The New Trend, "Invite Only" Leagues

[Shorty]

Originally posted by satchel
Goody brings up another issue that has been on my mind a lot lately: I look at lots of leagues (and have been in a couple) and see that the Commissioner’s team is very successful. Unusually so sometimes. I know it’s a different topic, but I’m loathe to start a new post about this, because it might rankle too many people. Plus, I know that there are good reasons for this, because a Commissioner by definition is going to be more intimately familiar with his league and its details, and therefore qualified to be more successful with it. But...how many leagues have Commissioners whose team stinks? It’s uncommon I think.

No problem here. As half of the commisioners in the JBL, my team has never finished better than 3rd place, now in it's 5th season.

[John C]

Originally posted by sixto
Not speaking for Portlander, but I don't think he really meant to imply that you're bad. I think it's funny, too, to remember that, how many people have the pull to even start an invite-only league and get it off the ground?

Not too many.

Just reading this for the first time...the ABL was an invite-only league at the start. The reason for it was that I wanted the league to get off the ground, and didn't know too many people in the OOTP community. I know a lot of people in the HH community from another league, the eMLB that I help run. They were very interested, and many of them are still enjoying the league.

Once I got the league established, in terms of having a website, owners, and some activity going on, I turned my attention to the boards, and took note on some posts here. I can tell you that I stayed away from posts that the Professor displayed earlier (i luv baseball, blah blah blah), and, in fact, have taken a few guys who were brand new, and worked with them to understand the game and how it works. I pride the ABL on being a league where adult conversation can actually take place, and petty arguments like "you wont trade me your 2B you suck as an owner" originate. Immaturity is something I leave for my other hobby (e-wrestling).

Just FYI...what I do when I have nobody on my wait list is the following:

-Look on here, see if anyone is looking for a league. If they're new to the game, that kind of gives them a leg up, as I might not have an opening right away
-See if they have AIM (it's what I use). If they do, I look them up, and talk to them, get to know them.
-Offer them a chance to preview how I run the league by joining the ABL's mailing list. If they don't like the league, they can leave, no questions asked. No hard feelings. I've yet to have that happen.

Is this being selective? I haven't opened up "applications" yet, and I doubt I ever will. I have a small league, 16 teams, with very low turnover. I don't feel it's something I need to do.

Also, I run a team in my league. My team inexplicably won the pennant last year. Nobody in the ABL thought I had an advantage. I also just had to let my best young starter go to FA because I don't have the money he wants. That's just part of being an owner. The only problem I have in running a team is that I'm trying to get my league's written almanac going, and that's been a little difficult lately (just moved from Pennsylvania to California, graduated from college, and am planning a wedding).

Peace
John