League Statement

League Statement: Major League IV is a simulation fantasy baseball league. MLBIV will use the latest version and patch of OOTP 2007 to simulate all games. All owners must own a copy of OOTP 2007,owners may manage their team anyway they see fit, but we expect all owners to make an honest effort to field a winning and profitable club while providing a competitive and friendly atmosphere within the league.

Game Play:

Simulations will be every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday unless posted otherwise.
Simulations will be rotate between, one week (7 days), and one week and a day (8 days)
League FTP exports are due by times stated on the leagues homepage.
Owners must export their team file utilizing the FTP Export feature within the game.
All Trade transactions will be processed after each simulation.
The website will then be updated including the league file (zip) and box scores.
Playoffs maybe simulated live in a AIM chat room determined by the commissioner’s availability.

League Settings:

1. Global Settings

Game Options

Use Complete Scouting System: Off

Use Complete Coaching System: Off

Financial Modifiers

Financial Coefficient: 1.000

Injury & Fatigue Options

Injuries: On

Injury Frequency: Very Low

Position Player Fatigue: Average

Rating Scales

Player Actual Ratings Scale: 1 to 100

Player Potential Rating Scale: 1 to 100

Other Player Ratings Scale: 1 to 100

Show Ratings > Max: Yes

Overall/Potential Ratings: Stars

Overall rating based on all players, not positions: Yes

2. Rules

Designated Hitter Rule: American League

Roster Rules

Active Roster Size: 25

Expanded Roster Size: 40

Roster Expansion Date: September 1st

Secondary (40-Man) Roster Size: 40

Min. Days of Service for one Service Year: 172

Waiver Period Length: 8 Days

Minor League Option Years: Enabled

Rule 5 Draft: Enabled

DFA Period Length: 15 Days

Players have right to refuse minor league assignment

Trade Rules

Trade Deadline: July 31st

Allowing of Draft Picks: Disabled

Trades with other Major Leagues: Disabled

Amateur Draft Rules

Amateur Draft: Enabled

Amateur Draft Date: June 16th

Amateur Draft # of Rounds: 25

Generate Players for X Rounds: 25

Amateur Draft Pool Reveal Date: 60 days prior to draft

Draft Feeding Mode: 1980 - Feeder Leagues (NCAA/HS) Only, 1981 Feeder leagues and Real Rookie import

Financial Rules

Average Attendance per Game: 22576

Average Ticket Price: $5.21

Visiting teams gate share (%): 20

Financial System: Enabled

Minimum Service Years for Free Agency: 6 Years

Allow Free Agents from other Leagues: Enabled

Allow Free Agents to leave League: Enabled

Draft Pick Compensation for lost FA's: Enabled

Service Years Required for Arbitration: 3 Years

Min. Service Years for Minor League FA: 6 Years

Average Media Contract: $6,537,300

Media Contract fixed? No, based on team market size

Salary Cap: $0

Team Owner controls Budget? Yes, Owner decides over budget

Revenue Sharing: Yes, cash over maximum will be shared

Cash Maximum: $25,000,000

Min Player Salary: $83,202

3. Options

Historical Progressing Options

Automatically expand league: Enabled

Expansion Mode: Hold Expansion Draft

Protected Players per Team: 25

Automatically adjust League Strategy: Enabled

Import adjusted financial settings after each year: Enabled

Recalc player ratings based on real stats after each year: Disabled

Automatically adjust league totals modifiers after each season for historical accuracy: Enabled

Player Options

Foreigner Percentage: 10

Allow incomplete minor league rosters (ghost players): Enabled

Spring Training: Enabled

Schedule Options

Season Start Date: April 9th

Auto adjust date if matching XML schedule found: Enabled

Number of Games per Team: 162

Schedule Balance: Unbalanced

Typical Series Length: 3 Games

Interleague Play: Disabled

All Star Game: Enabled

Playoff Options

Playoff Mode: Division Winners plus Wildcard(s) qualify

Number of Wildcard Teams per Sub-League: 2

Number of Playoff Rounds: 3

Best Of in Round 1: 5

Best Of in Round 2: 7

Best Of in Round 3: 7

4. Strategy

General Strategic Tendencies

Use of Relievers: Often

Use of Closers: Very Often

Pitcher Endurance: Normal

Typical Starting Rotation Size: 5 Man Rotation

Pinch Hit for Pitchers: Often

Pinch Hit for Position Players: Rarely

Defensive Substitutions: Normal

Stealing Bases: Normal

Hit & Run: Normal

Bunting: Rarely

Historical Modifier & Totals Options

Automatically adjust league totals modifiers after each season for historical accuracy: Enabled

Automatically import historical player-creation modifiers: Enabled

Leagues Front Office:

Commissioners: Responsible for simulating games, maintaining rosters & transactions, posting the web site and keeping each owner informed of general league business. The Commissioner, along with the help of the Assistant Commissioner and League Presidents, will keep all the teams human owned at all time if possible. The Commissioner is responsible along with the other league officers in seeing to the needs of the league.

1. President/Chief Operating Officer: Mirrors the duties of the Commissioner (Co-Commissioner). Acts as a second set of eyes for the activity and pulse of the league. Recommends rule changes, updates and answers questions from the League Presidents as well as other owners.

2. VP of Baseball Operations: Special Assistant to the Commissioner of Major League IV. Duties will vary as needs arise.

3. League Presidents (2): There is a League President for each league in MLBIV. They are expected to voice the owner’s opinions or ideas on league policy to the Commissioners, answer any questions that owners may have in regards to the rules or league procedures, and encourage activity among the owners. They will also welcome new owners to the league and are expected to remain in contact with all the owners in their league. The League Presidents serve a very important role to the league and are some of the most active owners in the league. They will be among the most active owners in the league and will be readily accessible via the forum, email or AIM.

Commissioner of Major League IV - Byron L. Ivey (Astros)

President / Chief Operating Officer - David Boyce (Yankees)

VP of Baseball Operations - Mitch Cornelius (Expos)

American League President - Paul Kiggins (Blue Jays)

National League President - Levi Davis (Giants)

Owners Mandate

1. General - Owners must review and abide by the all rules and guidelines within this document. Owners are responsible for making all moves regarding his or her team, which will be discussed below. It is recommended that each owner own the OOTP 2007 game for the purpose of having experience with how the game works and using the league files.

2. Expectations - Each Owner is expected to participate in the daily operation of his team. This includes responding to all trade proposals in a timely manner, making lineup/roster changes as appropriate, and attending drafts. If the Commissioner does not hear from an owner he will be sent a message advising of the commissioner's intent to sell his/her team. If the owner does not respond within 48 hours the team will be considered up for sale.

3. Owner Turnover - If an Owner quits or is relieved of his duties, a new active owner will be found immediately. If a new owner cannot be found the team will be ran by a temporary owner or the games A.I. until a suitable owner can be found. It is important to keep all teams owned. Any new owner must be active, review and abide by all Major League IV Rules and Guidelines to participate in the league.

4. Interim Owners - If an owner will be unable to perform their duties as an owner for more than one week, the owner must contact the Commissioner or League President and let them know. An interim manager will be assigned and have equal power in running the team unless explicitly specified by the owner. However at a minimum the interim owner will be able to make any roster moves necessary to keep a healthy competitive team on the field and will be able to draft for absent owner.

5. Tools - All Owners are encouraged to utilize the MLB IV Forum. All owners are encouraged to acquire AOL Instant Messenger or compatible application.

6. Owners Mandate - In the best interest of the league an owner can loose his team if the owner has displayed conduct unbecoming of responsible adults. The Commissioner reserves the right to fire owners without reason or explanation. This will only be in extreme cases where the owner has displayed actions that deem immediate dismissal. In addition please note the following circumstances that will result in an owner’s permanent dismissal.

A. Inactivity - This is a subjective call of sorts but there are some hard fast ways to detect this. If a league president or commissioner feels that a team is not active and concerned about the owner’s interest in building/running a team or an owner misses 3 exports in a row. An email will be sent out; the owner will have 48 hours to respond with his intentions to stay in the league. This should also serve as a wakeup to the owner that we would like to see some increased activity. A negative response or NO response to the email at all will result in the team being taken away from the owner. The team will immediately fall under an interim or AI control until such time that a permanent replacement can be found.

B. Draft Non-Participation - If an owner fails to participate in the draft and if that owner has also failed to submit a draft list; that owner will be subject to removal from the league. The commissioner will have the computer draft for the team in the best interest of the team and the league and after the draft an interim or AI owner will be selected. You can have someone draft for you but you MUST inform the Commissioner of this at least 1 hour before draft time.

Owner Responsibilities

All teams are responsible for maintaining their own income. Each owner’s financial goal will be for their respective team to make a profit.
An Owner must accept the terms of the rules and is the sole person responsible for all transactions involving his team.
Owners must keep up-to-date on the latest patches and versions to ensure compatibility with the Commissioner's version of OOTP 2007.
All Owners are recommended to download and establish a screen name for AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) or compatible software such as ICQ. It is important to be responsive to other owner’s communication. Any owner that is found to be unresponsive may be removed from the league.
The purpose of the league is to have fun, so any owner who threatens, is abusive, attacks other owners, or, in any way, tries to undermine the league, will be subject to immediate grounds of dismissal.
No Owner may own more than one team, nor may the Owner collude with any other Owner or group of Owners to unjustly enrich any team. Any Owner found guilty of collusion by the Commissioners will be expelled from the league.
If an Owner is going to be without access to the net for an extended period of time, he or she may authorize another owner to act as Acting Owner for his team. The Acting Owner must follow the instructions of the unavailable Owner. The Acting Owner cannot trade or sign players for the unavailable Owner.
If an Owner is going to be away for an extended period of time, the owner must post a message on the message board regarding the time that owner will be away and when the said owner expects to return. \

Rosters

1. Active Rosters - Your Active roster is made up of 25 players or less you can have as many players at a Position as you would like on your active roster as long as you can meet the required standards. You must be able to fill your spots in your lineups and Rotations.

2. AAA Rosters - 30 Players Max

3. AA Roster - 30 Players Max

4. A and Short A Roster - 30 Players Max

5. Rookie Roster - 35 players Max

6. Winter League - 27 players, players may only be on this roster during the off-season. Owners who maintain players on this roster at any other time will be fined $5,000 per player each simulation, until all players are removed.

7. Designated for Assignment - All players acquired that have major league contracts either from Free Agency, Waivers or trades will be placed here. You will have 15 (simulation) days to assign the player to ACT, AAA, AA or A. failure to assign the player will result in the player being released. The game will not proceed once the 15 day limit is up for any player that has not been assigned. This is the responsibility of the owner to assign the players to a roster.

8. Amendment I 1/25/2006 - Players that are showing to be Minor League Free Agents at the end of the season on your roster will file for free agency regardless if they agreed to a Minor League Extension offer, unless they are on your 40 man roster. If they are on your 40 man roster than you will retain that player. If he is not placed on the 40 man roster the player will become a Free Agent.

Free Agency

1. Major League IV Free Agent Signing Period will start January 1st of each new year and all Free Agent offers can now be made by the owner and exported in your team export. Free Agents may take up to several days to make a decision on wither or not to sign with your team.

2. You may sign Free Agents from January 1st through October 31st .

Options and Waivers

1. Minors Options will be enabled; however, we will use a Waivers system to help teams out a bit.

2. If a player is out of options and refuses a minor league assignment, you may place them on waivers.

3. A player on placed on waivers will take 8 days to clear waivers. OOTP 7 allows owners to set a player to be pulled off waivers if claimed, unless the players is placed on irrevocable waivers.

4. If no teams places a claim and the player clears he may be moved to the minors

5. If at least one team places a claim, then you have the option of keeping the player on your active roster or allowing the player to be claimed. The player and financial responsibility for the remainder of their current contract, goes to claiming team.

6 . Claims will be awarded by the AI according to the standings, if more than one team submits a claim the team with the worst record will be awarded the player.

Ammy Draft

1. General - The Amateur Draft will be held in June of each season and will be 25 rounds, or until players run out. All remaining players will enter Free Agency.

2. Early drafting will begin once the players pool is announced. Utilizing the Draft Utility.

3. Owners can set their draft settings in the Draft Utility, Options include auto-pick, draft list, and pick now.

4. Once a team makes its selection in the utility the utility will send an email to the next owner letting them know it is their turn.

5. The timer will be set for: (TBA) once your time expires the AI will pick and we will move on to the next team.

Trades

1. General - Owner my trade amongst each other up to the July 31st trade Deadline. There will be no trading with the computer operated teams. A trade is official once the commissioner has received confirmation from both owners by email or both owners have posted on the trade forum.

2. Trade Disputes - If any owner feels a trade is lopsided, please email the commissioner or league commissioner within 48 hours of the trade being posted. If the commissioner or league committee feels that it warrants a review the trade will be "in limbo". Within 48 hours the committee will vote on the trade. If the trade is voted unfair it will be reversed. The league will not stop during these disputes, so it is possible for traded players to contribute to their new team, and then be returned to their old team.

3. Voting - voting will be majority, any trade being disputed that relates to the commissioner or a member of the committee, those owners will not be allowed to vote.

4. Trading of Cash: Allowed

5. No future cash considerations can be made

6. No limit on trading CURRENT season's cash

7. No trading of FUTURE cash since no one knows what that will be and may not be able to fill the obligation in a timely matter.

8. Trading of Draft Picks - Currently not allowed.