Soapbox Times

By Jerry Leigers

Well what can we say? It is that time of year again when we bring to the floor the changes we feel are needed, to make this an even better league. All I ask from each of you is to read the first section of our constitution, after you have read this.

Realism is difficult to reproduce when variables are changed. Or when variables are not changed all the way across the board. Players are all limited to games. Those who have fewer than 3.1 plate appearances per game played, are also limited to at-bats. Starters are limited to starts, relievers to innings. Yet, starter-relievers are limited to games started and appearances to go along with innings. I believe a few changes could have a great impact.

So what are my bright ideas? Nothing that has never been discussed or proposed before: First lets start with the starters, limit them to 1.1 times innings pitched. That is an increase of 10 innings per 100. Not a lot, but enough to cover the innings needed for a season. Second, change the down by three runs a pitcher can be pulled prior to the 5th inning and starter must face one batter in the 5th. Forcing starters to complete five innings unless they have gone over the run rule or have given up five runs, or are a 5- inning pitcher and have been dotted. Also bringing the run rule down to eight would help improve realism. Final suggestions on starters, four days rest unless strat rates them with an asterisk. Days off can be added to the schedule to even out the number of days off.

For relievers, here, we have a major flaw. I believe there are two ways to achieve a more realistic usage. One would be to limit relievers to 1.1 times appearances. The other way would be to apply a rule stating relievers can only throw two consecutive days and are not eligible to pitch three consecutive days. If a reliever throws in both games of a double hitter he cannot throw again until he has had a day off. I will now step-down from my soapbox.

Starter/relievers are handled perfect. Here a manager has many options on usage based on that teams need.

Now let’s move to a more interesting subject, the DL. In real life sometimes we get a real blow. A star player is lost for a period of time. In our league, you may loose a player for 5 games. What do you do? Send him down for 5 games and bring up a card. Major league managers do not have that option, why do we? What we have now is horrible. We should either create a DL that makes sense… Causing a player to miss at least 10 games, 12 would be more realistic. Or get rid of injuries. The changes needed here could be done simply by adding one or two more groups; and changing the lengths of injuries. Set the DL at a minimum of 10 or 12 games. A manager would have to decide what to do if a player has a five or six game injury; keep him up with one less able body for those games or place him on the DL.

Also I am against inter-league play. It is difficult enough for our season to end on time. This has never changed and will never change. Let’s say I have a chance to play team A, I know I can play 5 or 6 games with them. Or I could play team N for 4 games. Four games is a waist of my time when you add in travel and compiling stats. This I give a maximum of two years before it is voted out, let’s save ourselves some time and trouble and tank it now!

Ballparks could be great if strat did not over do the HR and Ballpark HR. When a hitter has twice as many homer points as base hit… but only hit half as many homers as base hits…. I’ll say no more.

Final point, cut back to a 15 round draft.

Well, there you have it. Myself, I feel very strong about the pitching issues and have begun to consider changing to the NL. We have restrictions for pitchers in the post season, why not the regular season.

Oh crap my box caved in :-). Please consider these issues and again read the first part of the constitution. If that is not the spirit wanted then we should remove that part from the constitution.

Thank You

jgl