Amended 3/3/21
I. Structure
A. There shall be two divisions of eight teams each; American League, which shall include, Atlanta Vipers, Detroit Mustangs, Carolina River Dogs, Providence Steelers, Dartmouth Dragons, Boca Raton Sunrays, Newington Nightmare, and Rhode Island Muther Bikers franchises; and the National League, which shall include Los Angeles Breakers, Cape Cod Thunder, New England Whalers, Poughkeepsie Chiefs, Connecticut Cardinals, Kent County Anglers, Rocky Mountain Marauders and Glastonbury Gorillas franchises.
B. All teams shall play a 165-game regular season. The schedule shall be balanced such that each team shall play each other team in the League as close to the same number of games (regardless of home\away imbalance) each season. The schedule may consider the disparity in home\away games for each team by averaging home\away games over multiple seasons, if necessary.
C. Each game shall be played using Strat-O-Matic rules unless otherwise stipulated within this Constitution. Maximum rules (except weather effects, Starting Pitcher Clutch, home field advantage, doubles/triples options, and force daily injuries), shall be in effect. New max and\or computer game related rules released by Strat-O-Matic must be voted upon by the membership before implementing.
D. The Designated Hitter ("DH") Rule shall be utilized in all games.
II. Government
A. Elections: Shall be by majority vote of all owners. The Commissioner or his Appointee shall conduct voting. If a simple majority is not reached for any single candidate on the first ballot, the candidate with the least votes shall be dropped from each subsequent ballot, until a candidate is elected. A vote for new officers shall be held as soon practical after the World Series. The Commissioner or his appointee shall solicit nominations for all offices.
B. The Commissioner has the duty to settle disputes and oversee votes. The Commissioner has the "Best Interest of the League" authority and may make unilateral rulings and decisions on all issues that affect League matters. If a majority of owners agree that a League vote is necessary, the owners may overrule the Commissioner's decision by a majority vote. The Commissioner or his Appointee shall conduct the votes and results of the vote shall be published and mailed to all owners as soon as is practical.
C. The Assistant Commissioner has the duty to track trades, free agent moves, and maintain accurate rosters for all teams in the League. It is the duty of the Assistant Commissioner to compile the records for all teams in the League. The Assistant Commissioner shall make monthly reports to the owners during the season on any and all transactions that have transpired. In the event that the Commissioner is unable or unwilling to perform those duties for which he is responsible as Commissioner, it shall be the Assistant Commissioner's duty to assume the duties of Commissioner until such time that a new vote may be conducted to fill the Commissioner's position.
D. The Statistician has the duty to keep track of all official League statistics, compile the League files, consolidate the individual Computer Manager (hereafter referred to as CM), compile the League’s schedule and perform other duties as needed to effectively operate the league as they pertain to the League’s generation of computer related requirements.
E. All officers shall serve for one-year terms commencing January 1 and ending midnight December 31of each year.
F. The Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner, or Statistician may be removed from office for dereliction of duty if a 2/3 majority of owners vote to do so. Any member may call for a vote of no confidence.
G. Constitution changes are completed with a majority vote of all owners. Votes are officially held on draft day and upon completion of the World Series. Votes may also be held at any time during the year, if deemed necessary by the Commissioner or a majority of team owners.
III. Player Eligibility/Availability (Minimum): Only players meeting the following minimum requisites may be drafted and/or held on each team's "26 Man Roster" (hereinafter referred to as the Major League Roster (ML Roster)).
A. Position Players: 175 At Bats
B. Starting Pitchers...75 Innings Pitched
C. Starter/Relievers...75 Innings Pitched to be eligible as a Starter, otherwise may relieve only (subject to relief pitcher eligibility & availability rules).
D. Right Handed Relievers-..40 Innings Pitched
E. Left Handed Relievers-..30 Innings Pitched
F. Relievers/Starters......75 Innings Pitched to be eligible as a Starter, otherwise may relieve only (subject to relief pitcher eligibility & availability rules).
G. In the event that the Major League Baseball Regular Season is cut short for any reason, the minimum requisites for each of the foregoing player/pitcher position requisites shall be determined by determining the percentage of games played of the Regular Season using the team with the lowest total regular season games played, and applying the percentage to the aforementioned requisites above, with any fractions being rounded to the nearest whole number.
H. Each Team drafting in the Major League Draft shall be required to Draft until the Team has drafted a 26-man qualifying roster. A 26-man qualifying roster shall be defined as a valid Starting rotation, (i.e. 4 asterisk “*” or 5 non asterisk starting pitchers), minimum of 5 relievers, and at least one qualifying position player at each fielded position. If during the season a team trades and does not have a qualified roster, said team shall draft a Free Agent until said qualified roster is met. (“*” pitchers are determined by Strat-O-Matic Game Co. each season)
IV. The Draft:
A. The Annual Draft shall be separated into the Major League Draft, which would continue until all teams have fulfilled their required 26-man qualifying roster, making sure that each team has 26 qualifying players including a valid starting rotation (i,.e 4 asterisk pitchers or 5 non-asterisk and asterisk pitchers), minimum of 5 relief pitchers (in addition to the starting pitchers mentioned earlier) and at least one qualifying position player at each position prior to the commencement of the regular season;
B. Thereafter the Minor League Draft will commence in which all teams would draft either qualifying or non-qualifying players until the 31 man roster is filled. Restrictions on non-qualifying players are such that a team may hold up to 5 non-qualifying players without restriction so long as these players were held on the team the prior season. Team owners, subject to the restrictions in section V. (A), may pick a maximum of three ineligible players. Team owners may retain, prior to the Supplemental draft, any ineligible players, subject to roster restrictions contained herein. The same draft order which governed the Major League Draft shall govern the Minor League Draft.
C. Following the Annual Draft there shall commence a 48-hour “free period” where a team may drop players and pick up eligible free agents with no restriction. Said eligible free agents picked up may be maintained on a team’s roster beyond the conclusion of the season. Said pickup shall be approved in the order submitted to the Assistant Commissioner, and any players waived during the “free period” may be signed consistent with restricted free agency rules set forth below.
V. Major League\Minor League Rosters
A. A team’s Minor League roster shall consist of 5 Players. Said Minor League roster may consist of eligible, carded players or ineligible players.
B. Major League and Minor League Rosters are limited to a maximum of 31 players at all times.
C. 26 Eligible Players (i.e.. those types of players qualified to play) must be maintained on the Major League Roster and 5 Players must be held on the Minor League Roster.
D. All injuries shall end at the completion of the series in which they occurred during the regular season.
E. A team may make roster moves from his Minor League Roster to his Major League Roster prior to the commencement of each block of games as designated in the League’s schedule. Such changes shall be made in the Team’s computer manager (hereinafter “CM”) prior to its transmission to the Statistician and any designated League officer.
F. By midnight on the Third Sunday in February, all teams shall submit a list of players cut from their rosters and players protected on their rosters. Said protected players shall be designated as either protected under the Major League roster (26) or Minor League roster (5) as outlined above. Following the Annual draft, a team may move any eligible player between said rosters. Upon completion of both drafts each team shall present to the Assistant Commissioner or other designated Officer a roster that conforms with Paragraph C. of this Section, as well as Section III. (H) (above).
G. COVID-19 EXCEPTION ROSTER FOR 2021
A. For the 2021 season any owner may list by midnight of the 3rd Sunday of February 2021, along with his roster of cuts, to the Assistant Commissioner those players who, for any reason (to include but not limited to COVID-19, injury, opting out etc.), does not qualify pursuant to Section III (above). Said player shall not be counted against said team for purposes of the maximum number of players that may be kept on an owner’s roster. If said player is designated on this roster, said player may not be dropped, traded or moved off said roster for the entirety of the 2021 Renegade Baseball season. Said player must then be dropped or placed on the manager’s Major League or Minor League roster by midnight of the third Sunday of February 2022.
B. This exception shall be revisited following the Renegade Baseball World Series of 2021 and may be extended by a majority vote of owners.
C. This exception shall be incorporated into all other amendments dealing with rosters to provide conformity.
VI. Player Usage
A. Eligible Position players' usage is unlimited.
B. Asterisk "*" Starters (as designated by the Strat-O-Matic Game Co.) may start once every four games (3 days rest), with a maximum of 11 innings per start.
C. Non-Asterisk Starters may start once every five games (4 days rest), with a maximum of 11 innings per start.
D. Reliever/Starters may not appear as a reliever if they started in the same block of games during the regular season. A Reliever/Starter may not start in a series in which he has already appeared as a reliever during the regular season.
E. Starter/Relievers may not appear as a starter if they were used as a reliever in the same block of games during the regular season. Also, they may not appear as a reliever if they were used as a starter in the same block of games during the regular season. Further, all rules relative to days of rest needed must be adhered to when the pitcher is used as both a starter and a reliever across scheduled blocks of games. If used as a Starter, the pitcher does not get an automatic day off before the following series, as a pure reliever does.
F. All pitchers used as starters during each block of games shall be designated as Inactive in each team’s computer manager (“CM”) to avoid HAL using starting pitchers as relievers during away games, and Managers using starting pitchers as relievers during home games.
G. Relief Pitchers automatically get one day of rest between each series. Thus, the bullpen is always fresh for the first game of each regular season series.
H. The League schedule shall designate a midpoint in the schedule where a 3-day rest period shall occur. This is to resemble MLB’s All-Star Game break. Rotations may be reset accordingly.
I. All Managers are required to track their own starting rotations so as to adhere to the rules regarding starting pitcher usage. Starters do not get one day of rest between each series.
J. In the case where SOM shall issue more than one card for any player (such as an American League card, and/or a National League card and/or a combined (Inter-League) card incorporating the player's statistics from playing in both leagues), only the card with the highest total number of innings pitched or at-bats will be used. Further, this card must meet all eligibility and availability requirements set forth in this Constitution.
K. The Super Advanced SOM Injury Chart shall be used in all games played. However, all injuries end with the completion of the series in which they occurred.
L. Managers may design their own Home Ball Park following the Annual Draft and prior to the commencement of the Regular Season. The Manager must make known to the Commissioner or his designee the Ballpark Effects for Singles (both for right-handed Hitters and left-handed Hitters) and for Homeruns (both for right-handed Hitters and for left-handed Hitters). Said dimensions must be sent to the Commissioner no later than the first computer manager of the regular season. Ball Park effects shall not be changed after commencement of the regular season.
VII. Trading
A. The Trading deadline shall be stipulated as August 31, of each calendar year, unless changed at the Annual draft by majority vote, or at the discretion of the Commissioner where necessity and/or cause is shown.
B. Trades made during a block become effective at the beginning at the next block as stipulated in the League’s schedule.
C. Trades must be transmitted to the Assistant Commissioner prior to the end of each block.
D. Trading may resume following the completion of the World Series, and may continue until a date specified by the Commissioner prior to the Annual Draft. All Rosters shall then be frozen until Draft Day.
E. A team may waive players into Free Agency at any time following completion of the World Series until the third Sunday of each February as set forth above. Provided, however, that each team must protect a minimum of ten (10) eligible players. No waivers of any players shall be allowed thereafter until the Draft has been completed.
F. The Assistant Commissioner shall notify the Statistician of all trades for incorporating changes into the League’s master file.
G. In all cases where an owner fails to make cuts at the deadline of midnight of the 3rd Sunday of February the Commissioner or his designee shall make sufficient cuts, at his discretion, as is necessary to make that team’s roster comply with the above rules, exercising judgement to keep the team as competitive as possible.
VIII. Draft/Free Agent Acquisitions
A. All players not held on any manager's Major League or Minor League Roster at the time of the Annual Draft are available to be drafted, in accordance with eligibility requirements as stated above
B. Regular Season Records of each team determine Draft Order for the Annual Draft in compliance with Section XI. (D), herein. Worst record shall draft first in each round, with each team drafting in order according to their regular season record (in order worst to best). In expansion years Section IX. shall control the order of the draft.
C. All teams must protect a minimum of ten (10) players on their Major League or Minor League Rosters, however, no maximum is required unless the League shall have voted to expand, and in which case each team may protect a maximum of fifteen (15) players, unless otherwise voted upon by the membership.
D. The Assistant Commissioner shall maintain a list of all free agents as they become available. Each player waived by any team during the regular season shall become a restricted free agent. Any team may put a claim on a restricted free agent. If more than one team claims any restricted free agent within 24 hours of said release the Assistant Commissioner shall utilize a random selection process to determine which of the claiming teams shall receive the player. Any restricted free agent not so claimed shall pass into the unrestricted free agent pool. Any restricted free agent so acquired must be maintained on the signing team's roster for a minimum of one complete scheduled block of games during the regular season.
E. Unrestricted Free Agents may be acquired an unlimited number of times during the Regular Season. Teams must acquire unrestricted free agents or cut their Major League or Minor League Roster to maintain the 31 Player Requirement. The Assistant Commissioner must confirm any Free Agent availability and eligibility, and eligibility on the Team’s Roster, and all Free Agent acquisitions and/or waiving becomes effective at the next block of scheduled games as stipulated in the League’s schedule. Any team waiving any player off their Major League or Minor League roster shall be precluded from reacquiring said player for a period of one complete scheduled block of games during the regular season.
F. A team may select from the available free agent (restricted or unrestricted) players one (1) Type "A" Free Agent during the course of the season. This Type “A” free agent may be held beyond the conclusion of the regular season. Type “A” free agents may be traded, so long as all other rule guidelines regarding Type “A” free agents are upheld. The deadline for Type A moves is the same as the trade deadline. During the course of a season a team may not have more than one Type “A” Free Agent on their Roster, nor acquire via free agency more than one Type “A” free agent per season.
G. Any free agent acquired during the regular season who is not designated as a Type “A” free agent is automatically waived back into the free agent pool following the conclusion of the World Series.
H. If the League cannot maintain its current number of teams due to a loss of owners, the vacated teams' players shall be waived into Free Agency as of the third (3rd) Sunday in February, and said players would be eligible for acquisition through the Annual Draft.
I. All Major League rosters for all teams may be expanded up to a full 31 eligible players commencing at the game stipulated on the League’s schedule (typically the final scheduled block of games for the regular season). All rosters may remain up to 31 players for the duration of the regular season, until the conclusion of Game 162.
J. The Assistant Commissioner shall notify the Statistician of all trades for incorporating changes into the League’s gameplay (.lzp) file.
IX. EXPANSION:
A. In the event the League, by a majority of its members, decides to expand, the following shall serve as a blueprint for said Expansion Draft:
1. Expansion Draft shall be scheduled and held after the World Series, but prior to the Annual Draft.
2. Each existing team shall protect 15 players currently on their Major League (i.e. 31-man) Roster
3. Each existing team shall lose a maximum of three (3) players to expansion. There would be no “pull backs” by a team losing a player.
4. The expansion Draft will be three rounds with each expansion team taking 7 picks in each round, or until the pool of available players is exhausted.
5. The Commissioner or his representative shall pick initial draft order by a random selection process. The Expansion Draft shall proceed in a serpentine fashion.
6. The Expansion Draft shall continue until each existing team has lost 3 players, or until each expansion team has 21 players, whichever happens first.
7. Each team, including the expansion teams, has until the third Sunday in February (as per the Constitution, above) to make any cuts they wish. If the expansion team wishes to cut a player they picked up in the expansion draft they must offer him back to the originating team no later than one week before said cut-down date.
8. During an Expansion year, the expansion teams would draft first in each round of the Annual Draft, but draft in a serpentine fashion. Draft order among the expansion teams shall be determined by a random selection process by the Commissioner prior to the Annual Draft.
X. STATISTICS
A. All League statistics are kept by the Statistician, who shall be responsible for determining Divisional Placement, Draft Order and Post-Season eligibility in accordance with this Constitution. In all cases where no clear divisional winner, placement order, or post season eligibility can be readily determined utilizing these rules, the Statistician, with the assistance of the Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner, shall interpret the regular season results in accordance with the current rules regarding final divisional placement and playoff eligibility with the current rules of Major League Baseball.
B. Each Home team owner must retain the game file for each game played. At the conclusion of each series, the game files must be transmitted via E-mail to the Statistician, as well as to the Commissioner, the Assistant Commissioner, and the visiting manager. Box scores shall also be sent to the visiting manager. It is recommended that each series’ game files and box score files be distributed to the entire league via e-mail.
C. The Statistician shall then incorporate these game files into the League’s gameplay (.lzp) file. At the conclusion of each block as stipulated in the League’s schedule, the Statistician shall transmit to all owners a League gameplay file (.lzp). The computer manager (CM) from each team will be included in this League gameplay file (.lzp) and shall be verified as valid for gameplay by the Commissioner or his designee prior to the commencement of each scheduled block of games during the regular season, and prior to commencement of any post-season series.
D. Each owner shall then restore the League gameplay file (.lzp) into his own computer and use same to play all scheduled Home games for that team in accordance with the regular season schedule, as directed by the Statistician.
XI. Post Season Play
A. The Post Season Schedule shall be generated by the Statistician upon completion of the regular season, after determination as to final divisional placement.
B. The four (4) teams in each Division having the best records for their respective divisions shall advance to the Playoffs. Fourth (4th) place team shall play First (1st) Place Team, while the Third (3rd) place team shall play the Second (2nd) place team in a best of seven game series. Thereafter, the winners of each series shall advance to play in a best of seven series to determine the Divisional Winner. Winners of each Divisional Series shall advance to the World Series. The World Series shall be played as a Best of Seven Game Series.
C. Ties affecting Divisional Records shall be resolved by comparing head-to-head records between each tying team. If two or more teams have identical records amongst themselves, then Divisional records against all other teams in their Division shall determine finishing position, with the team with the team with the best Divisional record finishing first (1st), then proceeding likewise until all tied teams are seeded and\or placed within the Division. If teams are still tied for purpose of seeding and\or placement in the division, then records against all other teams in the League, excluding tied teams, shall determine seeding and\or placement within the Division. If there is still a tie, then a playoff game shall occur between the two (or more) tied teams with home field decided by a coin toss by the Commissioner. Any such play-off/in game shall not count toward the regular season record of any involved team. Final placement within the Division shall determine home field advantage for purposes of post-season play, however, Overall Record shall determine home field advantage for the World Series, if tied, then head-to-head record shall determine home field advantage, if still tied then said tie shall be broken by a coin flip, conducted by the Commissioner.
D. In Post-Season Play, Asterisk "*" Starters may start once every four days (Three (3) days rest), with a maximum of eleven (11) innings per start (For clarity sake, an asterisk starter may start Games 1, 4 and 7 of a seven (7) game series), if said starter is rested and available pursuant to usage rules as stated above.
E. In Post-Season Play, non-asterisk (*) starters may start once every five days (four days rest), with a maximum of eleven (II) innings per start, if said starter is rested and available pursuant to usage rules as stated above.
F. The post season schedule shall include all scheduled days, including games not played in any series that does not require seven games for resolution.
G. Players who are injured during a playoff series may not be replaced by players from their team’s Minor League roster during the series in which the player(s) were injured, even if there is no other player on the Major League roster who is listed at the injured player’s position. Such injuries may carry over into subsequent series, and their length is measured in days, not games. If the injury carries over into the next round, the team may at that point replace the injured player with a player from the team’s Minor League roster, prior to commencement of the series following the player’s injury.
H. Each team shall designate his 26-man Major League roster immediately preceding each round of the playoffs and may change that 26-man roster before each succeeding round. The Statistician shall thereafter forward to each playoff team a League gameplay (.lzp) file generated for each playoff series.
I. Each team participating in any playoff series is responsible to forward to the Statistician, via e-mail, all game files and box score files for every series. No series is deemed official until valid game files and supporting box score files are received and approved by the Statistician. In extreme case where said files are corrupted or deemed unusable, the Commissioner (or his designee, if the Commissioner is participating in the post season) shall confer with both Managers to decide if a clear outcome of the series can be determined. If so, the Commissioner (or his designee, if the Commissioner is participating in the post season), with the agreement of both managers, can announce the result of the series or game in question and post-season play can resume, or the winner of the series may then advance, or be announced as World Series Champion, as is appropriate to the circumstances.
J. In the Playoffs and World Series every effort shall be made to play games in "real time". All managers must exhaust all technology and scheduling efforts to be present at the time of play. Both managers shall
cooperate and make every effort to achieve this situation. Should that prove impossible, and a computer manager be the only viable option, then the manager must submit their CM to the manager willing to play in
real time regardless of home field advantage. Both managers in the series may, by agreement, alter said provisions.
XII. Additional Rules (Instructions and Stat Reports)
A. The Commissioner or his Designee shall draft a 162 Game schedule for distribution on or before Annual Draft Day.
B. Prior to each block, the Visiting Manager shall send his CM file via E-mail to the Statistician and any other person designated by the Commissioner. The CM file must be sent by the date and time set forth by the Statistician for each block. Each manager must include in his CM file, his rotation for the entire block, including his home games. If the Team owner neglects to submit a manager by the date established by the Commissioner, the Commissioner is authorized to make a Generic manager for said team. If a Team does not comply to the date and time that results are due, the Commissioner or his designee may play said series.
C. Computer Manager “CM” files are due from each team to the Statistician by the due date each block of the League’s regular season schedule.
D. Occasionally, the Home Manager may realize that he did not follow Visiting Manager's instructions correctly or utilize the correct line-up in a game. The game may be replayed from the point of the infraction at the discretion of the Visiting Manager, or if impossible to recreate the game, then may request that the entire game be replayed.
E. Any disagreement over whether instructions were followed correctly should be decided between the two managers involved. If an agreement cannot be reached, the Commissioner shall make a ruling.
F. Each team shall be assigned a three-letter code by the Assistant Commissioner to be used in drafting all League team rosters.
XIII. Removal of Managers:
A. Situations may develop where it may become necessary to remove or replace managers for the good of the League.
B. Upon complaint for any reason, any team owner may petition the membership for a vote of no confidence against any other team owner.
C. Upon receipt of said petition, the Commissioner, or his designee, shall conduct a vote of no confidence of to the entire membership of team owners, each team having one vote. However, if the Commissioner himself is bringing the petition, then the Commissioner shall appoint a designee to conduct the vote of no confidence.
D. A two-thirds (2/3)-majority vote of the team owners shall be required to sustain a vote of no confidence. If a vote of no confidence is sustained the manager of said team shall be immediately dismissed from the League.
E. In the event that a vote of no confidence is sustained, the Commissioner, or his designees, shall appoint a new managing owner as an interim owner and manager of the affected team until such time that a suitable replacement owner/manager shall be found.
I. Structure
A. There shall be two divisions of eight teams each; American League, which shall include, Atlanta Vipers, Detroit Mustangs, Carolina River Dogs, Providence Steelers, Dartmouth Dragons, Boca Raton Sunrays, Newington Nightmare, and Rhode Island Muther Bikers franchises; and the National League, which shall include Los Angeles Breakers, Cape Cod Thunder, New England Whalers, Poughkeepsie Chiefs, Connecticut Cardinals, Kent County Anglers, Rocky Mountain Marauders and Glastonbury Gorillas franchises.
B. All teams shall play a 165-game regular season. The schedule shall be balanced such that each team shall play each other team in the League as close to the same number of games (regardless of home\away imbalance) each season. The schedule may consider the disparity in home\away games for each team by averaging home\away games over multiple seasons, if necessary.
C. Each game shall be played using Strat-O-Matic rules unless otherwise stipulated within this Constitution. Maximum rules (except weather effects, Starting Pitcher Clutch, home field advantage, doubles/triples options, and force daily injuries), shall be in effect. New max and\or computer game related rules released by Strat-O-Matic must be voted upon by the membership before implementing.
D. The Designated Hitter ("DH") Rule shall be utilized in all games.
II. Government
A. Elections: Shall be by majority vote of all owners. The Commissioner or his Appointee shall conduct voting. If a simple majority is not reached for any single candidate on the first ballot, the candidate with the least votes shall be dropped from each subsequent ballot, until a candidate is elected. A vote for new officers shall be held as soon practical after the World Series. The Commissioner or his appointee shall solicit nominations for all offices.
B. The Commissioner has the duty to settle disputes and oversee votes. The Commissioner has the "Best Interest of the League" authority and may make unilateral rulings and decisions on all issues that affect League matters. If a majority of owners agree that a League vote is necessary, the owners may overrule the Commissioner's decision by a majority vote. The Commissioner or his Appointee shall conduct the votes and results of the vote shall be published and mailed to all owners as soon as is practical.
C. The Assistant Commissioner has the duty to track trades, free agent moves, and maintain accurate rosters for all teams in the League. It is the duty of the Assistant Commissioner to compile the records for all teams in the League. The Assistant Commissioner shall make monthly reports to the owners during the season on any and all transactions that have transpired. In the event that the Commissioner is unable or unwilling to perform those duties for which he is responsible as Commissioner, it shall be the Assistant Commissioner's duty to assume the duties of Commissioner until such time that a new vote may be conducted to fill the Commissioner's position.
D. The Statistician has the duty to keep track of all official League statistics, compile the League files, consolidate the individual Computer Manager (hereafter referred to as CM), compile the League’s schedule and perform other duties as needed to effectively operate the league as they pertain to the League’s generation of computer related requirements.
E. All officers shall serve for one-year terms commencing January 1 and ending midnight December 31of each year.
F. The Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner, or Statistician may be removed from office for dereliction of duty if a 2/3 majority of owners vote to do so. Any member may call for a vote of no confidence.
G. Constitution changes are completed with a majority vote of all owners. Votes are officially held on draft day and upon completion of the World Series. Votes may also be held at any time during the year, if deemed necessary by the Commissioner or a majority of team owners.
III. Player Eligibility/Availability (Minimum): Only players meeting the following minimum requisites may be drafted and/or held on each team's "26 Man Roster" (hereinafter referred to as the Major League Roster (ML Roster)).
A. Position Players: 175 At Bats
B. Starting Pitchers...75 Innings Pitched
C. Starter/Relievers...75 Innings Pitched to be eligible as a Starter, otherwise may relieve only (subject to relief pitcher eligibility & availability rules).
D. Right Handed Relievers-..40 Innings Pitched
E. Left Handed Relievers-..30 Innings Pitched
F. Relievers/Starters......75 Innings Pitched to be eligible as a Starter, otherwise may relieve only (subject to relief pitcher eligibility & availability rules).
G. In the event that the Major League Baseball Regular Season is cut short for any reason, the minimum requisites for each of the foregoing player/pitcher position requisites shall be determined by determining the percentage of games played of the Regular Season using the team with the lowest total regular season games played, and applying the percentage to the aforementioned requisites above, with any fractions being rounded to the nearest whole number.
H. Each Team drafting in the Major League Draft shall be required to Draft until the Team has drafted a 26-man qualifying roster. A 26-man qualifying roster shall be defined as a valid Starting rotation, (i.e. 4 asterisk “*” or 5 non asterisk starting pitchers), minimum of 5 relievers, and at least one qualifying position player at each fielded position. If during the season a team trades and does not have a qualified roster, said team shall draft a Free Agent until said qualified roster is met. (“*” pitchers are determined by Strat-O-Matic Game Co. each season)
IV. The Draft:
A. The Annual Draft shall be separated into the Major League Draft, which would continue until all teams have fulfilled their required 26-man qualifying roster, making sure that each team has 26 qualifying players including a valid starting rotation (i,.e 4 asterisk pitchers or 5 non-asterisk and asterisk pitchers), minimum of 5 relief pitchers (in addition to the starting pitchers mentioned earlier) and at least one qualifying position player at each position prior to the commencement of the regular season;
B. Thereafter the Minor League Draft will commence in which all teams would draft either qualifying or non-qualifying players until the 31 man roster is filled. Restrictions on non-qualifying players are such that a team may hold up to 5 non-qualifying players without restriction so long as these players were held on the team the prior season. Team owners, subject to the restrictions in section V. (A), may pick a maximum of three ineligible players. Team owners may retain, prior to the Supplemental draft, any ineligible players, subject to roster restrictions contained herein. The same draft order which governed the Major League Draft shall govern the Minor League Draft.
C. Following the Annual Draft there shall commence a 48-hour “free period” where a team may drop players and pick up eligible free agents with no restriction. Said eligible free agents picked up may be maintained on a team’s roster beyond the conclusion of the season. Said pickup shall be approved in the order submitted to the Assistant Commissioner, and any players waived during the “free period” may be signed consistent with restricted free agency rules set forth below.
V. Major League\Minor League Rosters
A. A team’s Minor League roster shall consist of 5 Players. Said Minor League roster may consist of eligible, carded players or ineligible players.
B. Major League and Minor League Rosters are limited to a maximum of 31 players at all times.
C. 26 Eligible Players (i.e.. those types of players qualified to play) must be maintained on the Major League Roster and 5 Players must be held on the Minor League Roster.
D. All injuries shall end at the completion of the series in which they occurred during the regular season.
E. A team may make roster moves from his Minor League Roster to his Major League Roster prior to the commencement of each block of games as designated in the League’s schedule. Such changes shall be made in the Team’s computer manager (hereinafter “CM”) prior to its transmission to the Statistician and any designated League officer.
F. By midnight on the Third Sunday in February, all teams shall submit a list of players cut from their rosters and players protected on their rosters. Said protected players shall be designated as either protected under the Major League roster (26) or Minor League roster (5) as outlined above. Following the Annual draft, a team may move any eligible player between said rosters. Upon completion of both drafts each team shall present to the Assistant Commissioner or other designated Officer a roster that conforms with Paragraph C. of this Section, as well as Section III. (H) (above).
G. COVID-19 EXCEPTION ROSTER FOR 2021
A. For the 2021 season any owner may list by midnight of the 3rd Sunday of February 2021, along with his roster of cuts, to the Assistant Commissioner those players who, for any reason (to include but not limited to COVID-19, injury, opting out etc.), does not qualify pursuant to Section III (above). Said player shall not be counted against said team for purposes of the maximum number of players that may be kept on an owner’s roster. If said player is designated on this roster, said player may not be dropped, traded or moved off said roster for the entirety of the 2021 Renegade Baseball season. Said player must then be dropped or placed on the manager’s Major League or Minor League roster by midnight of the third Sunday of February 2022.
B. This exception shall be revisited following the Renegade Baseball World Series of 2021 and may be extended by a majority vote of owners.
C. This exception shall be incorporated into all other amendments dealing with rosters to provide conformity.
VI. Player Usage
A. Eligible Position players' usage is unlimited.
B. Asterisk "*" Starters (as designated by the Strat-O-Matic Game Co.) may start once every four games (3 days rest), with a maximum of 11 innings per start.
C. Non-Asterisk Starters may start once every five games (4 days rest), with a maximum of 11 innings per start.
D. Reliever/Starters may not appear as a reliever if they started in the same block of games during the regular season. A Reliever/Starter may not start in a series in which he has already appeared as a reliever during the regular season.
E. Starter/Relievers may not appear as a starter if they were used as a reliever in the same block of games during the regular season. Also, they may not appear as a reliever if they were used as a starter in the same block of games during the regular season. Further, all rules relative to days of rest needed must be adhered to when the pitcher is used as both a starter and a reliever across scheduled blocks of games. If used as a Starter, the pitcher does not get an automatic day off before the following series, as a pure reliever does.
F. All pitchers used as starters during each block of games shall be designated as Inactive in each team’s computer manager (“CM”) to avoid HAL using starting pitchers as relievers during away games, and Managers using starting pitchers as relievers during home games.
G. Relief Pitchers automatically get one day of rest between each series. Thus, the bullpen is always fresh for the first game of each regular season series.
H. The League schedule shall designate a midpoint in the schedule where a 3-day rest period shall occur. This is to resemble MLB’s All-Star Game break. Rotations may be reset accordingly.
I. All Managers are required to track their own starting rotations so as to adhere to the rules regarding starting pitcher usage. Starters do not get one day of rest between each series.
J. In the case where SOM shall issue more than one card for any player (such as an American League card, and/or a National League card and/or a combined (Inter-League) card incorporating the player's statistics from playing in both leagues), only the card with the highest total number of innings pitched or at-bats will be used. Further, this card must meet all eligibility and availability requirements set forth in this Constitution.
K. The Super Advanced SOM Injury Chart shall be used in all games played. However, all injuries end with the completion of the series in which they occurred.
L. Managers may design their own Home Ball Park following the Annual Draft and prior to the commencement of the Regular Season. The Manager must make known to the Commissioner or his designee the Ballpark Effects for Singles (both for right-handed Hitters and left-handed Hitters) and for Homeruns (both for right-handed Hitters and for left-handed Hitters). Said dimensions must be sent to the Commissioner no later than the first computer manager of the regular season. Ball Park effects shall not be changed after commencement of the regular season.
VII. Trading
A. The Trading deadline shall be stipulated as August 31, of each calendar year, unless changed at the Annual draft by majority vote, or at the discretion of the Commissioner where necessity and/or cause is shown.
B. Trades made during a block become effective at the beginning at the next block as stipulated in the League’s schedule.
C. Trades must be transmitted to the Assistant Commissioner prior to the end of each block.
D. Trading may resume following the completion of the World Series, and may continue until a date specified by the Commissioner prior to the Annual Draft. All Rosters shall then be frozen until Draft Day.
E. A team may waive players into Free Agency at any time following completion of the World Series until the third Sunday of each February as set forth above. Provided, however, that each team must protect a minimum of ten (10) eligible players. No waivers of any players shall be allowed thereafter until the Draft has been completed.
F. The Assistant Commissioner shall notify the Statistician of all trades for incorporating changes into the League’s master file.
G. In all cases where an owner fails to make cuts at the deadline of midnight of the 3rd Sunday of February the Commissioner or his designee shall make sufficient cuts, at his discretion, as is necessary to make that team’s roster comply with the above rules, exercising judgement to keep the team as competitive as possible.
VIII. Draft/Free Agent Acquisitions
A. All players not held on any manager's Major League or Minor League Roster at the time of the Annual Draft are available to be drafted, in accordance with eligibility requirements as stated above
B. Regular Season Records of each team determine Draft Order for the Annual Draft in compliance with Section XI. (D), herein. Worst record shall draft first in each round, with each team drafting in order according to their regular season record (in order worst to best). In expansion years Section IX. shall control the order of the draft.
C. All teams must protect a minimum of ten (10) players on their Major League or Minor League Rosters, however, no maximum is required unless the League shall have voted to expand, and in which case each team may protect a maximum of fifteen (15) players, unless otherwise voted upon by the membership.
D. The Assistant Commissioner shall maintain a list of all free agents as they become available. Each player waived by any team during the regular season shall become a restricted free agent. Any team may put a claim on a restricted free agent. If more than one team claims any restricted free agent within 24 hours of said release the Assistant Commissioner shall utilize a random selection process to determine which of the claiming teams shall receive the player. Any restricted free agent not so claimed shall pass into the unrestricted free agent pool. Any restricted free agent so acquired must be maintained on the signing team's roster for a minimum of one complete scheduled block of games during the regular season.
E. Unrestricted Free Agents may be acquired an unlimited number of times during the Regular Season. Teams must acquire unrestricted free agents or cut their Major League or Minor League Roster to maintain the 31 Player Requirement. The Assistant Commissioner must confirm any Free Agent availability and eligibility, and eligibility on the Team’s Roster, and all Free Agent acquisitions and/or waiving becomes effective at the next block of scheduled games as stipulated in the League’s schedule. Any team waiving any player off their Major League or Minor League roster shall be precluded from reacquiring said player for a period of one complete scheduled block of games during the regular season.
F. A team may select from the available free agent (restricted or unrestricted) players one (1) Type "A" Free Agent during the course of the season. This Type “A” free agent may be held beyond the conclusion of the regular season. Type “A” free agents may be traded, so long as all other rule guidelines regarding Type “A” free agents are upheld. The deadline for Type A moves is the same as the trade deadline. During the course of a season a team may not have more than one Type “A” Free Agent on their Roster, nor acquire via free agency more than one Type “A” free agent per season.
G. Any free agent acquired during the regular season who is not designated as a Type “A” free agent is automatically waived back into the free agent pool following the conclusion of the World Series.
H. If the League cannot maintain its current number of teams due to a loss of owners, the vacated teams' players shall be waived into Free Agency as of the third (3rd) Sunday in February, and said players would be eligible for acquisition through the Annual Draft.
I. All Major League rosters for all teams may be expanded up to a full 31 eligible players commencing at the game stipulated on the League’s schedule (typically the final scheduled block of games for the regular season). All rosters may remain up to 31 players for the duration of the regular season, until the conclusion of Game 162.
J. The Assistant Commissioner shall notify the Statistician of all trades for incorporating changes into the League’s gameplay (.lzp) file.
IX. EXPANSION:
A. In the event the League, by a majority of its members, decides to expand, the following shall serve as a blueprint for said Expansion Draft:
1. Expansion Draft shall be scheduled and held after the World Series, but prior to the Annual Draft.
2. Each existing team shall protect 15 players currently on their Major League (i.e. 31-man) Roster
3. Each existing team shall lose a maximum of three (3) players to expansion. There would be no “pull backs” by a team losing a player.
4. The expansion Draft will be three rounds with each expansion team taking 7 picks in each round, or until the pool of available players is exhausted.
5. The Commissioner or his representative shall pick initial draft order by a random selection process. The Expansion Draft shall proceed in a serpentine fashion.
6. The Expansion Draft shall continue until each existing team has lost 3 players, or until each expansion team has 21 players, whichever happens first.
7. Each team, including the expansion teams, has until the third Sunday in February (as per the Constitution, above) to make any cuts they wish. If the expansion team wishes to cut a player they picked up in the expansion draft they must offer him back to the originating team no later than one week before said cut-down date.
8. During an Expansion year, the expansion teams would draft first in each round of the Annual Draft, but draft in a serpentine fashion. Draft order among the expansion teams shall be determined by a random selection process by the Commissioner prior to the Annual Draft.
X. STATISTICS
A. All League statistics are kept by the Statistician, who shall be responsible for determining Divisional Placement, Draft Order and Post-Season eligibility in accordance with this Constitution. In all cases where no clear divisional winner, placement order, or post season eligibility can be readily determined utilizing these rules, the Statistician, with the assistance of the Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner, shall interpret the regular season results in accordance with the current rules regarding final divisional placement and playoff eligibility with the current rules of Major League Baseball.
B. Each Home team owner must retain the game file for each game played. At the conclusion of each series, the game files must be transmitted via E-mail to the Statistician, as well as to the Commissioner, the Assistant Commissioner, and the visiting manager. Box scores shall also be sent to the visiting manager. It is recommended that each series’ game files and box score files be distributed to the entire league via e-mail.
C. The Statistician shall then incorporate these game files into the League’s gameplay (.lzp) file. At the conclusion of each block as stipulated in the League’s schedule, the Statistician shall transmit to all owners a League gameplay file (.lzp). The computer manager (CM) from each team will be included in this League gameplay file (.lzp) and shall be verified as valid for gameplay by the Commissioner or his designee prior to the commencement of each scheduled block of games during the regular season, and prior to commencement of any post-season series.
D. Each owner shall then restore the League gameplay file (.lzp) into his own computer and use same to play all scheduled Home games for that team in accordance with the regular season schedule, as directed by the Statistician.
XI. Post Season Play
A. The Post Season Schedule shall be generated by the Statistician upon completion of the regular season, after determination as to final divisional placement.
B. The four (4) teams in each Division having the best records for their respective divisions shall advance to the Playoffs. Fourth (4th) place team shall play First (1st) Place Team, while the Third (3rd) place team shall play the Second (2nd) place team in a best of seven game series. Thereafter, the winners of each series shall advance to play in a best of seven series to determine the Divisional Winner. Winners of each Divisional Series shall advance to the World Series. The World Series shall be played as a Best of Seven Game Series.
C. Ties affecting Divisional Records shall be resolved by comparing head-to-head records between each tying team. If two or more teams have identical records amongst themselves, then Divisional records against all other teams in their Division shall determine finishing position, with the team with the team with the best Divisional record finishing first (1st), then proceeding likewise until all tied teams are seeded and\or placed within the Division. If teams are still tied for purpose of seeding and\or placement in the division, then records against all other teams in the League, excluding tied teams, shall determine seeding and\or placement within the Division. If there is still a tie, then a playoff game shall occur between the two (or more) tied teams with home field decided by a coin toss by the Commissioner. Any such play-off/in game shall not count toward the regular season record of any involved team. Final placement within the Division shall determine home field advantage for purposes of post-season play, however, Overall Record shall determine home field advantage for the World Series, if tied, then head-to-head record shall determine home field advantage, if still tied then said tie shall be broken by a coin flip, conducted by the Commissioner.
D. In Post-Season Play, Asterisk "*" Starters may start once every four days (Three (3) days rest), with a maximum of eleven (11) innings per start (For clarity sake, an asterisk starter may start Games 1, 4 and 7 of a seven (7) game series), if said starter is rested and available pursuant to usage rules as stated above.
E. In Post-Season Play, non-asterisk (*) starters may start once every five days (four days rest), with a maximum of eleven (II) innings per start, if said starter is rested and available pursuant to usage rules as stated above.
F. The post season schedule shall include all scheduled days, including games not played in any series that does not require seven games for resolution.
G. Players who are injured during a playoff series may not be replaced by players from their team’s Minor League roster during the series in which the player(s) were injured, even if there is no other player on the Major League roster who is listed at the injured player’s position. Such injuries may carry over into subsequent series, and their length is measured in days, not games. If the injury carries over into the next round, the team may at that point replace the injured player with a player from the team’s Minor League roster, prior to commencement of the series following the player’s injury.
H. Each team shall designate his 26-man Major League roster immediately preceding each round of the playoffs and may change that 26-man roster before each succeeding round. The Statistician shall thereafter forward to each playoff team a League gameplay (.lzp) file generated for each playoff series.
I. Each team participating in any playoff series is responsible to forward to the Statistician, via e-mail, all game files and box score files for every series. No series is deemed official until valid game files and supporting box score files are received and approved by the Statistician. In extreme case where said files are corrupted or deemed unusable, the Commissioner (or his designee, if the Commissioner is participating in the post season) shall confer with both Managers to decide if a clear outcome of the series can be determined. If so, the Commissioner (or his designee, if the Commissioner is participating in the post season), with the agreement of both managers, can announce the result of the series or game in question and post-season play can resume, or the winner of the series may then advance, or be announced as World Series Champion, as is appropriate to the circumstances.
J. In the Playoffs and World Series every effort shall be made to play games in "real time". All managers must exhaust all technology and scheduling efforts to be present at the time of play. Both managers shall
cooperate and make every effort to achieve this situation. Should that prove impossible, and a computer manager be the only viable option, then the manager must submit their CM to the manager willing to play in
real time regardless of home field advantage. Both managers in the series may, by agreement, alter said provisions.
XII. Additional Rules (Instructions and Stat Reports)
A. The Commissioner or his Designee shall draft a 162 Game schedule for distribution on or before Annual Draft Day.
B. Prior to each block, the Visiting Manager shall send his CM file via E-mail to the Statistician and any other person designated by the Commissioner. The CM file must be sent by the date and time set forth by the Statistician for each block. Each manager must include in his CM file, his rotation for the entire block, including his home games. If the Team owner neglects to submit a manager by the date established by the Commissioner, the Commissioner is authorized to make a Generic manager for said team. If a Team does not comply to the date and time that results are due, the Commissioner or his designee may play said series.
C. Computer Manager “CM” files are due from each team to the Statistician by the due date each block of the League’s regular season schedule.
D. Occasionally, the Home Manager may realize that he did not follow Visiting Manager's instructions correctly or utilize the correct line-up in a game. The game may be replayed from the point of the infraction at the discretion of the Visiting Manager, or if impossible to recreate the game, then may request that the entire game be replayed.
E. Any disagreement over whether instructions were followed correctly should be decided between the two managers involved. If an agreement cannot be reached, the Commissioner shall make a ruling.
F. Each team shall be assigned a three-letter code by the Assistant Commissioner to be used in drafting all League team rosters.
XIII. Removal of Managers:
A. Situations may develop where it may become necessary to remove or replace managers for the good of the League.
B. Upon complaint for any reason, any team owner may petition the membership for a vote of no confidence against any other team owner.
C. Upon receipt of said petition, the Commissioner, or his designee, shall conduct a vote of no confidence of to the entire membership of team owners, each team having one vote. However, if the Commissioner himself is bringing the petition, then the Commissioner shall appoint a designee to conduct the vote of no confidence.
D. A two-thirds (2/3)-majority vote of the team owners shall be required to sustain a vote of no confidence. If a vote of no confidence is sustained the manager of said team shall be immediately dismissed from the League.
E. In the event that a vote of no confidence is sustained, the Commissioner, or his designees, shall appoint a new managing owner as an interim owner and manager of the affected team until such time that a suitable replacement owner/manager shall be found.