1. INTRODUCTION

League History

The Wolfpack Fantasy Baseball League began in 1994 with four teams using players solely from the National League. The infamous strike ended this season short before a league champion could be crowned.

In 1995, the league grew 50% and included owners spanning across two states. That season saw many teams such as newcomers Gameball Boys and Baltimore Black Sox and the senior-league member Tampica Trauma assume, and ultimately lose, first place. The championship for that year belonged to the Power Rangers, who credited their second half surge to a trade for the then-Marlin outfielder Jeff Conine.

In 1996, the league bid a fond farewell to the Camel Toes, while granting franchise rights to two new clubs. Despite a strong effort by the expansion Raleigh Middle Fingers, the season was dominated from start to finish by the Tampica Trauma. General manager Clay Lowman attributed his success to a lack of injuries and the career year of Atlanta pitcher John Smoltz.

The 1997 season welcomed three new owners to the fray. With the expansion to 10 teams, the league decided to expand the player pool to include all players from both the National and American Leagues. In addition, two divisions were created, and the league format changed from total points to head-to-head. When the dust had cleared, four teams had risen to the top of the league: the Sendek Division Champion Power Rangers, the O’Cain Division Champion Baltimore Black Sox, Kalamazoo Green Knights and Clemmons Cougars. The health of superstars Mark McGwire and Randy Johnson led the Power Rangers to victory over the Kalamazoo Green Knights and their second world title in three years.

The league expanded once again in 1998 to include a total of 12 teams. Those teams were split equally amongst three divisions. The entire regular season was dominated by the Raleigh Middle Fingers, who posted a league-record tying 20 wins. But the playoffs belonged to the Kalamazoo Green Knights. Huge late-season trades involving such forces as Frank Thomas, Barry Bonds, and Jason Kendall strengthened an already solid lineup which included 1998 NL MVP Sammy Sosa. The Green Knights cruised through to their first league championship, dominating playoff opponents by an average of 42 points.

The founders of the league formed the WFBL in order to elucidate our baseball expertise into a tangible, quantitative form, increase our knowledge of the game, and have a fun time doing it!

Owner Objective

The goal of each owner is to finish as high as possible in their respective division, move onto the playoffs and the win the right to have their team name engraved on the coveted league trophy.

Summary Description of the League

The WFBL consists of twelve fantasy baseball teams comprised of any combination of players from American and National League Major League Baseball teams. The rules closely resemble traditional fantasy league rules, with the most important exceptions being the following:

1. Each team will be required to remain at or below a $300 salary cap at all times throughout the season. Any transaction that violates this rule will be null and void. Player salaries are determined before the start of the season and will remain static for the entire year. Salaries for the 1999 season will be determined by the those listed in The Sporting News 1999 Fantasy Baseball Owners Manual. Those players not assigned a value in that publication will be assigned a value of $1. Any player added to a Major League roster during the season will receive a value of $1 and must undergo the waiver process as described in section 4. A player will not lose eligibility for any reason during the course of a season.
1. Scoring is based on 11x11 statistics in the following categories: S, D, T, HR, RBI, R, BB, SB, CS, SO, E for field players and IP, W, L, ER, SV, BS, BB, H, SO, CG, HOLDS for pitchers.
1. Regular draft order will be determined by lottery during the league’s winter talks.
1. Owners can make unlimited free-agent pickups throughout the year (certain restrictions apply), until the August 30th deadline.
1. Each team is required to maintain a roster consisting of a minimum of 19 players at all times throughout the season.
1. There is a general 5-11 man reserve roster which may be expanded to a maximum of 16 on August 23rd until the August 30th free-agent deadline.
1. Teams are divided into three divisions, the O’Cain Division, Sendek Division, and Avent Division. Each division will consist of four teams. Each division winner and one wild-card team will advance to the playoffs.
1. A Rules Committee has been established to make decisions on all rule-related and position eligibility concerns.
1. Four cash-award prizes will be issued at the end of the season based on final standings in the league. First place 50%, second place 25%, third place 15%, and fourth place 10%.
1. League dues will be $35 per team with the exception of the commissioner. Dues will go towards trophy engraving, the upcoming season’s league baseball (signed by all owners and given to that year’s league champion), baseball holder, league statistical service and software, the draft kit, and league cash-award prizes.
1. Winter rosters and off-season trading is not recognized by the league.
1. Future draft considerations may only be traded for the next upcoming draft.
1. At least one half of the league must cast a YEA or NAY vote in order for a constitutional amendment to be considered. The amendment is passed if greater than 50% of the voting owners vote YEA.

League Name

The official league name is the "Wolfpack Fantasy Baseball League" (abbreviated WFBL).

2. ROSTERS

Active Roster

The active roster consists of 14 players that have eligibility which allows them to fill the following positions:

• catcher (1),
• first baseman (1),
• second baseman (1),
• third baseman (1),
• shortstop (1),
• outfielders (3),
• designated hitter (1),
• pitchers (5)*.

* At least one but no more than two of the five pitchers must be an established reliever (closer, or middle reliever). Any questions on eligibility should be directed to the Rules Committee.

There is no penalty for not filling one or more of the 14 positions designated for field players and pitchers. It is the owners’ responsibility to replace injured players. All player activation and deactivation go into effect at the beginning of the following week.

Reserve Roster

The reserve roster consists of backup and/or injured players. There is no separate disabled list. Each team must maintain a minimum of 5 players on their reserve roster at all times and a maximum of 11. The maximum reserve roster value will expand to 16 players on August 23rd, at which point, free agents may be signed on a first-come, first-serve basis. The signing period will exist for one week only.

Position Eligibility

A field player is initially eligible to play at a position if he played that position at least 20 games the previous year. Once the season begins, a player can become eligible at a new position once he plays in 20 games at that position. All rookies and non-major league players entering the league during the season will be eligible at the position in which they are established. Any discrepancies will be handled by the Rules Committee. No player failing to qualify for 20 games at a position shall be eligible at two positions.

Disabled List

If a player goes on the Major League disabled list (15-day, 60-day, season), an owner may option to place him on their reserve roster. The player may be reactivated at any time regardless of his status on the Major League disabled list (designed for cases when a player is expected to return during the week activated).

Initial Rosters

The initial 14-man rosters and 5-11 man reserve rosters will be filled by the following year’s protected lists and draft.

Changes in Rosters

During the season, any changes can be made to team’s roster by contacting the commissioner and performing one or more valid transactions.

Post-season Roster Protection

The Wolfpack Fantasy Baseball League has incorporated "tiered" player protection for returning owners. The number of roster protection tiers for the 1999 season will be three. The four teams which make the playoffs will be in the first tier. The second and remaining tier will be determined by overall record at week 24 (end of the regular season). The first tier is allowed to protect $115 worth of players (values based on the next year’s price guidelines). Each additional tier is allowed to protect $15 more than that of the preceding tier. Each returning team is required to provide the current commissioner with a protected list 14 days prior to the next season’s draft. All unprotected players will go into the pool of players available for the draft. Any given player can only be protected for a maximum of three (3) consecutive years beginning with those players protected for the 1998 season.

3. STATS

Software

Commissioner Baseball software will be used this year in creating weekly status reports and in keeping track of team rosters. The statistics will be provided by Sportsware (Stats, Inc.).

Scoring

The following points are awarded or deducted for field players.

Table 1: Field Player Scoring

The following points are awarded or deducted for pitchers.

Table 2: Pitcher Scoring

Standings

Weekly standings are determined by each team’s overall record in head-to-head competition. In head-to-head competition, two teams match total active-roster points for that given week. The team with more points receives a win, the other, a loss.

Ties in Overall Standings

Ties in overall standings will be broken by the following:

1. Record within the division
2. Head-to-head record between the two teams
3. Total points and
4. Coin toss

Weekly Reports

Each weekly statistical report will reflect the points accumulated from the games from the previous Monday through Sunday. Weekly reports will be available the Tuesday morning after the statistics become available. Statistics will only be sent via electronic mail. Updated rosters and standings will be made available on the league’s official web site (home.nc.rr.com/wfbl).

Free Agent Reports

Updated free-agent reports will be made available at least once every two months by the commissioner. It is the responsibility of each owner to update these reports manually in the time between released reports.

4. TRANSACTIONS

Transaction Types

The following is a list of possible transactions:

1. Activate a player from reserve roster
1. Acquire a player in a trade
1. Sign a free agent
1. Deactivate a player to reserve roster
1. Trade away
1. Waive (i.e. release, allowing the player to be picked up by another owner or yourself)
1. Move player to new position

The commissioner can declare any transaction null and void. The only two reasons that this may be necessary are if:

• The transaction is disallowed by the rules.
• It appears that two or more teams are colluding.

Transaction Deadline

The weekly transaction deadline is Monday, 12 noon ET.

Free Agent Signings

You can pickup free agents at any time during the season until the free-agent deadline, 12 noon, August 30 (ET). A free agent may only be acquired if room exists on the roster for that player and there are no conflicts in regards to the salary cap. Once acquired, a free agent cannot be waived or traded for a minimum of two weeks.

Note: No player is eligible to be picked up until the day after he appears on a major league roster. However, if a player is on a major league roster at any time during the season, he will be eligible to be picked up later in the season, regardless of his current status.

Player Release

All league owners will be notified via email when a player is released from another team. Once released, a player may not be reacquired by the same team (via trade or free agent signing) for a period of two weeks.

Trades

Trades may be made between two teams for any players on their 14-man active roster or reserve list at any time before the trade deadline. The trade deadline is August 30, 12 noon ET. Important: BOTH teams must notify the commissioner (via email or phone) by the transaction deadline for the trade is valid. You must include free agent pickups, player waivers, reserves or position moves with your trade (if necessary) to make sure your 14-man active roster position requirements and salary requirements are met. Trades may not involve a "player to be named later". Only draft picks for the next scheduled draft may be traded.

Kiel Clause

A player’s protection rights may not be traded. Once a player has been traded, he may not be reacquired for the same player with whom he was originally traded for a period of one month (in an effort to discourage the "renting" of players). Any infraction of these rules will result in verbal thrashing, excessive finger pointing and sneering.

Player Activation/Deactivation

Players may be moved between the active roster and reserve roster at any time to satisfy position requirements.

5. THE DRAFT

Pre-Draft Activities

Draft selection ordering will be performed by lottery at the Winter Meetings. Player protection lists for returning owners are required 14 days prior to the draft. If this list is not received by this deadline, no players will be protected. A complete free agent guide will be provided as soon as available with all position eligibility and salaries before the draft.

Position Eligibility

For the draft, players are eligible at a position if they played at least 20 games at that position in the previous season or are established at that position (rookies only). The Rules Committee will have the final say on position eligibility. The players eligible to be chosen for your initial 14-man roster must be on a Major League roster or disabled list on the day of the draft. Players put on a Major League roster during the draft cannot be added until the initial release/signing period.

Draft Format

Draft format will consist of alternating selection order for even versus odd rounds. For example, the team with the twelfth pick in the draft will get the first pick in the second round (i.e. the 13th overall pick). The team with the first overall pick, will receive the last pick in the second round (i.e. the 24th overall pick). With each selection made in the draft, the owner is required to disclose the player’s name and salary and the remaining funds available to that team for additional signings.

Table 3: Draft Selection Ordering

Trades are permitted during the draft involving newly acquired players, protected players, and draft picks. It is not permitted to release any player at any time during the draft.

Draft Date and Location

The 1999 draft is scheduled for March 27th to be held at the residence of the owner of the Clemmons Cougars (maps and directions to be provided) promptly at 11am.

6. OWNER RESPONSIBILITIES

7. COMMISSIONER RESPONSIBILTIES

8. Appendix A: 1999 Winter Meeting Minutes

Minutes from the 1999 WFBL Winter Talks:

When: Saturday, January 23, 1999, 10am - 12pm

Host: Zack Kirby - Co-owner of The World Champion Kalamazoo Green Knights

Presiding: Adam Brake - League Commissioner and Owner, Power Rangers

Owners present:

Clay Lowman - Vice Commissioner and Owner, Tampica Trauma

Bruce King - Co-owner, The World Champion Kalamazoo Green Knights

Chris Burkett - Owner, Hickory Scorpions

Matthew Burkett - Owner, Ball Hawks

Jamie Johnson - Owner, Bronx Bombers

Chip Kiel - Owner, Ellicott City Black Sox

Jeff Kranich - Owner, Comeback Johnnies

Thomas Lipps - Owner, Raleigh Middle Fingers

Chuck Scruggs - Owner, Clemmons Cougars

Owners not present:

Barry Leonard - Owner, Barry's Big Boys

Agenda and Business Items, as presented by Adam Brake, Commissioner:

1a. Checks were presented to the following finishers from the 1998 season:

4th place - Thomas Lipps (Raleigh Middle Fingers)

3rd place - Jeff Kranich (Comeback Johnnies)

2nd place - Barry Leonard (Barry's Big Boys)

1st place - Bruce King and Zack Kirby (Kalamazoo Green Knights)

1b. The WFBL league trophy was presented to the 1998 WFBL Champions, the Kalamazoo Green Knights (Bruce King and Zack Kirby accepting).

2. It was noted that the protection tiers for 1999 were modified by league vote during the 1998 season to the following levels:

Places 1-4: $110 (KAL, BBB, CMJ, RMF)

Places 5-8: $125 (PWR, HWK, HIC, TAM)

Places 9-12: $140 (CLM, BOM, BSX, APX)

3. The Commissioner's statement about what is needed to amend the constitution was generally agreed upon, with the following unanimous addition: At least one half of the league must cast a YEA or NAY vote in order for the vote to be valid.

4. In order to resolve the "Kerry Wood Controversy," the league voted unanimously to amend the constitution with the following rule: New players are defined as "players qualifying for eligibility for the first time in that season" (see Item 5. below). During the "open pick up portion of the season," "valid transactions" involving new players may be submitted to the Commissioner until no later than 12 noon on the Monday following the day the player gained eligibility. Multiple valid transactions involving a new player are resolved by using the latest official WFBL standings released by the Commissioner, then:

1. Selecting the team(s) with the lowest overall record,

2a. If comparing teams from different divisions, selecting the team(s) with the fewest points on the season, or,

2b. If comparing teams only from the same division, selecting the team(s) with the lowest division record, then selecting the team(s) with the fewest points on the season,

3. Selecting the team submitting the earliest valid transaction. Something about after that, first-come, first-serve.

A new player's position eligibility is determined by the generally accepted position that player played in the minors, unless that player has major league experience from the previous season and doesn't qualify with the "20 game" rule at any position. In that case, the major league

position played the most in the previous year shall be the position of eligibility. No player failing to qualify for 20 games at a position shall be eligible at two positions.

5. In order to put to rest the "Enrique Wilson Fiasco," the league reiterated the rule that once a player is eligible for a season, that player is eligible for the remainder of the season, regardless of that player's major league status.

6. The issue of returning the salary cap to the $260/team limit was not brought to a vote due to lack of a 2nd motion.

7. The league will continue to use expanded rosters. However, raising the salary cap with the roster limit was voted down, 8-2.

8. A reminder that the three-year player protection limit went into effect last year. Players with one year having been protected, and subject to a second year by virtue of still being on the same team are:

PWR: K. Griffey, M. Piazza

KAL: S. Sosa, L. Walker

BSX: none

CLM: P. Martinez, N. Garciaparra

CMJ: R. Clemens, R. Greer, T. Martinez

TAM: G. Sheffield, T. Gwynn, A. Galarraga

HIK: R. Lankford, J. Bagwell, V. Castilla, I. Rodriguez

HWK: K. Lofton, M. Vaughn, D. Jeter, J. Edmonds, J. Lopez

RMF: J. Gonzalez, C. Knoblauch, K. Caminiti, B. Higginson, B. Larkin

BBB: none

BOM: none

APX: none

9. No other new rules were presented for discussion. The league liked the schedule format. The deadline for selecting a new owner is the protected roster deadline.

10. The league fees and expenses will be the same for this season as last. $35 league fee.

11. No one has yet been identified as the potential 12th owner. A contingency plan is TBD.

12. The "Protected Lists" are due March 20. This has since been amended to be March 19, at noon.

13. The 1999 WFBL Draft is scheduled for March 27th, 1999 at Chuck Scruggs' house in Clemmons, N.C.. The holder of the first pick shall be on the clock at 11:00am sharp.

14. No suggestions were offered about new league software.

15. Jeff Kranich volunteered to organize the Summer Talks.

16. The Rules Committee members shall remain the same as last year (Thomas, Clay, and Jeff).

17. The votes for Commissioner and Vice-Commissioner were unanimous:

Adam Brake - Commissioner

Thomas Lipps - Vice-Commissioner

18. A "lottery" approach for next year's draft was generally agreed upon, however details are TBD. Everyone wants to make sure that playoff finish is included in "weighting" the lottery.

19. The 1999 WFBL Draft Order is, with exceptions noted, as follows:

Odd Numbered Rounds: (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13...)

1. Bronx Bombers

2. Kalamazoo Green Knights (except Rounds 1 & 3 to Ellicott C Black Sox)

3. Clemmons Cougars

4. Raleigh Middle Fingers

5. The Waybacks (or Expansion)

6. Ball Hawks

7. Tampica Trauma

8. Ellicott C Black Sox (except Round 1 to Trauma & Round 3 to Scorpions)

9. Power Rangers

10. Barry's Big Boys (except Round 1 to Ellicott City Black Sox)

11. Hickory Scorpions

12. Comeback Johnnies (except Round 9 to Ellicott City Black Sox)

Even Numbered Rounds: (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14...)

1. Comeback Johnnies

2. Hickory Scorpions

3. Barry's Big Boys

4. Power Rangers (except Round 4 to Bronx Bombers)

5. Ellicott City Black Sox (except Round 2 to Tampica Trauma)

6. Tampica Trauma

7. Ball Hawks

8. Apex Alleycats

9. Raleigh Middle Fingers

10. Clemmons Cougars

11. Kalamazoo Green Knights (except Round 2 to Ellicott City Black Sox)

12. Bronx Bombers

20. Based on the lottery, as selected by the owners, the divisional alignment listed in Appendix B of this document will be used for the 1999 WFBL season. Note that division champions from the previous season have been returned to their respective division so as they may "defend" their divisional championship.

9. Appendix B: 1999 League Divisional Alignment

* 1998 Division Champions

10. Appendix C: 1999 Draft Order