OFFICIAL TCBL League Handbook and Rulebook

You can read the documented version via link or the text version below. Please sign off on the rule book upon reading.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-GzBKMDOu3tko46AHUQRqAYDQHvtjerZm0Tma93LcLc/edit?hl=en

Triple Crown Baseball League
League Handbook & Rulebook

Section 1 - About TCBL

The Triple Crown Baseball League is a one-of-a kind league that incorporates the use of custom rosters, custom draft classes, manual progression/regression, and league adjustments to create a true Simulation Online Franchise. Some notable features of the TCBL are; Player Contracts, Player Potential, Free Agency & Trades, Rule 5 & First Year Player Draft, Franchise Tags, Experience & Potential based Progression/Regression, Minor League Options, and more!

A Master Roster and Franchise File will be kept on the commissioners PS3 for tracking and security purposes. This roster will be updated at the end of every season after progression/regression and arbitration period. GM’s can then download the roster from Sports Connect to view their actual player ratings and rosters conduct their individual Spring Training (if they choose to).

We will start with 10 solid and committed GM’s but are open for expansion. We do not require a mass amount of content and activity, but ask that you are easily accessible and stay up to date with your games and roster tracking. The commissioner will handle the roster changes, progression/regression, draft classes, and player movement, so to keep this as simple as possible, we expect for you to document your roster changes. If you are’nt great at the game that is no worry, the majority of us will lose to the computer and to each other, that is the game of baseball. This league is for those who truly love the strategy of the game of baseball as every move you make with your team will dictate your success. Most of all, have fun and don’t hesitate to ask questions or give suggestions on how to make the league better!

Section 1 - Getting Started

At the beginning of every season after Spring Training, every GM must post the following 3 threads. Every GM will have moderation access to their team forum so please sticky these threads.

Thread #1 - 20XX Los Angeles Dodgers Team Management

This thread will house your official 40 man roster. Please go to Operation Sport’s table generator to post your complete starting 40 man roster. Every owner must post their thread before they are allowed to play a TCBL game. When creating your 40 man roster, please denote AAA assignment with a (*), for example; Tony Gwyn Jr *. This post can be as elaborate as you wish but the core fields that need to be entered are, NAME, POSITION, AGE, and AAA assignment (*).

Thread #2 - 20XX Los Angeles Dodgers Depth Chart

This thread will house your depth chart, which of course you can change. The most important thing is to announce your opening starting rotation. There are no restrictions on changes to your 40 man, but remember to keep it realistic so that your Pitchers are not pitching on sub par rest.

Thread #3 - 20XX Los Angeles Dodgers Training Focus

Training focus will be important as it will be a direct factor on how your players progression points will be allocated. Every owner will have the luxury of deciding how his team will progress. Within the thread please denote in percentages totalling 100% for Position Players and Pitchers groups individually. The Position Players categories which you can choose from are; Contact, Power, Speed, and Fielding. The Pitchers categories you can choose from are; Stamina, Speed, Control, Pitch Movement. You will be able to change these percentages in the spring training phase every year. Please follow the posting example below;

Position Players
Contact - 20%
Power - 30%
Speed - 40%
Fielding - 10%

Pitchers
Stamina - 20%
Speed - 40%
Control - 10%
Pitch Movement - 30%

Once you have these 3 threads posted you will be able to participate in opening day and get the season underway!

Section 2 - About the Franchise

The TCBL seasons will consist of 30 games, with 2 divisional game series. With a substantial amount of CPU teams scheduling will be quite open with a requirement of 5 games per week. This requirement will not be total games but the scheduled games on each teams calendar. The advancement schedule will be as follows;

Games 1-5 due Week 1
Games 6-10 due Week 2
Games 11-15 due Week 3
Games 16-20 due Week 4
Games 21-25 due Week 5
Games 26-30 due Week 6

Games not completed within the specified range will be simulated/resolved by the commissioners. If the GM cannot get the game in for any reason or the GM’s cannot connect on a time for the game please let the commissioner know immediately to find a resolution. Lack of communication will be punished with a simulated game, no exceptions.

At the end of the season, the playoffs will begin with a 3 game series throughout the playoffs, capping off the World Series with a 5 game series, at which point the TCBL champion will be crowned.

Section 2.1 - First Year Player Draft

The First Year Player Draft (Rookie Draft) is traditionally held on the first weekend in June. In order to stay in parallel with the MLB season we will conduct the draft on the TCBL forum. The draft will be a 2 round draft, in order of finish from the previous season. The draft will initiate immediately after the week 2 advance. CPU teams will draft in order of need and user controlled teams will have access to the 20XX First Year Player Draft Spreadsheet which outlines combine statistics for the available 60 players. When a GM makes his selection he must post in the following fashion.

Los Angeles Dodgers select 3B Anthony Rendon out of Rice, 1st round, 1st pick.

After the draft is complete, players will not be added to their respective teams until the arbitration period is over at the beginning of the following Spring Training.

Section 2.2 - Free Agency

Every TCBL team will be restricted to 3 Free Agent Acquisitions while in season. These acquisitions can be made by posting a Free Agent claim in the Free Agent thread located on the TCBL forum. In order for a GM to claim a Free Agent they must post the following thread;

Subject: CF Willy Taveras
Body: The Los Angeles Dodgers place a claim on CF Willy Taveras

Once this post is made, the waiver wire thread will activate. The waiver wire order will be set at the beginning of each season, after Spring Training, in order of finish from the previous season. The order will dictate in order of priority a team’s decision to pick up Free Agents. Once a claim is placed, only teams above the team making a claim have the option to counter the claim, with the top most team having “first dibs” on any free agent. Once a claim is placed there will be a 48 hour waivers period that must be passed in order for that team to pickup their desired player. The top most team may decide to pick up an player without the 48 hour waivers period, but most still post in the above manner. Once a team successfully picks up a Free Agent he will be dropped to the bottom on the Waiver Wire Order.

After completion of the World Series, each GM will have a 3 day flying period to negotiate trades and place franchise tags to players whose contract have expired. After the 3 day flying period, any player not designated for assignment will automatically become Free Agents in preparation for the Rule 5 draft.

Section 2.3 - Rule 5 Draft

Immediately after the 3 day flying period, the Rule 5 draft will be held at the winter meetings. TCBL clubs will draft in reverse order of their won-loss records from the previous season, and only clubs with less than 40 players on their rosters may take part in the draft. The draft will run until all TCBL clubs have a full 40 man roster. This draft will be held on the forums in the same fashion as the First Year Player Draft.

Section 2.4 - Player Contracts

Every TCBL player will have automatic contract that expire when the player turns the ages of 25, 28, and 32 years of age. This will ensure effective movement of players and add strategy in managing player progression, free agency, trades, and drafts. Each time a player turns the ages listed previously, each TCBL GM will have the option to place a franchise tag on that player. No club can have more than 2 players on their team at any time with a Franchise Tag, so it will be important to manage this. All players not tagged by their respective clubs or traded before the 3 day flying period, will be entered into the Rule 5 draft.

Section 2.5 - Minor League Options

It is very important that GM’s keep track of their call ups and send downs as every player will be allowed 2 complimentary options. This means a GM can opt a MLB player to AAA assignment. On the players 3rd option to AAA, he is automatically placed to waivers for a 48 hour period. At this point he is a free agent and is up for grabs in the FA pool. If he clears the 48 hour waiver period, he will rejoin his club at the AAA level.

Section 2.6 - Trades

Each TCBL Club will be allowed to trade 4 total times in a season. These trades cannot exchange more than 4 players on either side of the deal and can only be done in the following periods;

1. After Spring Training
2. In Season
3. 3 day flying period

There will be a legitimate strategy behind executing trades. Each trade will be reviewed by the trade committee that consists of Emmdotfrisk, BobJr0526, and MG. It will take a two thirds vote to approve the proposed trade. A trade must be posted in the following manner and agreed upon by both parties before consideration;

Dodgers Trade with Yankees
(Sent)SS Rafael Furcal
(Sent)C Dioner Navarro
(Received) CF Curtis Granderson

Yankees Trade with Dodgers
(Sent) CF Curtis Granderson
(Received)SS Rafael Furcal
(Received)C Dioner Navarro

Feel free to add any special conditions or attributes (Potential, contract year, age, ect.) although we will be researching the trade as well. Once a trade is approved by the committee please update your Team Management thread appropriately.

Section 2.7 - Player Progression/Regression

Every TCBL player will hit a progression/regression stage immediately following the Rule 5 draft. Progression and regression will be factored by the following 3 characteristics;

1. Player Age
2. Player Potential
3. TCBL Club Focus

We will use the following Age/Potential and Player Progression Charts to determine how many progression points a player gets.

PLAYER EXP. PROGRESSION CHART

Position Players
LOW
AVERAGE
HIGH
ELITE
AB+BB+ Hits
<71
72-94
95-169
170+
Progress Pts.
10
15
20
25


Relief Pitchers
LOW
AVERAGE
HIGH
ELITE
IP+W+Sv
<6
7-11
12-24
25+
Progress Pts.
5
10
15
20


Starting Pitchers
LOW
AVERAGE
HIGH
ELITE
IP+W+CG
<15
16-26
27-36
37+
Progress Pts.
10
15
20
25


AGE/POTENTIAL CHART
A
100%
200%
0%
-30
B
80%
150%
0%
-50
C
60%
100%
0%
-80
D
40%
50%
0%
-100
F
20%
25%
0%
-150
18-25
26-28
29-32
33+


To calculate a players progression at the end of the season, you will need to obtain the statistics on the game. It is important that you look on the game and not the website, as the website has technical errors. For position players you will need the At Bats, Hits, and Walks for every player and for the Pitchers you will need Innings Pitched, Wins, Saves, and Complete games. By adding these statistics together you will find the amount of progression points they have accumulated at the end of the season. Once that number has been determined by looking at the progression charts, you can find the total progression numbers by looking at the Age Potential chart which shows the bonus amount added or subtracted from the previous total. To explain further please look at the example below;

CF Matt Kemp
ABs - 130
Hits - 40
BB - 6
Total - 176

This qualifies in the “Elite” progression range so he is given 25 progression points.

CF Matt Kemp is 27 years old with A potential, so his bonus is 200%, giving him a total of 50 progression points for this season.

Once progression is calculated for all players Club Training Focus, then determines how the progression points are allocated. The Los Angeles Dodgers chose to allocate the following;

Position Players
Contact - 20%
Power - 30%
Speed - 40%
Fielding - 10%

This will result in Matt Kemp progressing as follows;

CF Matt Kemp
Contact - +10
Power - +15
Speed - +20
Fielding - +5

Section 2.8 - Retirement

When a player reaches a certain age he will be subject for retirement. Since retirement is such a wildcard, we will try and replicate the randomness of retirement with an online dice roll simulator. You can find the dice roll application here. When the player reaches the below ages, the commissioner will engage the app to roll the dice to dictate the outcome of retirement. Please reference the chart below to see how the outcomes of the roll will affect the player up for retirement.

38 years of age 2 & 12
39 years of age 2, 3, 11, & 12
40 years of age 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11,& 12
41 years of age 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11,& 12
42 years of age Automatic Retirement



Section 3 - TCBL Rules & Guidelines

There will not be an overwhelming list of rules in TCBL. The number 1 rule is to keep things as realistic as possible. We allow SP’s to be in the bullpen and RP’s to start if you so wish. Shortstops will be allowed to play in the OF over time due to the changes in ratings. Progression and regression will warrant a lot of strategy to the game and as long as everyone keeps it realistic this league will be a great success. There will not have a strike rule, the game of baseball is about discipline. To be great you must exhibit patience until it is time to execute. You are the GM of your time. You make the calls and decisions for your ballclub. I am trusting and leaving it up to all of you to keep it sim and realistic until you prove me otherwise.

If any GM has a problem with another, or an occurrence in the game please talk amongst eachother to get it resolved. If there is still no resolution, please go to the commissioner for counseling. If an owner comes to the commissioner without speaking to the accused first, the commissioner will not discuss it with them until they have done so.

Lastly, we have an open door policy. If you have any suggestions, questions, concerns, or opinions feel free to PM the commissioner. Have Fun and Play Ball!