Shandler's new format - "Rotisserie 500"

[laron]

I would think it shouldn't be tooooooo difficult. The biggest problem I would think is the Snake aspect for an auction draft. Otherwise I think you would just set up a regular auction draft with a $500 budget and when each owner nominates his player he opens the bidding at the Shandler price. Then he either gets him for that amount or someone uses one of their three overbids, which we will probably have to keep a count of separately.

I was talking more about in-season FA bid management. The draft itself will be tough to manage for sure but that'll be done offline in some chat room or via skype I imagine, not through any hosting site draftroom. But in-season bidding looks to have fairly complex rules from what I read in the initial Shandler post and the constitution. Maybe I'm overly complicating it I tend to do that.

[TopChuckie]

I was talking more about in-season FA bid management. The draft itself will be tough to manage for sure but that'll be done offline in some chat room or via skype I imagine, not through any hosting site draftroom. But in-season bidding looks to have fairly complex rules from what I read in the initial Shandler post and the constitution. Maybe I'm overly complicating it I tend to do that.

Ah, yeah, my reading comprehension was a little off earlier. I think if the website simply restricts anyone from exceeding their $500 cap, then we can just have an unlimited FAAB budget but the most you would ever be able to bid is your amount of cap space any given week. It wouldn't need to know to add waived players' salaries back into your budget, just that your cap space increased with the waiver.

[Todd Zola]

I will see Scott from OnRoto next weekend at Tout Wars. if you guys put together a "wish list" for the web site, I'll talk with him and see what can be automated and what has to be humanized.

[ThatRogue]

A couple more things from my review of the rules, minimal as it was:

I don't think there's an auction site out there that can handle this (does anyone allow for a snake auction?) so we'll probably have to use a Skype call and a Google Doc or something like that.

Someone else already noticed the 12-team pricing, so that's good.

Are we planning to structure this as a keeper league?

- Mike

I have a WebEx account that we use for customer meetings, training, internal collaboration, etc. The solution incorporates video and document sharing, plus the system will call you at whatever number you enter (as opposed to having to dial in). There are also iPad, iPhone and Android WebEx apps, if you prefer one of those to a PC/Mac. I'll set up the meeting with my account, which will generate the access information everyone else will need to log into the session.

Here's a link if anyone wants to take a look: http://www.webex.com/. We could set up a test run before the actual auction date, so that everyone is comfortable with logging in, chatting, voice/video usage and document sharing. Perhaps we should also recruit someone to serve as the auctioneer and manage a shared roster spreadsheet, so that all the owners can solely focus on managing their draft (seeing as how this is a new system for everyone).

Let me know your thoughts.

[ThatRogue]

I'd be fine with this which I think ESPN could handle. I don't think this detracts too much from the Shandler format (Runs being more correlated with PT while RBI are more correlated with HR, and BS being equal for both closers and setup guys).

-Mixed League
-4x4 Stat categories:
* Home Runs
* Stolen Bases
* On Base Percentage
* Runs
* Wins
* Strikeouts
* Earned Run Average
* (Saves + Holds)

...

By changing the runs produced formula to just runs, do we unnecessarily devalue guys who have a bit less power (i.e. a 25HR hitter vs a 35 HR hitter) but still drive in runners? Player A may hit more HR while player B may drive in more runs and actually be more valuable per Ron's price list. However, our gameplay would reward player A more. For example:

Player A: 2010 Reynolds 32 HR, 85 RBI, 79 R (132 R+RBI-HR), .313 OBP, 7 SB, Listed R500 Value: $11

Player B: 2010 McGehee 23 HR, 104 RBI, 70 R (151 R+RBI-HR), .339 OBP, 1 SB, Listed R500 Value: $12

Using R instead of R+RBI-HR would make Reynolds 2010 season statline more valuable than McGehee's.


Just an observation...

[BuckyBuckner]

By changing the runs produced formula to just runs, do we unnecessarily devalue guys who have a bit less power (i.e. a 25HR hitter vs a 35 HR hitter) but still drive in runners? Player A may hit more HR while player B may drive in more runs and actually be more valuable per Ron's price list. However, our gameplay would reward player A more. For example:

Player A: 2010 Reynolds 32 HR, 85 RBI, 79 R (132 R+RBI-HR), .313 OBP, 7 SB, Listed R500 Value: $11

Player B: 2010 McGehee 23 HR, 104 RBI, 70 R (151 R+RBI-HR), .339 OBP, 1 SB, Listed R500 Value: $12

Using R instead of R+RBI-HR would make Reynolds 2010 season statline more valuable than McGehee's.


Just an observation...

Now that we are using OnRoto I believe we can use the original stats that the dollar values are based on.

[TopChuckie]

Now that I think were pretty set on who is in, let's get back to fine tuning.

Some basics to be decided:

-League Name

The RotoJunkie 500 League
The 500 Club
The Rotojunkie 500 Club (2 Votes from BigJonEmpire, laron)
The Rotojunkie 500 (1 Vote from ThatRogue)
The Fanalytic 500 League
The Yankees Rule League /kidding
???

-League Type

Mixed, and we have decided to use Shandler's stats assuming OnRoto is going to accommodate them.

-Who's In

1. joncarlos
2. TopChuckie
3. wannabegriffey
4. BigJonEmpire
5. mjl
6. mgwiz22
7. laron
8. Piney Boy
9. ThatRogue
10. Hawks Nest
11. netboy47
12. BuckyBuckner
13. Flyman?
14. SPF?

-League Website

OnRoto

Website Wish List:
1. Restrict owners from exceeding the $500 salary cap, this will automatically set everyone's max FAAB bid. It might also complicate trading though, where if you attempt to make a trade that exceeds your cap, your trade will have to be pending the waiver of enough salary to make your cap legal. In my leagues, I typically require commish approval for trades, not to judge fairness, just to avoid a trade that leaves a team with an illegal roster. Perhaps that would be the way to handle this league. Trades would be submitted for commish approval, as long as both teams remain under the cap and have all their requisite positions filled, the trade is approved. If the trade exceeds the cap, or leaves a team with an empty position, then the commish will contact the owner for additional transactions.
2. I think one page that shows everyone's cap space would be especially useful in this league, but certainly not a requirement as long as each team's team page provides this information.
3. Dollar Values based on our league's stat categories.
4. ... I'll add our additional suggestions/needs here.

-Money

Thanks to Todd and OnRoto, it doesn't look like we will have a website cost and Jason has offered up a subscription to Rotowire or Baseball Prospectus for the winner, so I don't think we need to collect any money. If this takes off, perhaps we can play for higher stakes next season.

-How/when do we hold the draft?

ThatRogue's offer sounds like a good option to me, and I do agree we should give it a trial run pre-draft. Perhaps we can meet up one night this coming week, make sure we can all get access and have a discussion of some of these league details.

As far as the date of draft goes, I have no idea how long it will take, longer than a snake, less than an auction, but then you factor in the online aspect and I have no idea. With reserves, I'd estimate 6 hours as a wild, conservatively pessimistic, guess. I assume it would be easiest to get everyone together on weeknights, especially since many of us will be live drafting on the upcoming weekends. So I'll throw out one or two weeknights the week of March 28 as likely our best option. That gives us the most time to pull this together while still scheduling it before Opening Day. How does that work for everyone?

-Do we use Shandler's List or other?

Yes, we've agreed we're using Shandler's dollar values. Hopefully he will make them available every season, or perhaps OnRoto has/will have the capability to establish dollar values based on our stat categories.

-Are we a Keeper league?

I'd like to be optimistic and say we're all going to enjoy this so, yes, let's plan as if we are going to be a keeper league and draft and trade accordingly.

-Draft Procedure

Between Shandler's original article and Shandler's league rules that Todd sent out, I think there is some discrepancy between whether or not everyone fills out their active roster and then the reserve draft begins, or if the two are or should be completely intertwined. I'm wavering, but I think I tend to lean toward intertwined, i.e. you can draft whoever, and put them wherever, until you have spent your $500 or you choose to stop, but you cannot stop until you do at least have your 23-man requisite active roster filled with all legal players.

If we draft pre-Opening Day, we should use mlbdepthcharts.com as our official source of who is on a MLB 25-man roster and eligible for an active roster spot, i.e. not on the DL or in the minors. There's simply no more accurate and up-to-date source out there.

I think the active and reserve has to be intertwined because I just don't think if Pujols were to go on the DL with something minor between now and our draft, that he should be ineligible to be drafted until the reserve draft. That would throw things for quite a loop as everyone would save budget so they could overbid for the first pick in the reserve draft. At a minimum, we should allow DL'd players to be drafted in the active rounds, and then a replacement must be drafted in the reserve.

Another impact of intertwining would be no one would ever be locked out of a position, i.e. once you have 9 P's, if another P you are interested in is nominated you can still over bid, or even simply select a 10th P on your turn and place one on reserve. I'm not sure if this is good or not, have to think a little more.

What other issues must we decide on?

[ThatRogue]

Since we are trying this out for the first time, I am okay with drafting after the season begins. I'd rather not draft between March 24th and April 3rd, as I'll use that time to complete final prep for my local league (our roster freeze is at 11:59:59 pm on March 25th). I'm also unavailable during March 17th - 19th.

If the week of the 28th is best for everyone else, I'll still set up and host the WebEx session (as long as it is before the 31st), but will pass on having a team this season.

Finally, I'd like to change my vote to call this "The RotoJunkie 500". Not that I'm a NASCAR fan...but it sounds sort of cool.

[ThatRogue]

Also...

I agree that this should be a keeper league, and that it makes sense to intertwine the active and reserve roster selection process.

[TopChuckie]

Since we are trying this out for the first time, I am okay with drafting after the season begins. I'd rather not draft between March 24th and April 3rd, as I'll use that time to complete final prep for my local league (our roster freeze is at 11:59:59 pm on March 25th). I'm also unavailable during March 17th - 19th.

If the week of the 28th is best for everyone else, I'll still set up and host the WebEx session (as long as it is before the 31st), but will pass on having a team this season.

Finally, I'd like to change my vote to call this "The RotoJunkie 500". Not that I'm a NASCAR fan...but it sounds sort of cool.

We can work around your drafts, I was just putting some dates out there to get the ball rolling.

And sorry, it wasn't you who voted for The Rotojunkie 500 Club, it was BigJonEmpire, I'll update the post above.

[laron]

Vote for rotojunkie 500 club

Definitely intertwined draft

Hopefully draft preseason, I'm mountain timezone

[mgwiz22]

I think that the reserve draft has to be intertwined but I am worried that with a 17 man reserve squad that it could take too long to finish and some would lose interest and stop for that reason. I am aware that it is not necessary for each team to take 17 reserves but I prefer that people stop or continue for other reasons than fatigue. I propose that the reserve draft be split with a portion , say the last seven or eight, be left till the next evening.
I guess the 28th would be fine with me. I would not be available on the 26th or 27th. I prefer prior to the season but am willing to do this during the season.
Am I correct in assuming that this will be a weekly transaction league? I don't find any of the names appealing but I have never been one to focus on the name. How about "Shandler's List" , "Out of the Bullpen", or "The Junkies" for names? I'll accept any name.

[netboy47]

The evening of the 28th does not work for me as I'll be flying home from my main league's draft. Any other day that week works for me.

[mjl]

I have drafts on Mar 25, Mar 26, and Apr 2; other than that I'm available pretty much anytime outside of normal work hours.

- Mike

[TranaGreg]

not sure how I missed this thread but if SPF drops out (or you decide on 16) I'd be very interested.