A couple weeks ago I posted that I was going to do a league of 48-teams, separated into two leagues of 4 divisions of 6 teams each. This is the break down of the set-up & etc.
SCHEDULING FORMAT
- All series are four games each (Starting Pitchers 1-4).
- Each team plays their division rival - 8 games each (40 games total).
- Each team plays the other 18 league teams, 4 games each (72 total); 2 Home/2 Road games for the 4-game series. The teams in the same-league match-ups with the worst Pythagorean Winning percentage hosts the first two games of the series. For example: If the 1927 New York Yankees play the 1940 Cincinnati Reds. The Reds will host the first two games of the four-game series, I'm doing this so that teams that are weaker have a better chance against tougher teams who likely have very strong #1 & #2 starting pitchers.
- INTER-LEAGUE ACTION: The upper 12 teams of one league (according to their Pythagorean winning pcts.) will play each of the opposite league's 12 upper teams, 4 games each (2 H/2 A set-up like the same league system); as the lower 12 teams of one league will play the opposite league's lower 12 teams, 4 games each (for a total of 48 games).
- The total games for a season will be 160 games for each of the 48 teams, next season I will have a smaller group, and taking an idea from Sgt. Dan's Tournament, the division winners will automatically be back for the next Stars & Stripes season.
LEAGUE RULES & PLAY
- All teams will use a 4-man rotation, teams can interchange with spot starters, a lot of the modern day teams will have to do a lot to keep their starters fresh; while teams from the dead-ball era have an abundance of innings to use. Due to those dead-ball era teams having virtually no bullpen, the teams can use their #1 SP for one inning of relief on the #3 game, and the #2 SP for one inning of relief on the #4 game. I'm calling it the "Mathewson/McGinnity" Rule, because the 1904 Giants come quickly to mind. The team will have the option, but chances are with these M&M boys, they will just pitch a complete game most often than not.
- There is an Innings & At-Bats limits for season totals set. If a pitcher goes over, he goes down a grade for the rest of the season. For example: Johnny Podres pitched 255 innings in 1962 in 40 games started, which is perfect -- since this is a 160-game season using a 4-man rotation, which means probably 40 starts for Podres. His 1962 Card has him as a Grade C-YZ, he's going to want to average no more than 6 1/3 innings per start -- sure sometimes he'll get knocked out early and other times he may go for a shutout. But let's say that he is at start 37, and the Dodgers had to depend on him more than they figured they would, he passes Inning #255, he's now a D-YZ for the remainder of the season. UNLESS he faces a batter over his at-bats limit, and now he's a C-YZ for that match-up only unless he faces others over their at-bats limits. Think of it like a platoon-advantage situation, or whatever... if a batter is over his at-bats limits, and the pitcher is not -- the pitcher's grade goes up, if a pitcher is above his innings, batter is not (pitching grade down) and if both are over or both are not over go with the cards.
- Negro League Cards - I have the Pittsburgh Crawfords of 1935 competing, there is no limits on any at-bats or innings, well... because there is no proper record of all that. They are however all J-4's, which might get interesting, plus their entire roster consists of 16 players (10 batters & 6 pitchers), pitchers bat when the team is at home. The pitchers consist of two A pitchers in Satchel Paige & Leroy Matlock, the rest are all D's. The lineup however has 4 other Hall of Famers to go with Paige, in Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston, Judy Johnson & Cool Papa Bell. We'll have to see how this one plays out. I thought about adding the All-Star Negro teams, the Stripes and Stars teams, but I felt they may be too powerful, I plan to keep doing their barnstorming exhibition tours. That said, doesn't mean I won't add them in the future, one thing's for sure... the next season will also have another great Negro team of the past.
- Change of reliever in the middle of the inning, if you bring a left-hander to face a left-handed hitter, for that first batter only, the pitching grade goes up. Right vs. right, first batter only - same deal. Switch-hitters are not effected of course, you go by the grade on the card, and the team batting can counter back with a pinch-hitter to take away the advantage. This makes pitchers like the 1984 Detroit Tigers' RP- Bill Scherrer more valuable than if you were to have him come in to relieve between the innings. For example: The Tigers' Milt Wilcox (Grade C-Y) is now in the 6th (and we all know how Sparky doesn't like keeping his starters in too terribly long, hence the nickname "Captain Hook"), the Tigers are up 3-2 against Kansas City, 2 outs Wilcox just walked John Wathan and now has to face George Brett who bats left steps up to the plate, Sparky signals to the bullpen -- he wants Scherrer (normally a C*-Y) who will be upgraded to a B*-Y for this at-bat only, if they get Brett out it pays off -- if they don't, than you have Scherrer (who has returned to a C*-Y), do you keep him in or do you bring in another reliever? Many people probably already use this, but in case they didn't I like to use it, makes bullpen's move useful that may have a lot of C*'s in their back-end of the bullpen.
There is a good chance (especially with the modern era teams) they will go over their limits in pitching, some teams' #1 & #2's pitched only 220 innings. At-Bat & Innings limits will reflect for a 162-game season, so teams that only played 149 to 154 games or whatever will be adjusted to 162 games, as will years effected by players strikes such as 1981, 1994 & 1995.
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