------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | International Replay Baseball League - Founded October 30, 1973 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ***************** IRBL NEWSLETTER # 547 ***************** 1-21-98 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ...................................... PLAYER TRANSACTIONS: The ANGELS traded ANGELS' 7TH round pick to the RED SOX for MARK PARENT. The METS released MATT MERULLO, JOSE MELENDEZ, JEFF RUSSELL, JEFF SCHWARZ, ZANE SMITH, STEVE WILSON. The CUBS released LOU FRAZIER, BILL SELBY, ALAN TRAMMELL, BRONSON HEFLIN, TOM THOBE. The BRAVES released SCOTT LIVINGSTONE, JOSIAS MANZANILLO. The ROYALS released MIKE ROBERTSON, DON SLAUGHT, PAUL FLETCHER, TOM HENKE. The RANGERS released ANDUJAR CEDENO, DION JAMES, MIKE KINGERY, BRIAN BARK, JOSE DELEON, JOHN DESILVA, DON FLORENCE, DAVID WEST, WALLY WHITEHURST. The MARLINS released EDDIE MURRAY, DAVE NIED. The BLUE JAYS released ANDRE DAWSON, JOE KMAK, DUANE WARD. The GIANTS released JEFF GROTEWOLD, JOE HALL, PAT LISTACH, ROBBIE BECKETT, MIKE BERTOTTI. ...................................... TRADING POST ..... The YANKEES are offering WALLY JOYNER (Vg at 1B, allowed 141 GP and batted .341 vs RHP). The YANKEES need players at 2B, 3B, RF, LF and possibly C. ..... The MARLINS are shopping their 1st round draft pick for a quality starting pitcher. If the deal was right, the MARLINS would include their 2nd rounder as well. Of course, you can tell the MARLINS are looking for a quality pitcher, not a 4.50 era kind of guy. ..... ...................................... I have included updated files containing the IRBL rosters, Player Usage Forms for all teams and Player Usage Forms for all the players eligible to be drafted. ...................................... TEAMS WITHOUT MANAGERS: The following teams without managers will be handled during the draft by the following volunteers: ROCKIES --> Chip Hopkins EXPOS --> Frank Hopkins MARINERS --> Roch Doran IRBL # 547 1-21-98 2 ...................................... LRD INSTALLATION PROBLEM: Apparently all IRBL managers (except me) had to take an extra step to complete the installation of LRD # 546 to switch to the 1998 directories and update the DMB player files. I still have not figured all why this process works automatically on my computer but not on anyone else's computer. Until I fix this problem, please do the following: Verify that the DMB player files are updated to indicate S1-21 or L1-21 when you access the DMB game from the IRBL Menu Program. If you still see the old dates, then exit out to a DOS prompt in the C:\IRBL\RESULTS.Y98 directory and execute the INSTALL file (type INSTALL and press the [Enter] key). This should complete the installation. ...................................... ATTENTION WINDOWS 95 USERS: When you installed LRD # 546, the Desktop shortcut for the IRBL Menu Program was upgraded so that the icon is now a baseball and the computer will no longer re-boot in MS-DOS mode (the IRBL Menu Program will start immediately). You will still need to follow the instructions in IRBL Rule # 36A for modifying your Windows 95 printer driver to enable the IRBL Menu Program "Print-to-file" feature. ...................................... CLARIFICATION: The IRBL Rookie / Free-Agent Draft will be on Sunday, Feb. 15 (not Feb. 23). There was a typo error in one spot in IRBL Newsletter # 546 where last year's draft date was listed by mistake. ...................................... MORE PROPOSALS TO BE VOTED ON: Matt Cummings has withdrawn proposal # 2 from IRBL Newsletter # 546 regarding playing the post-season series and submitted a revised proposal. Therefore, the voting on that one previous proposal is canceled. Proposal #1 (Post-season play): Any manager may request the games be IRBL # 547 1-21-98 3 played face-to-face, by phone, or via internet, at his own expense, before the start of the series. The opposing manager will oblige this courtesy as long as game times and method of play can be arranged and the results will be timely (i.e., the series must be played within a period of the next 3 weekends). Requests for face-to-face play after a series has started can be made by mutual agreement; however, any manager can refuse the request, since all or part of one team's home games will have already been played with one manager not having the opportunity to take advantage of "face-to-face" play. Discussion: This rule will prevent any more unfortunate instances as in this year. If managers want to play "face-to- face", they can make that decision ahead of time, not after the first 5 games have been played. Enough said. ********** Ricky Diaz has submitted the following proposal: Proposal #2 (Post-season pitchers): Modify IRBL Rule # 20G3 to read as follows (changing from 50 IP to 40 IP): A pitcher who had <40 actual IP (do not use IRBL statistics) is limited to 1 GP in each post-season series. Discussion: I understand the reasoning behind voting down the [previous] relief proposal so I would like to make a simple modification of the rule. Being that the relievers that are most hurt with the 50 inning rule are the specialists such as Assenmacher and a few others. I propose that the limit for innings be dropped from 50 inn to 40 inn. I feel that being able to use a specialist in the season to help that team make the post season and then allowing him to only pitch in one post season game per series hurts the team too much. But 40 innings is a fair amount of innings for even a specialist to achieve. IRBL # 547 1-21-98 4 ********** Each of the above proposals will pass if 2/3's of all votes received by the deadline are "FOR" the proposal. The deadline for submitting your vote is Feb. 12th. ...................................... PROPOSALS CLARIFICATION: The only official proposals are those that are formally announced in the main section of the newsletter. If you see any proposals in the messages section at the end of the newsletter, those are unofficial and are just free comments made by an IRBL manager. You may make public responses to such messages indicating how you would vote but those votes do not count. ...................................... DEADLINES: Jan. 25 - Trading and player release deadline (6 pm, EST) Feb. 15*- 1998 Draft (start 8 am, EST) Mar. 8*- Trading deadline (6 pm, EST) Mar. 22*- Team instructions to be received by League Office and all managers within your league Apr. 1*- First series of 1998 season *will slip one week for every Sunday the draft continues beyond Feb. 15 ...................................... Files included on LRD # 547: --------------------------- DRAFTPUF.TXT --> Player Usage Form for all players eligible to be drafted IRBLROST.xxx --> IRBL Rosters NEWSL547.xxx --> Newsletter # 547 PLAYERUF.TXT --> Player Usage Forms for all teams File Extension Legend (xxx): --------------------------- PED --> Epson Dot Matrix Compatible Printer "print file" PHL --> HP Laser Compatible Printer "print file" T1C --> Viewable one column newsletter text format TXT --> Viewable text format ...................................... BK IRBL # 547 1-21-98 5  MESSAGES OF INTEREST POSTED ON THE IRBL BBS OR SENT VIA INTERNET EMAIL ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: The better one Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 06:17:14 -0600 From: "Matthew Cummings" To: IRBL Managers Yeah, Andrea, you're right, it's time to shut up and put this up to a vote. However, I'm going to alter Proposal #2 slightly......... For Post-Season Play: Any manager may request for games to be played over the phone, face-to-face, or via internet, at his expense. The opposing manager will oblige this courtesy as long as game times can be arranged and the results can be timely: Each series must be played within a period of 2 weeks time. Matt. Subject: Final Proposal #2 Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 07:30:18 -0600 From: "Matthew Cummings" To: IRBL.Managers@serv.brookings.net OK, guys, I sent the proposals to Barry on the BBS. I changed Proposal #2 to incorporate everyone's concerns about that one, and I think you'll like it: Proposal #2 For Post-season play: Any manager may request the games by played face-to-face, by phone, or via internet, at his own expense, before the start of the series. The opposing manager will oblige this courtesy as long as game times can be arranged and the results will be timely, i.e., the series must be played within a period of 2 weeks. Requests for face-to-face play after a series has started can be made by mutual agreement, however, any manager can refuse the request, since all or part of one team's home games will have already been played with one manager not having the opportunity to take advantage of face-to-face play. Discussion: This rule will prevent any more unfortunate instances as in this year. If managers want to play face-to-face, they can make that decision ahead of time, not after the first 5 games have been played. Enough said. Matt. Subject: Re: Proposals Date: Thu, 08 Jan 1998 23:03:36 +0100 From: Massimo Ortensi To: IRBL Managers IRBL # 547 1-21-98 6 At 21.22 06/01/98 -0600, Matthew Cummings wrote: >During those years I did see one Division race, and this >is no lie, where Team 1 was 69-12 at home, 46-35 on the >road, and Team 2 was 70-11(!!!!!) at home, 41-40(!!!!!) on >the road. The wild splits are alarming at times. You'd >never see splits like this if the rule were changed. It was >during that season I was thinking about the Federal League >and how that could never happen there. Well, I'd like to give my .02$ about that. Ihad a similar split this season , and wondered why the only feasible reason I found is about Park effects: I have a very good pitching team and a mediocre (sp?) offensive team, so playing in LA stadium really helped me a lot: when ina game the opponent scores 5 runs I have really few possibilites to win, instead I won a lot of 2-0 games. I noticed that the same split was true for the marlins, which have similar ballpark conditions. Could this be the reason too ? Subject: Re: Proposals Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 18:35:35 -0500 From: "Donny Ray Swearingen" To: IRBL Managers Massimo, I agree. I won a lot of close games that I don' t think I would necessarily have won against a human manager, or for that matter, written instructions. It's just that, sometimes, the computer manager is incredibly stupid. That, and the fact that the winning pct is in favor of home teams as we all know now. Don Subject: Re: Proposals Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 20:47:40 EST From: MJPJ64 To: IRBL Managers Hello everyone, Please let's not even think about going back to written instructions! Mark-Twins Msg: 3 (Public, sent 01/13/98 at 09:18) From: RICKY DIAZ To: BARRY KOOPERSMITH (Received) Subj: PROPOSALS 3&4 The Pirates vote for proposal 3 and against proposal 4. I do not feel that a manager with indiference to a proposal or just laziness to vote should have his vote counted in any manner. Msg: 4 (Public, sent 01/13/98 at 09:22) From: RICKY DIAZ To: BARRY KOOPERSMITH (Received) Subj: PROPOSAL I understand the reasoning behind voting down the relief proposal so I would IRBL # 547 1-21-98 7 like to make a simple modification of the rule. Being that the relievers that are most hurt with the 50 inning rule are the specialists such as Assenmacher and a few others. I propose that the limit for innings be dropped from 50 inn to 40 inn. I feel that being able to use a specialist in the season to help that team make the post season and then allowing him to only pitch in one post season game per series hurts the team too much.But 40 innings is a fair amount of innings for even a specialist to achieve. Msg: 6 (Public, sent 01/13/98 at 11:13) From: TOM DIXON To: BARRY KOOPERSMITH (Received) Subj: DRAFT I wanted to double check the date of the draft. In the latest newsletter, you say it's Feb. 23 in the section on the number of eligible players, but have Feb. 15 in the deadlines section. Could you please confirm which date it is. Msg: 7 (Public, sent 01/13/98 at 19:32) From: MARK JOHNSON To: ALL OWNERS Subj: BARRY'S HELP Hi Guys, Just a short note to let publicly thank barry for getting my IRBL menu program up and running with version 7. Just one reason why the IRBL is such a good league. Take Care, Mark Msg: 9 (Public, sent 01/14/98 at 00:06) From: BARRY KOOPERSMITH To: TOM DIXON Subj: (6)-DRAFT The draft is on Feb. 15 (not Feb. 23 which was a typo error). Mike Mayko wrote me that your email address is TAD16@aol.com. I sent you two emails which you have not responded to. Is this email address incorrect or do you not check for messages that often? Subject: Top 100 list Date: Fri, 16 Jan 1998 19:53:16 -0600 From: Mike Boling To: IRBL Managers Would anyone have, or know where on the web ,the Baseball America's top 100 prospects list might be found? Just wondering. I told Barry this already, but I'm too cheap to subscribe and can't find it in my area at the newstands, so was wondering if anyone might have it and share. Thanks! Mike Boling Subject: LRD 546 Date: Fri, 16 Jan 1998 22:53:20 -0600 From: "Matthew Cummings" To: Barry Koopersmith Barry, I downloaded LRD 546, and read the newsletter. IRBL # 547 1-21-98 8 I want these comments printed in LRD 547, regardless of whether my proposal passes. I'm very disappointed that you chose to tell Tom Tippett about the home/road splits in the IRBL: 1) There's no way to tell how many teams chose to put their best team on the road (or at home). 2) I didn't see any mention of the outrageous home-field advantage in the playoffs in the IRBL, which is my major contention about the rule. 3) Tell Tom about the 19-0 home-field advantage in the World Series for non-face-to-face games in 1994, '95, and '97, and see what he says then, or 4) Tell him about the 26-8 home record (non-face-to-face) In this year's playoffs (including one series where the matchup was close, the road team won 4 out of 5 games, leaving the REST of the series results at 25-4) Please tell Tom Tippett about those things before he considers increasing the home field advantage. Matt. Barry, I'm going to send a survey to all the managers of the Federal League, asking about their satisfaction in using the road manager. All those guys are on the internet, and are very involved. I will get a good response. I was extremely disappointed in your observation that the home team almost ALWAYS wins playoff games, dating back to the Board Game. The question is: WHY? That doesn't happen in Major League Baseball! Now we are talking about integrity, and without integrity, you won't get good managers, and you won't have a league. I share with you the desire to win games I play. But if my team stinks, I'm going to lose on the road and at home, if it's good, it'll win both places. I've never been concerned about whether a team wins 120 games, just when it wins 70 at home and 40 on the road. Thanks for all the time everyone's given me to say my piece. Matt. Subject: Re: Top 100 list Date: Fri, 16 Jan 1998 22:16:39 -0800 (PST) From: Don Tobin To: Mike Boling To: IRBL Managers Baseball America puts out a top 100 prospects? I learn something new IRBL # 547 1-21-98 9 everyday :-) Subject: Re: home-field advantage Date: Sat, 17 Jan 1998 19:31:33 -0500 From: Barry Koopersmith To: Matt Cummings I will publish your above comments in the next IRBL Newsletter. Why didn't you just send it out to all IRBL managers via email as your past messages were? I automatically include public IRBL messages with the next newsletter. I don't understand why you are "disappointed" that I contacted Tom Tippett. I was actually asking Tom Tippett to provide an option to turn off the home-field advantage. This is something that I have asked him for in the past also. I thought this was something that you would want. I was surprised at his response but he does basically agree with my observations. I am sure Tom realizes that the win-loss records I presented have to be taken with the understanding that you do not know how many teams played their better players at home or on the road. Chances are that there is a 50-50 mix of managers who play the better players at home or on the road. If your main goal is to level the playing ground in post-season play then why cloud the issue with the regular season? I think your post-season proposal is an interesting idea and it will provide you with what you want. As far as why the home team almost always wins in the post season, I think this has to do with the fact that these are the very best teams. These teams have great depth of players. During the season, the players have to be rested throughout the year. In the post-season, the best players can be used in many more spots and the home manager gets to make more changes than the road manager (either in the past when the road team had written instructions or the computer manager now). I do not believe that all (or most) post-season managers for the past 25 years have been "cheaters". Subject: Re: FW: Survey Date: Sat, 17 Jan 1998 19:44:02 -0500 From: Barry Koopersmith To: Matt Cummings CC: IRBL Managers David Schoenfield wrote: > > I'm in another league with Matt Cummings. Here's my thoughts: > > Remember this: Home-field advantage -- in real-life baseball -- is far > less extreme than the other major sports. Simply put, splits like that > should not be happening. > > The playoff results -- when teams of somewhat equal ability should be > playing each other -- seem to indicate even more strangeness. > > To my recollection, I think the Federal League has had only owner who > consistently recorded splits that extreme. And we booted him out. > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Matthew Cummings [SMTP:tribefan@serv.brookings.net] > > Sent: Friday, January 16, 1998 10:47 PM IRBL # 547 1-21-98 10 > > To: rbdavis2@pdq.net; bschuyle@ix.netcom.com; RodAlive@aol.com; > > DANMCB@prodigy.net; DAVEREIT@prodigy.net; David Schoenfield; > > slaughterdm@phibred; com@serv.brookings.net; dcswear@aol.com; > > engli_jd@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu; dfink@juno.com; thompsonja@phibred.com; > > glte77a@prodigy.com; Kelly Donald Anderson; davisms@phibred.com; > > mide@mc.rochester.edu; paswart@engin.umich.edu; ejnq62a@prodigy.com; > > THarsh@prodigy.net > > Subject: Survey > > > > Hi, FL'ers, > > > > If you have any strong comments about this subject, please > > send them to and tell him > > how crazy he is. > > > > My team (the Angels) should make the playoffs this year. > > I've had the team since 1989, and if all this hard work > > results in losing all my road games in the playoffs, I'll > > have to leave. > > > > Here's the survey: > > > > 1) Do you feel that by playing your road games, the results > > are realistic? > > > > 2) Would you rather play your home or road games? > > Answer H=home, R=Road. > > > > 2a) (optional) Why? > > > > 3) Would the results be more realistic if we played our > > home games? > > > > Please respond to this quickly. I'm not going to be in > > the other league too much longer if I lose this fight. > > > > Matt. Matt, I do not think it is appropriate for you to give out my email address to another set of league managers asking them "to tell him how crazy he is". You are free to disagree with me but not to insult me. I doubt that any of the Federal League managers (and anyone else that they tell about your comments) would be interested in taking an IRBL team if they are led to believe that the IRBL Commissioner is crazy. I think you owe me a public apology sent to me, to all the managers in the Federal League and to the IRBL managers. I have to admit that you have thought of a unique concept: If you can't win a vote of IRBL managers to change an IRBL rule, then you will get the managers of the Federal League to vote to change the IRBL rules. Barry Subject: Re: FW: Survey Date: Mon, 19 Jan 1998 13:48:00 -0800 From: "Walsh, Mike" To: IRBL Managers IRBL # 547 1-21-98 11 Barrys' point is valid. No one should take personal shots over this issue. All the data shows that the IRBL has a LOWER home field advantage than actual MLB. I still do not know what the argument is and quite frankly I find it silly. Is someone saying that people are cheating? Anyone is free to quit the league. I would rather keep things the way they are, but if the other managers vote for a change, I will go along, without throwing shots at people who have a different opinion. Mike Rangers Subject: Re: FW: Survey Date: Mon, 19 Jan 1998 13:11:35 -0600 From: "Mike Boling" To: IRBL Managers I agree strongly with Mike here. No sense getting personal over something that's been shown to be an invalid argument by the inventor of the game we use no less. Mike Boling Subject: IRBL Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 09:32:24 EST From: MMayko To: Bkoopers@nassau.cv.net Barry: I agree with Bolling and Walsh. I don't see what the big deal is. This is a game to have fun and having that little bit of a home field advantage that enables you to occasionally come back in the late innings is fun. It makes you think what a great manager you are. I have been in other leagues and I don't think the homefield advantage here is as bad. I actually win on the road here. As a result, I would vote against playing road games at home (although I wouldn't vehemently object to that). I do think we need to do something about the playoffs. Its rare that the road team wins a series. I would be in favor of any change here either playing road games at home or playing by phone. Mike Mayko Subject: Apology...... Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 22:52:12 -0600 From: "Matthew Cummings" To: IRBL.Managers@serv.brookings.net I just returned home tonite from out-of-town and found out that I insulted Barry, and it had gotten back to him............. I called him right away to apologize, and it was accepted. Barry had taken the insult with 'tongue-in-cheek', meaning that he knew that I solicited the members of the Federal League with an opinion about home/road play, and his response was 'tongue-in-cheek' also, which was greatly satisfying, given the fact that I was scared that a very good friend had been slighted. I was prepared to resign when I called Barry, but he's been around, and he's seen worse, he said it would be OK if I stayed. IRBL # 547 1-21-98 12 What I said to my Federal League friends was to let him know how smooth the league runs (with realistic playoff/ World Series results) when the road team plays the games. '..and let him know how crazy he is.' Duhhh, never thought how those people would actually think he was crazy just because of his opinion about road/home games, and definitely never wanted to give the impression that our league is second-rate, which I have never done to those people, in fact, I've always solicited the FL for managers, and will always do that in the future. This is still the most advanced, computerized league that I know. Being in the military, it's nice to have deadlines, penalties, and rewards for being pro-active....I'm used to it and like it....................... Again, I'm sorry, Barry, I didn't really mean that, and I hope to be in this league for a long time. Matt. Msg: 11 (Public, sent 01/20/98 at 10:01) From: MIKE MAYKO To: BARRY KOOPERSMITH Subj: VOTE AND CUTS Barry: I vote yes on playing road games; yes on proposal 2; yes on proposal 3 and no on proposal 4. My cuts for now are Joe Hall OF; Pat Listach Inf; Rob Beckett P; Mike Bertotti P; and uncarded players Jeff Grotewold; Dan Whiteside P. Uncarded players don't count against your roster for the draft, right? Do you still want us to cut down on our uncarded players? E-Mail me. Mike. Msg: 12 (Public, sent 01/20/98 at 10:33) From: MIKE MAYKO To: BARRY KOOPERSMITH Subj: PRINTING Barry: Give me a quick review on how to print out the rules, managerliste and roster. I marked the top and bottom lines and then hit control print. What I got were copies of the HP Laser compatible pages but with all the computer language in it. It was unreadable. Please leave instructions at MMayko@aol.com Thanks. Mike Subject: Draft Picks Date: Wed, 21 Jan 1998 11:38:10 -0500 From: "Don Swearingen" To: IRBL Managers Howdy Everyone, I am shopping my 1st round draft pick for a quality starting pitcher. If the deal was right I would include my 2nd rounder as well. Of course, you can tell I am looking for a quality pitcher, not a 4.50 era kind of guy. If interested, let me know. Don Marlins