39 of the 52 returning BBFL owners partook in Democracy's Greatest Adventure: the annual voting on rule changes. Owners resoundingly approved two changes to league administration and defeated two proposals regarding game play.
Propositions:
2006-1: Change the handling of trade protests. Currently, all trade protests are handled by a single seven-member committee. This proposal will create a five-member Trade Committee for each division. Each Committee will vote on trade protests within its respective league. A simple majority will approve or disallow a protested trade.
The Commissioner will appoint members for each division based on owners’ activity and availability. An owner is not required to serve on a Committee if asked. At any time, the Commissioner may remove a member for not fulfilling his duties and appoint a replacement.
A Committee member may not vote on a trade involving his own team. If a protested trade involves one Committee member, the Commissioner will serve as a fifth member. If a protested trade involves two Committee members, the other three members will rule. The Commissioner may also serve if another member is unavailable so that the total number of voters is odd.
(Yes) Change the system as described above. (Approved 33-5)
(No) Keep current system
2006-2: Change the assignment of ownership for promoted, relegated, and orphaned teams. The current system is described in the BBFL Constitution under ”VIII. Promotion and Relegation” and “XI. Ownership.” In brief, promoted and relegated owners switch rosters, and orphaned teams are then assigned to the highest-ranking unpromoted teams in the next lower division. Rank is by regular-season finish.
The new system would work as follows:
Upon determination of all promoted, relegated, and orphaned teams in the league, the Commissioner will contact all owners switching leagues. These owners will be allowed to choose among the ownerless teams in the order described below. Promoted and relegated owners MUST move. Other owners given the opportunity to accept an orphaned team are not required to accept, and they can keep their present teams.
Prompt and efficient handling of ownership changes is essential to the functioning of the league. The Commissioner reserves the right to bypass owners who do not respond as soon as possible.
Regarding the Alomar Division, choice of teams will follow this order (in terms of regular-season finish except as noted):
-- 1st-place finisher in Barfield
-- 2nd-place finisher in Barfield
-- Championship Playoff winner in Barfield (or 3rd-place finisher if the 1st or 2nd-place team won the Playoff)
-- Next highest-ranking team(s) from Barfield, if any are needed
Regarding the Barfield Division, choice of teams will follow this order (in terms of regular-season finish except as noted):
-- 18th-place finisher in Alomar
-- 19th-place finisher in Alomar
-- 20th-place finisher in Alomar
-- 1st-place finisher in Carter
-- 2nd-place finisher in Carter
-- Championship Playoff winner in Carter (or 3rd-place finisher if the 1st or 2nd-place team wins the Playoff)
-- Next highest-ranking team(s) from Carter, if any are needed
Regarding the Carter Division, choice of teams will follow this order (in terms of regular-season finish):
-- 18th-place finisher in Barfield
-- 19th-place finisher in Barfield
-- 20th-place finisher in Barfield
-- New additions to Carter, if any are needed will be assigned teams by the Commissioner.
(Yes) Change the system as described above. (Approved 30-9)
(No) Keep current system
2006-3: Create a Center Fielder roster position. All position designations are made by Yahoo.
(Yes) Change one of the four OF slots to a CF slot.
(No) Keep current system. (Rejected 27-12)
2006-4: Increase the number of Disabled List slots on a roster. The current number is two.
(a) 2 slots (current system) (Approved with 98 points including 25 1st-place votes)
(b) 3 slots (Rejected with 86 points including 10 1st-place votes)
(c) 5 slots (Rejected with 50 points including 4 1st-place votes)
What Now?
Per the vote on Prop 2, I’ve contacted owners switching leagues. Rather than have each owners pick one at a time, most owners will have to rank two or more teams, and each will get the highest ranked team not chosen by his predecessor(s). That should speed up the process.
Immediately upon completion, I’ll open the offseason trading window. For you Alomar owners, here’s a list of players owners can’t keep in 2006. Let me know if you see something in error:
Austin Senators – Jeff Kent
Baird Brain – Lance Berkman
Billie’s Bashers – Hank Blalock
Garces_Not_On_Roids – Manny Ramirez
Gashouse Gorillas – Roy Oswalt and Mark Teixeira
Ghost Man On Third – Jorge Posada and Trot Nixon
Mebion Glyndwyr – Vlad Guerrero
Slippery Pete – Jose Vidro
Thunderbirds – Roy Halladay
Toronto Walrus – Curt Schilling
Last year's final rosters and keepers for Alomar and Barfield are located here.
I'll begin recruitment of rules committee members soon. If there's a protest of a trade during the upcoming window, I'll recruit in haste. Selection will be based loosely on tenure, participation in voting, participation at The Box, and how I feel at the moment. Don't be upset if I don't recruit you; I know most of you minimally at best and am bound to overlook a deserving candidate.
The additions to Carter are Sister, CSHunt68, Wedding Singer, Jdog, DanJulien, Brian, and jsut. Welcome aboard.
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20060227180502928