[net.games.pbm] Strat-O-Matic Baseball League

kaufman@uiucdcs.UUCP (09/29/84)

******

     After almost 5 months of preparations and delays, the net-Strat-O-Matic
Baseball league is ready to open its first season.  We have five players and
ten teams, all from the 1983 season, as follows:

     Name               Address                Teams
---------------     ----------------     ----------------

Josh Rosenbluth     houxm!hounx!jhr2     Reds, Expos
Peter Barbee        fluke!tron           Orioles, Dodgers
Jeff Houston        dual!jeff            Giants, Brewers
Shane McDonald      sask!mcdonald        Mets, Cardinals
Ken Kaufman         uiucdcs!kaufman      Pirates, Red Sox

     Needless to say, the mechanics of playing this game PBM are quite
difficult, as games could take months if rules were followed to the letter.
There are many decisions encountered in the game and given the turnaround time
of electronic mail, a large schedule would normally be unplayable.  Therefore,
I have assumed the role of gamemaster, as well as player, and will do all the
dice-rolling.  In order that the players won't have to approve decisions on
every situation that comes up, they have all sent me policy sheets which cover
most situations.  I will still continue to question them where necessary.  Of
course, as gamemaster, so that I don't have an unfair advantage, I have also
written out such a sheet and sent copies to the players.  I will follow it to
the letter.  Several rules have been changed to add to the simplicity; the
players have been informed of these.  
     There are a couple of other relevant rule alterations.  All teams will
use the DH.  This is mostly to balance the game for AL teams whose pitchers
are otherwise at a hitting disadvantage.  And, due to the shortness of the
schedule (see below), the severity of injuries will tend to be reduced.  This
will be done by referring twice to the injury chart, and taking the lesser
result.
     The schedule will be initially set at 8 games with each team playing each
team owned by another player.  After a few games, when we all get a feel of
how it's going, the players will choose whether to leave it an 8 game slate,
or to up it to 16, 32, or even 64, as was suggested a few months ago by one of
the players.  Regardless, the top two teams will meet in a 4-of-7 series for
the title.  Should there be a tie for the second playoff spot, we'll use a
2-of-3 to decide it.  The schedule for the first eight games looks as follows:

Game 1:  Mil-StL   LA-SF     NYM-Mon   Bos-Bal   Cin-Pit
Game 2:  Bos-Mil   Mon-SF    Pit-StL   NYM-LA    Bal-Cin
Game 3:  Pit-Mon   Bos-NYM   Bal-Mil   Cin-LA    StL-SF
Game 4:  Bal-NYM   StL-Cin   Mil-Mon   SF-Bos    Pit-LA
Game 5:  StL-Bal   Mil-Pit   SF-NYM    Bos-Cin   LA-Mon
Game 6:  LA-Bos    Bal-Pit   NYM-Mil   Mon-StL   SF-Cin
Game 7:  Mon-Bos   LA-StL    SF-Bal    Cin-Mil   NYM-Pit
Game 8:  Mon-Bal   Cin-NYM   StL-Bos   Pit-SF    Mil-LA

with home team listed second.  Teams will be using four-man rotations - the
slate for Game 1, with actual 1983 record in parentheses is:

Milwaukee - St. Louis: Haas (13-3) vs. Andujar (6-10)
Los Angeles - San Francisco: Valenzuela (15-10) vs. Hammaker (10-9)
Boston - Baltimore: Tudor (13-12) vs. Boddicker (16-8)
New York - Montreal: Seaver (9-14) vs. Rogers (17-12)
Cincinnati - Pittsburgh: Soto (17-13) vs Candelaria (15-8)


Updates will be posted here every week or two.

Ken Kaufman (uiucdcs!kaufman)