LEAGUE CONSTRUCTION / MEMBERSCurrently, our league consists of nine owners running twelve teams.

Brett Templin (2 teams)

Chad Colombari (2 teams)

Chuck Wierschem (2 teams)

Joe Papania (1 teams)

Tyler Smith (1 team)

Mike Groschupf (1 team)

Brian Brown  (1 team)

Craig Lopacinski (1 team)

Shane Beecraft (1 team)

Pittsburgh Coyotes (Mike Groschupf)

Houston Generals (Chad Colombari)

St. Louis Busch  (Tyler Smith)

Baltimore Black Cats (Brett Templin)

Milwaukee Ignitors (Chuck Wierschem)

Atlanta Stonecutters (Craig Lopacinski)

San Diego Conquistadors (Brian Brown)

Toronto Monarchs (Chad Colombari)

Chicago Pale Hose (Shane Beecraft)

Colorado Captains (Brett Templin)

Los Angeles Quakes (Chuck Wierschem)

Washington Express (Joe Papania)

The long term ultimate goal is to have twelve members that believe fully in our Mission Statement.  If we meet the right person that fits our dynamic we can agree as a group to bring that owner aboard and have that person take over one of the teams for an owner running two that would prefer to run one.  If the twelve owner number is hit and we as a group decide to expand we will be open to the idea.

No owner will be forced to give up running one of his two primary teams if he doesn’t want to and is consistently playing a large percentage of his games.

HOW THE LEAGUE WILL BE PLAYEDWe will use the Dynasty League Baseball online game to play the season.  Owners running two teams will have separate user names – one for each team.

The schedule will be set up so that we are done with the season in six months.  The schedule will be set up so that the season is complete when the 6 month paid for dynasty league baseball online subscription ends.

The season will be 80 games long.  One series will be scheduled to be played by your team(s) every week.  You can play at any time against your opponent during the week on or before the scheduled weekly date.  If a team doesn’t show or make plans to play earlier in the week the computer will play the series using the strategy that you tell it to use.  This is referred to as AUTO-PILOT and once turned on your opponent can play against your team at any time.  This feature guarantees the league moves along no matter what.  It’s great that we have this built in crutch in the event we simply can’t find the time in a given week to invest the time needed to play the series.  If this is the case let your opponent know as quickly as you can and put your team on AUTO-PILOT.  Your only job in this instance is to update your starting rotation to match the four pitchers that are going to pitch in the correct order and to be sure that your lefty and righty lineups are correctly input.  Ideally, all games are played live but the AUTO-PILOT feature protects us in the event actually playing the games doesn’t work from a scheduling aspect for that week.

There are three divisions – four teams each.

DIVISION 1San Diego Conquistadors

Los Angeles Quakes (Dodger Stadium)

Atlanta Stonecutters

Baltimore Black Cats

DIVISION 2Milwaukee Ignitors

Chicago Pale Hose (Guaranteed Rate Stadium)

Toronto Monarchs

Colorado Captains

DIVISION 3St. Louis Busch

Pittsburgh Coyotes

Washington Express

Houston Generals

We will play each divisional opponent 16 times (8 at home and 8 on the road).  We will play all eight non-divisional opponent 4 times each. Four of those opponents will be played at home and the other four will be played on the road.  Year by year the non-divisional home/away games will flip-flop.

The three division winners and two wildcard teams will make the playoffs.  The two wildcard teams will play one game with the winning team earning the right to the play the division winner with the best record.  Both playoff series will be 7 games long.

Every three seasons with the next change occurring (this year) in year 10 the divisional alignment will change.  The four least successful teams during seasons 7, 8, and 9 make up division three.  Division one will consist of four most successful teams, and Division two will consist of the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th most successful team over that three span.  No owner running two teams can have two teams in the same division.  In the event that was to occur a simple switch of the closest team in order will switch places with the team that would have been placed in a division with the same owner’s other team.  Success is defined by a point system taking into account regular season wins (1 pt), post season appearances (10 pts), division championships (10 pts), world series appearances (25 pts), and championships (50 pts).

The draft, franchise player, prospects

FRANCHISE PLAYER INFORMATION

1. This player must be 28 years old or younger.  (we will use the age listed on the dynasty league baseball card as the age of the player.)
2. This player will be given a 3 Year Iron Clad Contract.  This means that if he misses a year due to injury (no card) or moves to our player pool (NL) it has no impact on this contract with your team.  This contract is truly iron-clad.
3. This player can not be traded.
4. This player can have his contract renewed on an unlimited basis by the team that originally drafted him when after three years the next Franchise Player draft takes place.  This places importance/strategy on drafting a carded young player that you can potentially grow with for many seasons.
5. The only way a Franchise Player can be replaced mid-contract is if he dies or retires.  He then could be replaced by any member of the American League outside of our player pool 28 years of age or younger.  That player would then finish the rest of the three year contract for the replaced player but can not have his contract renewed as the contract was not his initially.
6. The 2024 season will be the tenth year that the DCL has been played.  Every Franchise Player’s 3 year Iron Clad Contract can either be renewed or released once again at the conclusion of season nine leading into year ten.  This draft will occur on March, 19th 2024 at 8:00 PM
7. For all teams that do not protect their Franchise Player at the conclusion of season nine the draft order will be determined by the prior three years of cumulative record.  Worst total record to best will determine the order.   The results of season seven was the first season that impacts draft order.  The order will begin new taking into account the results of seasons 10, 11, and 12 determining the new draft order going into year 13.

The DRAFT!  The draft in year ten  for the DCL will be a 19 round draft.  This will occur after 20 players on every roster that are in the player pool are protected by each team.  On Saturday March, 16th 2024 your 20 protected players are due.  Please email that list to both myself and Joe Papania.  For any questions regarding who is available to be protected please see the spreadsheet with your team tab that Joe Papania will be updating as the off-season unfolds.

1. The player pool will be finalized and locked on Friday, March, 15th 2024.  Up until that date Joe Papania will send regular updates of who is in the player pool – helping greatly with our draft preparation.  For the 2024 season any carded or un-carded player on a roster in the DCL in the player pool can be protected as one of their 20 protected players. The exception are the players selected in rounds 16-19 from the prior draft.  The players selected in rounds 16-19 are looked at as simple roster protection that fill out your 40 man roster for the given year that have no other strategical value.  These drafted picks and players from rounds 16-19 also can not be traded.
2. All players in the player pool will be eligible to be drafted that have a dynasty league baseball card. Only players with a card are eligible to be drafted.
3. This will be a straight 19 round draft.  The team with the first pick in round 1 will pick first in every round.
4. The 19 round DRAFT will begin with the first 4 rounds being completed on Friday March, 22nd  2024 at 6:00 PM central.  The next six rounds will be completed on Saturday March, 23rd at noon central.  The next five rounds will be completed on Sunday March, 24th at noon central.  The draft will conclude on Monday March, 25th at 6:00 PM central with the four non-protectable players being selected and the two round prospect phase of the draft. 

We will pick our players in our Diamond Champions League groupme app.  Brett Templin will confirm the choice after the pick is made and list who is on the clock next.  There is also a google doc which will show the entire draft order for our group to see with the updated picks being listed for us to see real time.   Let the continued building of your Franchise begin!

DRAFT INFORMATION

1. Every player chosen in rounds 1 through 15 of this phase of the draft can be kept forever if they remain in the player pool and are protected every year by their team.
2. Players selected in rounds 16 through 19 of this phase of the draft are simple roster protection for that given year and can not be protected.  These players and picks also can not be traded.
3. Only players with a card whose name is in the player pool and not on a different team in the DCL is eligible to be selected.

THE LIMITED NO TRADE CLAUSE

One of the fun but scary things about the player pool is that if one of our core players leaves to the American League we lose him.  This can be a huge hit for any franchise especially if that player was a top draft pick / core player.  As a result, you are able to place the limited no-trade clause on 2 members of your team.

1. The players that receive this designation must be given it before a season begins. It can be given to the player any time after he is drafted by your franchise.  The final date to use this designation on a player for the 2024 season is Wednesday March, 27th 2024.
2. Once a player is given the limited no-trade clause it can not be taken away.
3. These two players with this designation can’t leave our player pool regardless if he goes to the American League as long as he is a protected player with the team that gave him the no-trade clause. If you love this player you can rest assured he can be with you for his entire career.
4. He will refuse to be traded in the off-season to any team other than a squad that played in the Playoffs the season before.  For the off-season prior to the 2024 season beginning players with the limited no trade clause will waive their no-trade designation and accept trades to either Colorado, Atlanta, Baltimore, Los Angeles, or Toronto.
5. If he is traded to a team that played in the Playoffs in the off-season he immediately loses his limited no-trade clause distinction.
6. Having the limited no-trade clause does not guarantee the player being protected by his franchise in the off-season.  If he is not protected and becomes a free agent he immediately loses his limited no-trade clause.  At any time in the off-season an owner can free up a no-trade clause with an email to the commissioner releasing the player with the no-trade clause making that player a free agent.  If that player is in the player pool he is eligible to be drafted by any franchise.  If he is out of the DCL player pool he is not eligible to be drafted.  The first time an owner can release a player with the no-trade clause for the 2024 season is November, 5th 2023.
7. If a team loses one of their two players that had the limited no-trade clause because of release, retirement, or trade they can offer any player on their roster a no-trade clause in the off-season before the next season begins.
8. All no-trade clause distinctions are allowed to be given to their player in the DCL and MLB off-season.  Not during the season.  The last day to do this for this season is March, 27th 2024.
9. If a player begins a season for a team in the DCL and is traded to an American League team during the MLB season and finishes the MLB season as a member of the American League he can not he given a no-trade clause after the fact regardless of the contract situation for that MLB player.
10. If a player with the limited no-trade clause is not on a MLB roster American League or National League when the rosters close on March, 15th 2024 he will be lost to that franchise and assumed retired, suspended, in the KBO or similar league, or no longer playing baseball.  The commissioner does reserve the right to extend that date if a unique situation involving a free agent that is obviously not retiring occurs.

The Prospect Draft

At the completion of the normal draft the Prospect Draft will immediately begin.

A google doc will be sent out to all league members with the draft order.

Eligible players are those in the minor leagues that have never had a Dynasty League Baseball card.  They must be on teams that are in our player pool.

INFORMATION REGARDING THE PROSPECTS CHOSEN

1. Every prospect chosen will be given a three year minor league contract.   This means that this player will be guaranteed three years on the minor league affiliate for a team in the league as long as he remains in the National League (the player pool).  If he is traded to a team in the American League (out of the player pool) you will lose that prospect and will need to replace him in the following draft.

2. This player can be traded but his three year minor league deal will continue.
3. This three year minor league contract ends the moment the player gets a card and graduates to the big leagues.  Even if that is after one season.
4. Once a prospect gets a card he is guaranteed a spot on your roster in his first year in the show.
5. When this prospect gets his first card he will not count toward the twenty players we need to protect when the player pool is finalized for the upcoming draft and will take the place of the 5th round pick in the upcoming 19 round draft.  If two prospects hit in the same year that team will give up their 5th and 6th round picks.
6. After this player’s first year in the Majors (on your team) he will be treated like any other Major League player and the owner does not have to make him one of the 20 players that will be protected.  He now will be treated like any other member of your major league team.
7. 2024 will mark year ten for the Diamond Champions League.   For any selected prospect that has not received his first card and has been on a team for at least three full years that owner can either keep that player as one of their prospects or release him.  This decision needs to be made by Friday March, 8th 2024.

 Play the season (done in six months)

The dynasty online game system is how we always have and will continue to play the games for our league.

 

The Offseason begins. 

Trading is now open.

TRADING INFORMATION

1. For ease and solid competition throughout each season trades are only allowed in the off-season, during the draft, and after the draft up until opening day.  Teams will not sell out to win or build for tomorrow in this league during the season when the games are being played with “insider information” of what a players card will look like for the following year based on how the player is producing during the current MLB season.  The DCL offseason should be looked at as the MLB trade deadline.  Are you going for it or building for tomorrow?  The off-season is the time to make that determination.
2. The moment the DCL season ends and a champion is crowned  and the MLB season is over trading will be open.   For the 2024 season trading officially opens on November, 5th 2023. Trading will be open through the off-season and draft and will close Wednesday March, 27th, 2024 just prior to the DCL opening day.
3. Every trade involving prospects, players, and/or draft picks will need to end in a way where both teams have the same amount of prospects, players, and draft picks once the trade is finalized.  For teams that trade a “graduated prospect” prior to or during the draft a draft pick will need to be received in return.  This is due to the fact that a “graduated prospect” takes the place of a draft pick in the upcoming draft.  Prior to the draft beginning or for trades made during the draft receiving a draft pick in return creates equality with both teams that made the trade ending with the same amount of players.
4. Trades can only be made between two different owners (or two different owners if it’s a three team trade).  If an owner is running two teams he cannot make a trade with himself. *In a situation where a three team trade is made with two of the teams being controlled by by the same owner all four members of the Trade Committee have to unanimously agree that the trade is in the best interest of all teams involved for the trade to be approved.*
5. Draft picks can be swapped both prior to and during the annual 19 round Player Draft.  The draft order will be sent out with a google doc listing the draft order and will be changed if draft picks are traded.
6. Future season(s) draft picks are not able to traded.  For the 2024 season only 2024 draft picks are allowed to be swapped.  Draft picks in 2025 and beyond are not eligible to be moved until that particular season begins.

Protected Players

1. After every season when the player pool is finalized we will protect 20 of the 39 players that were a part of our team the year before or traded for in the off-season.  Player 40, the Franchise Player, is automatically protected and does not count toward the 20 players that will be protected.
2. The 20 players that are able to be protected are players that are officially a part of the player pool when the Player Pool is finalized for the following season.  Or a player that has the limited no-trade clause and has been traded to or signs with a team outside of our player pool and is on that teams 40 man roster or is a non-roster invitee for that team.
3. The player that is protected will not have to have a card to be protected.  So, if a superstar misses the season because of injury but is still part of the player pool he will be able to be protected.
4. Only players selected in rounds 1 through 15 from the most recent draft are eligible to be protected.  Players selected in rounds 16 through 19 in that draft are not able to be protected.  Players selected in rounds 16 through 19 are simple roster protection filling out the 40 man roster for the immediate season being played.

Upcoming Drafts

1. Every year the draft will consist of 19 rounds. 
2. For every team not in the playoffs (picks 1-7) the worst record will pick first in every round– on down the line.  In the event of a tie record head to head game play will be the first tie-break and  the second tie-break is run differential.  The wildcard game loser will select next regardless of overall record (pick 8).  The division series losers will have picks 9 and 10.  The team with the worse regular season record will select 9th.  In the event of a tie record the same two tie-breaks listed above will be used to break the tie.  The DCL World Series Champion will select 12th with the runner up picking 11th.
3. Every carded player in the player pool – not protected on any team will be eligible to be picked.
4. Any player in the player pool that is not carded and not protected on an existing franchise is not eligible to be selected in the 19 round draft.  Only carded players are eligible to be selected during the 2024 19 round draft.

Future Franchise Player and Prospect Player Drafts – Draft Order

1. After three full years we can replace our prospects if they haven’t gotten a card and are still in the player pool.  The same with the Franchise Player – that player is under contract for three years and can be replaced with a new player before season ten begins in 2024.  For Prospects there will at times be multiple teams that have a player that was drafted and has been a Prospect for over three years.  If that player is still on a team and not yet carded they can be replaced.  If this is desired this has to be communicated by Friday March, 8th 2024 for the 2024 season.

The draft order for the 2024 Franchise Player draft will be based on the cumulative regular season winning percentage in the 2021, 2022, and 2023 seasons.  For the 2024 Prospect Player Draft the 2021, 2022, and 2023 results create the order.  For the 2025 Prospect Player Draft the order will reset based on one year of results in 2024.  The 2026 Prospect Player Draft order will be determined by the 2024 and the 2025 results.  The 2027 Prospect Player Draft order will be based on the 2024, 2025, and 2026 results.  In 2028 the cycle begins from scratch all over again.  In the event of a tie-record the team with more post-season victories will select after the team with less post-season victories.  If neither team won a playoff game over that span of time regular season head to head record will determine who selects earlier.  The team with less head to head wins will select before the team with more head to head wins.

So, an example would be when the fourth Franchise Player draft occurs in 2024.  The team with the worst regular season record over years seven, eight, and nine will choose first.

After three years the cumulative record that impacts the order of these selections will change.  The draft order will once again begin new for the 2025 season with the results of the 2024 season creating the draft pick order.

Alterations to the Dynasty League Rules / Basic InformationWith ease and realism being important components we are focused on achieving as a league the following rules are being added.

1. Starting pitchers Maximum amount of Starts will be tracked

A – Starting pitchers will be allowed a maximum of 17 regular season starts.  It’s ridiculously rare to see a starting pitcher in a 162 game schedule start over 34 games.  This league will mimic that with the 17 available starts in the regular season in our 80 game schedule.

B – All starters need 4 days of rest regardless of how long they pitched in their last start unless it’s over 9 innings or if there is a double-header due to a rain out.

C- In the event of a rain out and a double header being scheduled the next day it is allowable for one of the two starters pitching that day to pitch on 3 days rest.  Be careful though.  Any starting pitcher that pitches on 3 days rest has increased opportunity to be injured.

D – Starting pitchers with the ability to pitch in relief need 4 days of rest after any relief pitching appearance regardless of how long the appearance was for – before they can start another game.  3 days if pitching one end of a double header because of a rain out.

E – If a starting pitcher pitches 9.1 to 10 innings he will need 5 days of rest before he can pitch again.

F – A starting pitcher cannot pitch over 10 innings in any start – regular season or post-season.

G – Using a 3 or 4 man rotation in the playoffs is acceptable.

H – A starting pitcher in the playoffs pitching on 3 days rest will perform with his stamina -7 if he pitched 4 innings or more in his prior start.  He can only pitch on 3 days rest if he pitched 9 innings or less in his prior start.

I – A starting pitcher in the playoffs that pitched 9.1 to 10 innings must rest 4 days before being able to pitch again.

J – All starting pitchers that pitch in the playoffs must have rested at least three days from their last regular season appearance before being able to be used in the playoffs.  If this post-season start is made with three days rest he will pitch with -7 stamina assuming he pitched 4 innings or more in his prior start.

K – If there is a tie regular season record and a one game playoff occurs to determine who makes the post-season or wins the division this will be treated like a post-season start even though statistically the performance will be counted on the regular season stats.  So, if a starting pitcher has started 17 games and has rested at least three days he could start this game.

2. Limited Player (1) This league will  limit the ability to use at bat Limited Players (that don’t have the ability to catch).

This has been added to less “gaming” or manipulating the system under allowable Dynasty League Baseball rules.  We also will have less to actually track – our focus will be simply playing the games.  Michael has an inconsistent approach to deciding who and who doesn’t end with at bat limitation on their cards.  We will take the guess work out with this change. A line had to be drawn at an at bat limit to make sure we have enough talent to field all 12 teams.  Hours were spent looking at past season cards and stats from MLB in years past before a final decision was made on these limits.  Even with this add we will still be fielding weak offenses as only a handful of players were added to the player pool with the limits listed below and many others lost the ability to contribute this season with the implementation of this rule.

A – ANY player with 70 at bats or more against left handed pitching will be able to play against left handed pitching with the prorated number of at bats allowed and counted by the online system.  Any player with less than 70 AB vs. left handed pitching listed on the at bat limitation portion of the card that can’t play catcher – can not be used to pinch hit or start vs. a left handed pitcher.  ALTHOUGH the system will allow it – this league will not.

B – ANY player with 150 at bats or more against right handed pitching will be able to play against right handed pitching with the prorated number of at bats allowed and counted by the online system.  Any player with less than 150 AB vs. right handed pitching listed on the at bat limitation portion of the card that can’t play catcher – can’t start or pinch hit vs. a right handed pitcher.  ALTHOUGH the system will allow it – this league will not.

C – The only tweak to this rule is the following.

EXAMPLE –  If a player can play on an unlimited basis against right- handed pitching but doesn’t reach the needed at bat number to play against left-handed pitching. He then starts against a right-handed pitcher or enters the game with a right-handed pitcher on the mound (doesn’t necessarily need to have an at-bat) and a left-handed pitcher comes into the game as a reliever.  He would not have to leave the game under this scenario and could bat against that left-handed pitcher. 

EXAMPLE –  If a player can play on an unlimited basis against left-handed pitching but doesn’t reach the needed at bat number to play against right-handed pitching. He then starts against a left-handed pitcher or enters the game with a left-handed pitcher on the mound (doesn’t necessarily need to have an at-bat) and a right-handed pitcher comes into the game as a reliever.  He would not have to leave the game under this scenario and could bat against that right-handed pitcher. 

3. Limited Players (2) The Catchers. These players will be limited but differently from any player with at bat limitations listed on the card that can’t play catcher.

Many teams have that guy that plays once a week to rest the starting catcher and Michael takes that into account by putting at bat limitation on these players.

A – The catcher with the AB limits that don’t reach 70 against left handed pitching but has 40 AB’s or more as a limit is only allowed to start once every 8 games against the pitcher that he is limited against. This coincides with when the normal every day catcher would typically need a day off.  Any catcher that has less than 40 AB’s vs. left handed pitching can not start or pinch hit against a left handed pitcher.

B – The catcher with the AB limits that don’t reach 150 against right handed pitching but has 50 AB’s or more as a limit is only allowed to start once every 8 games against the pitcher that he is limited against.  This coincides with when the normal every day catcher would typically need a day off.  Any catcher that has less than 50 AB’s vs. right handed pitching can not start or pinch hit against a right handed pitcher.

C – For the catchers than can play (limits of 40 AB vs. left handed pitching and 50 AB vs right handed pitching) The dynasty league baseball site will follow the at bats used and will be prorated from the number on the card to the number of games (80) we are playing.  We can use the guy that much.

D – For the catchers that can play (limits of 40 AB vs. left handed pitching and 50 AB vs right handed pitching) if that player makes the playoffs he is not able to play in an unlimited way.  His AB number will be prorated based on a 20 game postseason.  So, assume that 1/8 or so of the number on the card will be actually usable.  The DLB online site will make it clear what the “use” number is and will track it.

With a playoff series being 7 games the limited catcher with at least 40 AB vs. left handed pitching and/or 50 AB vs. right handed pitching will be allowed to start one game in a 7 game playoff series on his limited side.  If a right-handed pitcher and left-handed pitcher starts against this particular player and he has over the limit number needed to play (40 AB vs. lefty and 50 AB vs. righty) he will be allowed to start two games in a 7 game playoff series.

He is allowed to start in the wildcard 1 game “play in” game assuming he has at least 40 AB listed vs. lefty pitching if a lefty is starting or 50 AB listed vs. righty pitching if a righty is starting.

E –  For the catchers than can play (limits of 40 AB vs. left handed pitching and 50 AB vs right handed pitching) they can pinch hit, come in as a defensive replacement, pinch run, or enter as a defensive replacement.  Again, these player will have their available at bats tracked. This is allowable in both the regular season and playoffs.

F – If, for example, a catcher is unlimited to play against right handed pitching but limited to 40 AB vs. left handed pitching (above the at bat cut off for against left handed pitching because he is a catcher) – he would be able to start against right handed pitching on an unlimited basis and against a left handed pitcher once every eight games.  –He starts six straight games against right handed pitching takes a day off and on the 8th day a left handed pitcher starts.  He would be able to start against that left handed pitcher and going forward would be able to start against that type of pitcher once every eight games regardless of how many times he starts against right handed pitching assuming he has the available number of at bats to do it.

G- If the catcher has over 70 AB limitation vs. lefty pitching / over 150 AB limitation vs. righty pitching he can start on an unlimited basis against the type of pitcher where the limited AB number on the player card exceeds the listed number.  70 AB for lefty pitching.  150 AB for righty pitching.  This is allowable for both the regular season and playoffs.

4. % Usage Players

A – A player with % usage on his card needs to start the season in the minors.

B- A % usage player that is eligible for the postseason will automatically be taken off the playoff roster when his available game usage has ended.  The online DLB system automatically tracks this and lists the allowable games for that particular player on your roster page.

C – At bat restrictions are the same for players with % usage as they are for players without.  If they don’t have the needed number of at bats they can’t play.

5. Pitchers are not able to pinch hit unless all position players on the bench have been used.

A – There are no exceptions to this rule.

B – If all position players have been used the only pitcher that can pinch hit is the pitcher with the most available listed AB’s on his card.

6. The pitcher removal rule

A – A starting pitcher cannot be pinch hit for or removed before he pitches at least five innings unless he is tired or given up a run (earned or unearned).

7. Players sent to the minors

Injured players can not be sent to the minors.  If a player is injured your options are to put him on the disabled list or play with one less available player until the player is no longer injured.

8. Relief pitcher use 

The current dynasty league baseball rules allow us to “game” the system by unrealistically using a relief pitcher longer than they would be used during an appearance that they would have in MLB.  The unrealistic use of pitchers has been fixed by the “overworked” rule.  Therefore, we will not track innings pitched going forward other than when a pitcher becomes “overworked” his season is over.

A – The maximum amount of innings pitched during any outing for a long reliever is 4 innings unless they are the last relief pitcher available.  This will be played the same way for the regular or post season.

B – The maximum amount of innings pitched during any outing for a short reliever is 2 innings unless they are the last relief pitcher available.  This will be played the same way for the regular and post season.

C – If a pitcher becomes “overworked” he can finish the inning he is pitching in but then is done for the year and must be sent to the minors.  A pitcher becomes overworked when hitting 1.5X innings pitched.  Your team page on the dynasty baseball site shows the eligible innings your pitchers have and tracks that throughout the season.

EXAMPLE – Approximately speaking here is an example.  A pitcher worked 40 innings in MLB.  Divide that by 2 seeing we play an 80 game schedule.  That equals 20.  Then, multiply .50 to that number.  That equals 30.  That would be the approximate number of available innings for that player prior to becoming “overworked”.  The dynasty website will have the exact number of innings listed that your player is able to pitch prior to becoming “overworked”.

D – Relievers must be warmed up and ready before they can be put into the game.

E- Relievers can pitch on back to back or even back to back to back days as long as they aren’t tired.  But, be careful.  Any reliever pitching in consecutive days has an increased chance for injury once they reach 0 stamina.  This increased chance for an injury could occur on an “umpire” roll.

9. One offensive decision is allowed per “base-out scenario not per at bat”.

A – If you don’t get a lead when trying to steal second base you then can’t decide to hit and run.

B –  If a player steals second, the team can use a second strategy to advance him to third…

The online dynasty game allows for the ability to hit and run after a failed stolen base attempt.  We as a league do not allow for that to happen

10. AB LIMITED PLAYER USED AS DEFENSIVE REPLACEMENT

DCL rule clarification.

If an AB limitation player has defensive value but can not under league rule (less than the needed limited AB’s) start or pinch hit vs. a right-handed or left-handed pitcher this player can only be put in the game in the 8th inning or later without the intent that that player will bat vs. his limited side.  This is playing by DCL rules.

If you decide to make this move prior to the eighth inning and that player comes up to bat on his limited side (less than the needed limited AB’s) he must be removed from the game and can not bat.

Bottom line – The expectation is that a player in this scenario will not bat in the game.

11. Roster Creation

With the implemented AB limitation rule taking the freak role player out of the game we need to make sure first and foremost we are able to field a team no matter what with the guys we have in our minors for innings that need to be pitched by our relievers and games that need to be played by our position players.

There are intriguing prospects available with unplayable cards.  I’m sure every team will afford the space to draft at least a couple of them depending on roster depth, durability, and who your 20 protected players are and what they can do.  Guys with A durability already on the team will make doing this much easier.  We need to be mindful of protecting ourselves regardless of injury.  We will need to carry in most cases at least four catchers and be sure to protect ourselves in the event of an injury to any player.  When building the team pretend the guy with D or F durability exists but maybe only for a short time.  Protect your team.  That’s the number one priority.

With having a 40 man roster it is absolutely 100% expected that every team have roster protection for needed innings and position players at every position.