

PROPOSAL #7 24 MAN ROSTER, change 10th pitcher spot to flex position.
- Rule change passed, 5 -1. TRC against, WTNY changed mind to push through.

PROPOSAL #8 Sal Perez Rule, FA’s acquired during the season can’t be kept.
- Voted down.

PROPOSAL #9 Papelbon Rule
- SOT FA’s who are acquired after the MLB Trade Deadline are not eligible for compensation.

PROPOSAL #10 MULTIPLE NUKES TO ACTIVATE FARM/RESERVE LIST
- Passed, although we’re limiting the “max” to two  nukes per week. Only players eligible are those on the roster after the draft, pre-spice draft.  On the first transaction sheet, all those on the draft day roster will be noted by Andy.

PROPOSAL #11 OBP vs AVG
- OBP voted in, AVG voted out.

PROPOSAL #12 Draft Lottery
- Proposal declined.

I propose we change this rule.  We initially added this rule to prevent Colon situations, where an established MLB player signs a minor league contract, rehabs in AAA, then gets called up the MLB level.  The league decided that a Colon-type player should have to start on an active SOT roster.  I’d like to see us separate the Colon’s, who had more than 6 years of MLB service time, from Kyle Seager, Josh Bell, Fautino De Los Santos, Mike Carp, Kyle Drabek, Zach Stewart, Tyson Ross, Carlos Carrasco, Trayvon Robinson, Sal Perez, etc.

If the MLB team decides to start this type of player on the farm, in my view it’s unfair to require the SOT team to start them on the active roster.  This group still falls under the “needs more time in the minors” tag, hence the MLB team is starting them on the farm. I’d suggest we use 3 years of MLB service time as demarcation to separate Colon’s from Drabek’s.

When we talk about the league becoming too confusing, and too many rules, we’re almost always talking about transaction related rules.  I think most of us agree that we’ve put many rules in place over the years, and without studying the constitution, it’s easy to forget them.  But we’ve also tinkered with the scoring, adding and subtracting categories as we go, trying to find the perfect mix of real world value and fantasy.  I think tinkering is a good thing, and that’s why the alliance of WTNYTRC or TRCWTNY is proposing this rule.

OFFENSE (6.5 pts total):

HR, OBP, SLG, TBB+IBB+HBP, SB – all worth 1.0 pts

AVG, R, RBI – all worth 0.5 pts

PITCHING (6.5 pts total):

SV/HD Category – 1.5 pts

W, QS, ERA, WHIP, K – all worth 1.o pts

***********************************

A couple of reasons how we got here.

1) No one needs to reconstruct a roster, all this does is put less value on the categories that deserve them – Avg, R, RBI.

2) This is a nice compromise on the SV/HD stat.  Some believe 2pts is too great a reward, yet 1pt could have teams punting relievers as a group.

3) Cue the “this isn’t a SABR League, this is a fantasy league” argument.  We didn’t add FIP, WAR, and BAPIP, all we did was give more value to the categories that deserved them, based on what MLB GM’s value.  So for the fantasy evangelists, you still have your R, RBI, AVG, and W, nothing was removed.

4) This won’t change the face of the SOT, just adjust it to more accurately reflect the overall reason we put a league in place that requires Winter Meetings, 24/7/365 coverage, 20 person farm, salary cap, etc.

New 2009 Standings (based on combined SV/HD category):

TRC – 80.5
DMB – 76.5
WTNY – 73
EE – 69
101 – 64.5
Tillman – 63.5
Si7 – 41
JM – 36

Some notes:

- $ spent is an estimate, it’s tough to calculate exact figures because often players are added and dropped.  JM was one of the few teams to own most of his relievers throughout the year.

- The table on the left represents the 2009 point total for teams in the SV’s category and HD category.

- The table on the right represents the 2009 point total for a combined SV + H category (our new rule).

- Net pts is the total pt difference between the old rule and the rule voted in for the 2011 season.

- The ‘New Standings’ above is how the new rule would affect the league standings.

My conclusions:

1) If you look at the money spent, the two teams that spent the least on relievers during the 2009 season, had the least amount of total points.
2) The team that spent far more than anyone else on relievers during the 2009 season, had the most points.
3) The two teams that punted the SV category, had the least amount of points.
4) The two teams that had 400k closers, Tillman and WTNY, scored well in the pts per $$ spent.
5) DMB and EE would move down one spot, TRC and WTNY move up one spot.

So while DMB is suggesting that this rule would cause the earth to shake, teams to bypass holds, and make it impossible for a team to compete unless they could acquire two closers, come to find out, that wasn’t the case in 2009.  The team with the most closers would’ve finished 45 pts out of first place (close though).  The team with the 2nd most saves (Tillman) would’ve finished in 6th place, and the team with the 3rd most saves (101) would’ve finished in 5th place.

To me, this is great rule change.  We’ll rightfully award teams that spend the most on relievers and penalize teams that either punt the category all together, or don’t spend much on it.  On top of that, closers who make the minimum, or have only a few years of service time will become extremely valuable placing more emphasis on drafting well or identifying Free Agents with “closer” ability.

2) Shutting down players in Sept – Rule passed.  After Sept 1st, you have the ability to reserve players if you can produce any written report that a player is going to be shut down.  Once he is reserved, you can not activate, nuke, or waive him.

3) DL players stats Active from Week 1.  Rule passed.  After the draft, players can replace DL players during the Spice Draft and those stats count from Week 1.

4) Reserve players stats Active from Week 2.  Rule passed.  Original roster player (Chris Tillman) stats count in Week 1, but his replacement from the Spice Draft counts in Week 2.

5) Player options for guys who have rookie status entering the season.  Rule passed.  Teams have 3 options per year on players, if a player gets traded, his options move go with him.  An option, is sending a player down, or putting him on the Reserve List.

6) Adding a pitcher to the roster in 2011.  Rule passed.

7) Every player not activated in two weeks, needs to be included in the commish transaction email each week.  Failure to report a player not being activated within two-weeks is a $5 fine.

8)Reserving Players after 2pm based on new info – Rule passed.  When submitting moves, you have the ability to reserve a player based on info you’ve read even if there hasn’t been an official transaction made prior to our deadline.  This rule works for players being activated, reserved, or acquired off the free agent market.  Teams must provide backup players when submitting weekly transaction reports. Commish will be sending his weekly moves through CBS site by the deadline each week.

9) In 2011, the Saves + Holds gross total category will be combined – Rule passed.  The category is worth 2 points.

10) In 2010 SB’s are a gross category – Rule passed.

11) Position eligibility moved from 2 to 5 games – Rule passed.  During the first week of the season, if the player has played in 2 games, he qualifies.  After the first week, it goes from 2 games to 5 games.

12) Additional Nukes to accommodate trade involving NL player to stay on top of priority list – Rule passed.

13) Draft day reserve list, moved from players with 6 years of service time to 3 years of service time – Rule passed.

14) Compensation for minor league players traded (Arodys Rule).  Rule passed.  All eight teams submit their vote, Rd and pick, remove the two outliers, then take the average.

Similar to MLB, I propose we incorporate player options on guys who are rookie eligible (…or maybe open it up to players with less than 3 years of service time?).  As it stands now, we have a rule in place that allows teams to reserve players on draft day with less than 6 years of service time.  The one player that still isn’t protected in my opinion is the rookie.  Once you activate a rookie, he’s on your roster all year, unless the MLB team sends him back down or he’s injured.  This discourages teams from activating young pitchers because they’re afraid of poor results without the option of sending him down to your farm.  The other fear is having the player get shut down in Sept, and you’re now stuck.  Lastly, if you activate a young player during the regular season, and he gets sent down, but called up during Sept roster expansion, you’re screwed.  Player options could eliminate these problems.  I propose three total player options per player.

SOT teams are allowed one reserve list (for injured players (Colon), players that have 6 or less years of MLB service time). However those players must occupy a roster spot on the day of the SOT Draft and can then be reserved after the regular draft is finished. A transaction draft will then take place open roster spots will be filled. Stats for players selected in the transaction draft do not count for first scoring period.
Proposed Rule:

Instead of allowing players with 6 or less years of MLB  service time qualify here, I propose we move it to 3 or less years of MLB service time.  In my opinion, players between 3-6 years should either be on your active roster, on your reserved list due to an injury, or a free agent.  I don’t know if teams reserved players between 3-6 last year, but it looks like a loop hole.