[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by sprague

Hey Eugene,


You might want to do what I have been doing...it has been a blast.


Just 1 league, but I have prom relg in the league itself
So say a 28 team league
I have 2 divisions
Elite Level (20 teams), Division 2 (8 low financial teams to start)


Here comes the fun.
At the end of the season the top 4 teams ONLY from the elite level play in the playoff automatic. A 5th wildcard can come from either division, hence the div 2 leader could make the playoff but only as the 5 wildcard no mater how good their record.



At the end of the year I manually move the top 2 division 2 teams up, and I drop the bottom 2 elite level teams down. Basically win your way up to try and compete at a higher level.


There are advantages for doing so. The 2 promoted teams draft 1-2 in the amateur draft. I make the draft all 21 year old (teams have only 1 minor league) and I make the top 5 players a boost in current talent...normally a batter comes in at 40% of his avoid k, and 50% of his power. I make it 60 and 70 so they are almost right there in the majors or later in the year. I bump the top 5 pitchers too (so make it more like an NHL draft with players very close to ready). Drafts help teams immensely.



the rest of the draft runs down the second division, then up the first division.



To simulate the more player movement in prom releg I have only 5 years till FA, sometimes I use 4 if I want to get really wild, and have only 1 year until arbitration. Have a player have to pay him...just like prom-releg is for.


I can no tell you how much fun this is. When your team is in the lower level...you cant just finish last and suck, for you are stuck with draft #8 then, you have to work to play your way to the upper division. If you are in the upper div, you have to maybe trade away a young guy for someone to keep you in the top 18 and not drop down.


And with this only being 1 league, finances are all teh same, as are schedules, everything runs like a normal league, just 2 teams go up, 2 teams go down, and I alter the draft.


Really I recommend it.

Thanks for taking the time to share this with me... much appreciate it.