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1.01 | The Bob Gibson League (BGL) will consist of two leagues, the American and National Leagues. Each league will consist of 6 teams. |
1.02 | Franchise names will be at the discretion of owners. Once selected, they may not be changed in order to keep an accurate and simplified league historical database. |
1.03 | The season will be 160 games. |
1.04 | Season play will be pure; the American League teams will only play other American League teams, the National League teams will play only other National League teams. |
1.05 | Joining and playing in the league is free; there are no dues or other charges. |
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2.01 | BGL is a 100% APBA Baseball for Windows (BBWin) 5.75 computer league, using League Manager (LM) and AIM. |
2.02 | The use of the Designated Hitter will mirror MLB rules. Specifically, the DH will NOT be used in either league until the 1973 season. At that time, it is optional in the American League. |
2.03 | MicroManagers are required for all road series where the visiting manager is not personally (in person, via internet, or otherwise) managing his team. Any micromanager may be used and must also be provided by the visiting manager if not commonly available to the league. |
2.04 | Owners are responsible for declaring their team's MicroManager and providing a copy to League Management to be posted on the league website so all can access. In the event that a team fails to designate a MicroManager, Buck Miller III will be used. |
2.05 | Owners are encouraged to play live if and whenever possible; however it is not a requirement and both managers must agree. Otherwise the visiting manager will have their team managed by their designated MicroManager. |
2.06 | Ballpark effects will not be used. |
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3.01 | Major League rosters will be limited to 40 players during the season. It is each team's responsibility to keep enough carded players on the MLB roster to provide full seasonal coverage at all offensive positions as well as pitching. |
3.02 | A 26-man roster is used for each series and may be changed from series to series. It may not be changed in the middle of a series. |
3.03 | Active rosters may be expanded to the full 40-man limit after game #132 of the season has been played. |
3.04 | Players who did not play in the current season (previously carded players) may be retained. These players will be designated with "DNP". They may not be used in games under any circumstances. DNP players count against the 40 man roster limit. |
3.05 | During the season teams are not allowed to go over 40 players. In the off-season teams may exceed the 40 man limit but will be forced to cut down to 40 before opening day. |
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4.01 | AIM will be used to manage all batting limits. |
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5.01 | Players are limited to 150% of their actual steal attempts. The league statistician/file manager will use the SALSSN utility to check stolen base attempts after each series. Players who have reached the 125% threshold will have their steal rating reset to N-0 for the remainder of the regular season. (These players will be reset to their original rating for postseason play, if applicable.) |
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6.01 | A player may play at a non-rated position only when the starting and all rated backup players for that position have been injured, ejected, or substituted. Pinch-hitting or pinch running for the last available rated player at a position is allowed only from the 9th inning on. |
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7.01 | AIM will be used to manage all pitching limits. |
7.02 | Pitchers without a starting grade cannot start unless absolutely required due to injury. Any pitcher may be used in relief. |
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8.01 | AIM will be used to manage all injuries. |
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9.01 | All games will be played in Domed stadiums to prevent rainouts. |
9.02 | Any results submitted with rainouts will be ignored and the series will be simmed. |
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10.01 | Each manager must provide an f-file at the beginning of the season, designating team pitching rotation, roster, and lineups to be use for road games. This file may be changed after each series. |
10.02 | The 26-man active roster for each series must include a minimum of 2 rated players for each defensive position and a minimum of 5 rated players for the outfield. Each roster and lineup must have a minimum of 4 pitchers (may be rated relievers or starters with available relief appearances and innings) available for relief, and 4 starting pitchers, 3 of which are ineligible to pitch (resting). |
10.03 | Managers must email their f-file results to the Groups.io email account in a timely fashion upon the conclusion of each series. No series is official until the league statistician has validated the f-file. |
10.04 | It is each manager's responsibility to notify league management in advance if they will not be able to play their current series. |
10.05 | Due to the depth of the league and high degree of competition desired and expected, it is each owner's responsibility to actively manage their roster and play their games. Teams will accrue progressive penalties for delinquency and/or negligence in turning in their game results. The penalties are as follows:
1st two violations - no penalty
3rd violation - lose 3rd round pick
4th violation - lose 2nd round pick
5th violation - lose 1st round pick
6th violation - dismissal from the league
If a team is dismissed for such a reason, all previously forfeited picks will be reinstated for the incoming owner.
Owners are able to request a sim in advance without penalty. |
10.06 | Any manager who becomes AWOL after thirty (30) days, without having made prior arrangements with the commissioner, may be immediately terminated at the discretion of the commissioner. |
10.07 | Pitching rotations are to be scheduled for a minimum of the upcoming series. Managers are responsible to manage their rotation so that starters will be available (Rested or Ready status) for their scheduled starts. |
10.08 | No team may begin play until their season-opening f-file (with pitching rotation, roster, and lineups) is on file with the league statistician. |
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11.01 | The 2 league champions and the next best team in each league will make the playoffs. The two teams in each division will play in the 7 game LCS, and the winners will advance World Series, and will play a best of 7 series. |
11.02 | Divisional ties will be broken by a one-game playoff, at the home of the team with the better record in head-to-head play. In the event of a head-to-head tie, the next tie-breaker used will be divisional record. If still tied, a coin flip by the commissioner will determine the home field. |
11.03 | The World Series home team will be the team with the best regular season record. In the event of a tie, the following criteria will be used to break the tie: 1) Best road record 2) Most runs scored 3) Fewest sims 4) Coin flip. |
11.04 | All playoff series will be in a 2-2-1-1-1 format. There will be a day of rest inserted between games 4 and 5, and 6 and 7. |
11.05 | Injuries from the season will NOT carry over into the playoffs. Any injuries sustained in the playoffs will carry through the rest of the playoffs. |
11.06 | Player fatigue from the regular season will carry over into the playoffs. |
11.07 | Playoff rosters will be 26 players and must be declared before the start of the playoffs. |
11.08 | Playoff rosters cannot be changed once the playoff start, with one exception. Injured players may be replaced in the playoffs between rounds. The replacement player must have post-season eligibility. The injured player may be returned to the roster between the next series, with the player that replaced him returned to the farm. |
11.09 | Only starting pitchers with 50 or more innings pitched, and relievers with 25 or more innings pitched are eligible for post-season play. A starter or split-grade pitcher with at least 25 but less than 50 innings may be used in the post-season, but only in relief. |
11.10 | Innocuous batters (OPS < .600) and pitchers (Grade 1-3, MBF 1000) are eligible for the post-season regardless of their actual MLB at-bat and innings totals. |
11.11 | A DH will be used at all games hosted by the American League team (starting in 1973); no DH is used in the National League ballpark. |
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12.01 | MVP, "CY Young", "Rookie of the Year", and "Fireman of the Year" votes, for each league, will be taken at the end of the season and acknowledged. |
12.02 | A voluntary Awards Committee will be formed at the end of the season to vote on league All-Stars, Gold Gloves, and Silver Sluggers. Any owner that wishes to participate may join the Awards Committee. |
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13.01 | An annual draft of available players (unowned carded players) will be conducted each year on a date determined by the commissioner. The draft will be held via the league Draft Website and will be at least 10 rounds in duration. |
13.02 | All unaffiliated players on the new APBA data disk are eligible for the draft. |
13.03 | The draft order will be set in the inverse order of the final standings. The 9-12 positions of the rookie draft are set based on playoff finish. The World Series winner will be assigned position 12, the World Series loser will be assigned position 11. The LCS losers will be assigned positions 9 and 10, with the team with the worse regular season record getting the 9th position. In the event of ties for any position, the previous year's standings will be used. |
13.04 | In the event of a tie for any draft position, the previous year's standings will be used to determine the weaker team. If still a tie, the next prior season will be used until the tie is broken. If still unresolved, head to head record in the current season will break the tie. If still tied, a coin flip will take place. |
13.05 | Tied picks will alternate from round to round, with the weaker team having the higher pick in odd rounds, and the other team the higher pick in the even rounds. In the event of a three way tie, the weakest and strongest teams will alternate from round to round, while the middle team will have the position between the two teams in all rounds. |
13.06 | Draft picks may be traded at any time, including during the actual draft. |
13.07 | Instructions, draft order, and a list of eligible players will be distributed prior to the draft. |
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14.01 | Trades can take place at any time during the season, with the exception of short roster freeze periods that will be announced by league management. |
14.02 | No trades are official until reported by both managers to the League Management for confirmation. Trades will be reported to the league in a timely manner via the website and mailing list. |
14.03 | The in-season trade deadline is at the series that contains Game #133. No trades may take place between Game #133 and the end of the playoffs. The commissioner will announce when trading is reopened at the conclusion of the World Series. |
14.04 | Draft picks for the next upcoming (or current, if in progress) annual draft are the only draft picks permitted in trades. |
14.05 | In the event that collusion or other unfair/unethical is suspected, League Management will form a Trade Committee of 5 owners (picked at random) to review the trade in question. If a majority of the Trade Committee feels that there is a breach of ethics and fair play the trade will be overturned. The Trade Committee will be instructed to only consider foul play and an obvious attempt to cheat; the trade being subjectively uneven is not grounds in and of itself to nullify the trade. |
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15.01 | Prior to the season, the commissioner (or his delegate) will perform adjustments to various AIM player ratings. |
15.02 | Innocuous batters (OPS < .600) with an injury rating of J-3 or J-4 will have it adjusted to J-2. |
15.03 | Any batters with a Season Factor (SF) less than 100 will have it normalized to 100. This will reduce the player's PR as a result (e.g. a 1000/60 player will become a 600/100 player). With SF=100, the player will no longer be "games-limited" in their usage. |
15.04 | Pitchers with a grade of 1, 2, or 3 will have their Maximum Batters Faced (MBF) set to 1000. |
15.05 | Grade 1-3 starting pitchers will have their injury rating set to J-2 and their Durability rating set to 2. This will result in their MRR being calculated to 35 and RF to 9. |
15.06 | Grade 1-3 relievers will have their injury rating set to J-0 and their Durability rating set to 1. This will result in their MRR being calculated to 18 and RF to 7. |
15.07 | Split grade pitchers with both grades 3 or under will have their injury rating set to J-1 and their Durability rating set to 2 as a starter and 1 as a reliever. |
15.08 | If a split grade pitcher has either grade greater than 3, they will not receive any AIM adjustments. |
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16.01 | All rule changes to the BGL Constitution must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the voting managers. |
16.02 | New additions to the constitution must receive majority approval. |
16.03 | Any league manager may submit rule proposals. |
16.04 | Voting on rule proposals/charter modifications for the following season will take place within 30 days after the playoffs are completed. No in-season modifications to the charter will be permitted. |
