Yes. After 18 seasons of Sagebrush Cactus League fantasy football, we're finally venturing into the realm of fantasy baseball. Brace yourselves.
You may be asking yourself, "Why would our gracious and benevolent Commish put himself through this?" Well, I can tell you that it's not for the money.
For nearly two decades, I've thoroughly enjoyed watching you humiliate and frustrate yourselves as you try to master the game of fantasy football. But between seasons, there's a lull in my entertainment. What better way to fill that void than to invite you all to take a crack at fantasy baseball and sit back to watch the spectacle unfold? After all, the pleasure of seeing you flounder is worth far more than the measly compensation package this job offers.
So, what do you say? Are you ready to play ball?
Before we get down to business, those of you that told me you were interested should've received an invite to join the league. If you did not see an email invite, please let me know.
LEAGUE
The Sagebrush Cactus Baseball League will be a 12 team, head-to-head weekly matchup format with two divisions - Sagebrush and Cactus - played over a 20-week regular season. In addition to your weekly matchup, your team will also earn a bonus win, or loss, against the league mean for that week. For you non-math majors, that means your team's score will be compared to the average score in the league each week and if you scored more, you'll earn a bonus win. If your team scored less than the average league score, well...
POST-SEASON
At the end of the regular season, the top two teams in each division will advance to their Divisional Series. Every round of the playoffs will last two weeks and the winner of each divisional round will square off against each other in the World Series.
For the eight teams that don't make it to the post-season, there is a consolation ladder to compete in and, if you win - don't worry, you won't - there's a prize for you too.
DRAFT
The only draft format worth participating in is auction so, naturally, that's the format we'll use. Snake drafts require little-to-no thought and need to be taken out to the wood shed. Each team will receive a $260 budget to fill their roster.
ROSTERS
Each team will have a 19-player roster consisting of:
Starters: C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, (3) OFs, UTIL, (2) SPs, (3) Ps, and (2) RPs.
Bench: (3) BENCH spots and (2) IL spots
If I'm honest, I have no idea of whether or not three bench spots is enough. Everything I've read suggests that it is, and it still allows for some talent to remain available via waivers or free agency. I'm open to discussing this topic more before the season if you all decide you want to adjust it.
WAIVERS & FREE AGENCY
We will use the FAAB format for waivers and, as with our fantasy football leagues, all claims are placed with real money. If you bid $5 to claim a player from waivers, you will owe $5 at the end of the season. There is no minimum bid so you can claim someone off waivers for $0, provided no one bids more. The only time the waiver order comes into play is to break a tie.
Once the waiver period ends, you can claim any available player for free and instantly add them to your roster.
CONTEST & CHALLENGES
It wouldn't be SCL if we didn't offer additional games for everyone to compete in. For our inaugural fantasy baseball season we have three additional opportunities for you to win some prize money.
All-Star Team Challenge: Though I doubt your ability to manage a regular team, I'm giving each of you a chance to manage an all-star team. Before the MLB season begins, you'll create a lineup of the best players in baseball to compete against everyone else in the league. But, there's a catch: you can only select your players from either the NL or AL, not both. Oh, and you can only select one player per MLB team.
Batting Champion Challenge: This contest is based on a 5x5 category scoring system and your success, or failure, will depend on how well players on your roster perform. Players of yours that finish in the top 20 in five statistical categories will receive points: 20 points for a #1 ranking down to 1 point for a #20 ranking. The statistical categories we'll use are H, XBH, HR, RBI, and BBs. Ultimately, the points only matter at the end of the season, but we'll track them throughout the season to see the progress.
Cy Young Challenge: Because pitchers not named Ohtani can't hit, we had to create a separate contest for them. Just like the Batting Champion Challenge, your pitchers will receive points for their final rankings among five statistical categories: IP, W, K, QS, and ERA. At the end of the season, the pitcher with the highest point total will win.
PRIZE SCHEDULE
At this point, you're asking: "Commish, what's in it for me?" Well, other than bragging rights amongst your league mates, you can win money. Cold. Hard. Cash.
League Champion: $400 + 60% FA Revenue
2nd Place: $250 + 30% FA Revenue
3rd Place: $150 + 10% FA Revenue
Consolation Winner: $75
Highest Single Week Score: $50
Highest Single Week Score in a Loss: $50
Lowest Single Week Score in a Win: $25
All-Star Challenge Winner: $75
All-Star Challenge Runner-Up: $25
Batting Champion: $50
Cy Young: $50
If you're still reading this blog post, hang in there. Pause for a minute and take a breath. Maybe get a drink of water and stretch. You just read a lot of words and I'm proud of you.
So what does an amazing opportunity like this cost? What would people be willing to pay to compete in the first Sagebrush Cactus Fantasy Baseball League? $500? $1300? $4500?
No. You get access to all of this sweetness for the low, introductory, price of only $100. Less than a very large cup of coffee at Starbucks. I know, right?!? (Note: If you know anyone willing to pay the aforementioned amounts, please send me their email and I'll invite them.)
Now that you have some of the details about the league, go to your inbox and accept that email invite so we can...
PLAY BALL!!
Good luck,
-- Commish
Comments