Cal Ripken Junior Memorial League Constitution
Basics
The RJML consists of 24 teams. The Organization is divided into 2 leagues, with each league having 2 6-team divisions. The divisions are realigned each season based on records from the previous season. Teams are ranked from 1-24 in order of the most wins. The divisions are then grouped as follows: (1,5,9,13,17,21), (2,6,10,14,18,22), (3,7,11,15,19,23), (4,8,12,16,20,24). The results are reported back to the league statistician. Results are then sent back to each manager on a monthly basis. No DH is used in the RJML.
What’s required?
Each team must have the most current version of the DMB computer game (Version 10) as well as the latest season disk. Team owners are also responsible to download any current patch available.
Dues
No League fee is required
League Play
Each home team is responsible for playing all their home games and send in all results to the league statistician. Each away team is responsible in sending the commissioner a copy of their manager profile. The commissioner will then send out a ‘game-ready’ database with all of the MP’s loaded and ready to go. Generally, manager profiles are due to the commissioner on the 1st of every month. Each home team then has until the 20th of every month to email the results back to the. Please note, make sure manager profiles you send out are accurate. Once you send the profile to the commissioner,it should be final. The system is referred to as "load and go." All the home team should have to do is download the game-ready database, set all aspects of the visitor manager to computer and then play the games. It is recommended that all depth charts be set to "game by game" and not "track starts". Setting the depth chart to track starts may result in an unwanted lineup. If you have play time percentages in your depth chart, a starter may not start. Make sure that the play time percentages are what you want set before you send it out. If a manager neglects to send the commissioner a copy of his manager profile by the first of the month, the commissioner will generate an MP for that team for that month.
Commissioner
The Commissioner is responsible for awarding and revoking RJML franchises. The commissioner, in conjunction with the Board of Trustees, are responsible for resolving any disputes and have complete and final authority in all matters.
Schedule
The regular season starts April 1st and ends onSeptember25th. Each team will play 160 games (32 5-games series). The Diamond Mind computer manager will be used for visiting teams. Teams may play h2h if both managers agree to it. As stated before, the manager profile for visiting teams must reach the commissioner by the 1st of each month. All results must be sent to the league statistician by the 20th of each month.
Rosters
Team Rosters will be set at 40 players. No uncarded players may be on a RJML Roster. The only exception to this rule is if a player was previously drafted to a RJML roster then that player may be retained for the following season but counts towards your roster count of 40 players. Teams must have sufficient batting and pitching resources to cover the 160 game schedule. Sufficient resources include 160 starts, at least 600 at bats per position, and at least 300 relief appearances. Of the 40 players on your roster, 27 are designated as active for each series from April through August. Rosters may expand to 40 players in September. By the end of December, all teams must cut down to 27 players. The Players released will be available in the next year’s rookie/free agent draft. Any team meeting the minimum resources above will be allowed to request free agents during the season to avoid overuse penalties. Free agents may not be retained for the following year. If your roster is at 40, a player must be dropped to add the free agent. Free agent requests must be submitted to the entire league (You won’t be allowed to add a player if you have players on your roster who can fill the same void).
Player Limits
All batters are limited to a + 5% over usage limit of their actual plate appearances (the listed percentage in the game)
All pitchers are limited to actual starts and total appearances
A pitcher with no actual starts may not start a game
A pitcher with no relief appearances may not be used in relief in a game
A pitcher with both relief appearances and starts may use all appearances in relief. They cannot use all their appearances as starts.
Batters with 50 or more actual at bats must be used for at least 50% of their actualplate appearances or they will be released from their team and be made available for the next years rookie draft. Batters with 50 or more actual at bats who are not used for at least 50% of their actual plate appearances during the regular season may not be traded.*this rule is waived for new ownership*
Pitchers with 4 or more actual starts must be used for 50% of their actual starts or they will be released from their team and be made available for the next year’s rookie draft. Pitchers with 4 or more actual starts who are not used for at least 50% of their actual starts during the regular season may not be traded. *this rule is waived for new ownership*
Pitchers that have both starts and reliefs must be used for 50% of their actual starts (4 or more) or they will be released from their team and be made available for the next years rookie draft. Pitchers with starts and relief's who are not used for at least 50% of their actual starts (4 or more) during the regular season may not be traded. *this rule is waived for new ownership*
Draft
The RJML draft will get underway the first week in January. The draft will be conducted by email on a pick-by-pick basis until the pace becomes too slow, at which point a schedule will be implemented with 6 picks scheduled per day. Please see the Draft page of the websiteto see the draft grid to see where each team will pick in each of the13 rounds. Since we are freezing 27 players only 13 rounds will be necessary to complete the draft (until each team has 40 players). The draft order will go in reverse order of record and will be a straight draft for all rounds. The worst three teams will enter in a NBA draft style lottery to determine the #1 overall pick. The worst team will get 3 chances, second worst 2 chances, and the 3rd worst 1 chance. The team that comes out of the hat first will receive the1st pick, the second name, 2nd pick and the 3rd name will receive the #3 pick in the draft. Ties will be broken using the following in order: away games record, head-to-head competition, run differential, coin flip.
Series Play
Each Visiting team sends the commissioner his completed manager profile by the 1st of each month
The home team installs the ‘play game’ database into the RJML database. (Transfer/install league database)
The home team manager resets player usage and injuries for him and his opponent before each series is played.
After completion of the series the home manager exports the statistics back to the commissioner by the 20th of each month. (Transfer /export statistics)
The Commissioner will post a new RJML database on the 2nd and 21st day of each month
Managers are not to play any practice games in the RJML database!!!!!
Managers are not to play ahead in any games using the RJML database!!!!
If any manager has problems importing/transferring please do not hesitate to ask. After you do it the first couple of times it’s a breeze.
Playoffs
Each playoff series is a 7-game series. Days off will be between games 2 and 3 and 5 and 6. Injuries and player fatigue do not carry over from one playoff series to the next. The first round of playoffs will be the top teams in each division and the two teams with the best record that did not win the division. The second round of the playoffs will be division playoff winners and finally the last round will be the World Series between League Pennant winners. The Home team will play the first two games of the series and then export those stats, scoresheets, and boxscores to the commissioner and his opponent. Then the visitor will do likewise in the next three games. Head to head play in the playoffs is strongly encouraged and is way more fun than the back and forth home games.
Playoff Player Usage
To be eligible to make a playoff start, a pitcher must have at least made 10 or more RJML starts during the regular season. The chart below determines how many starts per series that starting pitchers are eligible to make.
10-14 RJML Starts= 1 playoff start per series
15-19 RJML Starts= 2 playoff starts per series
20+ RJML Starts= 3 playoff starts per series
The chart below determines how many relief appearances per series, that are allowed in the playoffs.
60 + ML games relieved =5 games
50-59 ML games relieved=4games
40-49 ML games relieved=3games
25-39 ML games relieved=2 games
1-24 ML games relieved=1game
Starting pitchers need at least 2 games rest between starts. If that pitcher is still tired he must pitch at that level of tiredness.
Batter with 500+ at bats are allowed an unlimited amount of at bats per series.
Batters will be limited to 5%(rounded up) of their real life plate appearances per series.
Batters that reach their 5% plate appearancelimit in a series are permitted to finish the game they entered, regardless of usage.
Trading
All trades must be approved by the Commissioner.
Both managers must report trades to the Commissioner before approved.
Trading Period is from November to March. (No trades while season is in play)
Only draft choices for the current years may be traded.
Penalties
For each 5% of overuse per batter a team will have 1 game added to their victory total (106%-110% = 1 game, 111%-115% = 2 games, etc).
For each game started of overuse per pitcher a team will have 9 games added to their victory total with no exceptions.
For each total appearance of overuse per pitcher a team will have 2 games added to their victory total. Due to sometimes unpredictable computer usage, a 2-game buffer will be added for pitchers with 20 or more appearances. Example: A pitcher with 60 actual appearances will not be penalized until his 63rd appearance. This also covers starting pitchers that are used in relief by the computer.
The penalties for the above three situations would cause your 2nd round pick to be lowered, if applicable
If a team is penalized between 10 and 19 games, their first round pick will be dropped to the bottom of the round.
If a team is penalized more than 20 games, they lose their first round draft choice.
All penalties are null and void if a manager resigns or removed from the league. New managers are not penalized for the actions of a previous manager.
Late Reporting
Since the whole operation of the league can be affected by one manager for late reporting of stat disks the following penalties will be assessed for late stat disks to the statistician. Please be aware that the league is not trying to penalize managers who get caught up in emergency situations or incur PC problems. These penalties are just for those managers who are constantly late for no apparent reason causing the League to become at a standstill waiting for their results.
1st late reporting- 2nd round pick dropped to bottom of order
2nd late reporting- 1st round pick dropped to bottom of order
3rd late reporting-1st round pick is lost
4th late reporting-meeting between board of trustees to determine if manager should be dropped from league
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees are made up of the Commissioner and one manager from each division creating a membership of 5 trustees. The Trustees sole duty is to vote on certain issues that arise during the course of the season or off-season that are not part of the Constitution. The trustees will also vote on trades that are deemed totally unfair to the rest of the League. Should a Board Member become involved in the dispute, he/she shall not have a vote on matter at hand. Should the board vote in a tie due to that possibility, a league wide vote of all 24 members will take place on that issue. The Commissioner will ask for volunteers for Members of the board. The first four who request will be granted a trusteeship. The term limit is two years for trustees, however, the Commissioner shall have no term limits.
Odds and Ends
The Ripken Junior Memorial League is a NO DH League
Era setting (A or N) will be determined by coin flip
A player rated in the OF may play any OF position
Other than above, a player may only START a game at a position he is rated at. A player only rated at DH can play his last position played on a Diamond Mind disk taking into consideration he will not have a rating at that position.
Players may play positions they are not rated at only as RESERVE players late in the game due to pinch-hitting, extra-innings (etc.) Managers must be aware that they will have to take the defensive consequences of playing players not rated at positions. Also managers must have drafted at least 600 at-bats per position on their roster to be eligible to use a player out of position.
Teams can, if they wish, use net meeting to conduct their games. This is up to the home team if he desires to do so. If the Visiting team does not wish to play over net meeting and the Home team does, the home team will play using the visitor’s manager profile.