------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | International Replay Baseball League - Founded October 30, 1973 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ***************** IRBL NEWSLETTER # 592 ***************** 3-12-00 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ...................................... ************** ***** URGENT MESSAGE ***** ************** LRD # 592 contains an updated version of the "IRBL Menu Program" (version 7.00.10). The upgrade should have automatically installed when you loaded this LRD. Each manager should exit and restart the "IRBL Menu Program" and verify that the new version was installed correctly by selecting menu choice "Display Or Change IRBL Menu Program Configuration" from the "IRBL Menu Program" and confirming that the 4th line from the top of the screen states the following: "Program version: 7.00.10" This new version modifies the Series Dates menu to handle 40 series for the 2000 IRBL schedule. ************** ***** URGENT MESSAGE ***** ************** ...................................... PLAYER TRANSACTIONS: The WHITE SOX released STEVE BIESER, MARK CARREON, JON ZUBER, BRYAN HARVEY. The EXPOS traded DANNY KOLB, JEFF NELSON to the PHILLIES for ALEX ARIAS. The PIRATES traded MARQUIS GRISSOM, ALFONSO SORIANO to the CARDINALS for JOSE CANSECO. The BLUE JAYS traded WIL CORDERO to the ANGELS for JOE MCEWING, STEVE AVERY. The PADRES released BRAD PENNINGTON. The BREWERS released CESAR DEVAREZ, ANGELO ENCARNACION, PETE INCAVIGLIA, BIP ROBERTS, MEL ROSARIO, DUANE SINGLETON, LEE HANCOCK, DEAN HARTGRAVES, GARY HAUGHT, JOHN LEROY. The REDS released LEO GOMEZ, JODY REED, BRIAN BARNES, MARK DAVIS. The ANGELS released MARK PARENT, MIKE BIELECKI, JAMIE BREWINGTON, JIM BRUSKE, TERRY CLARK, LANCE DICKSON, DAVE LEIPER, DAVE SWARTZBAUGH. The BLUE JAYS released DAVE CLARK, IRBL # 592 3-12-00 2 OZZIE SMITH, JASON M. THOMPSON, BRYAN EVERSGERD, KEN GRUNDT, JOHN HABYAN, CHRIS HOOK, RICK HUISMAN, JOEY LONG, TOM MCGRAW. The GIANTS released FELIX JOSE, LUIS ORTIZ, BILL VANLANDINGHAM. The WHITE SOX released WES CHAMBERLAIN. The INDIANS released ARCHI CIANFROCCO, MARK SMITH, SHAWN BOSKIE, JEFF DARWIN, ROBERT ELLIS, RYAN HAWBLITZEL, DARRELL MAY. The PHILLIES released PEDRO CASTELLANO, JOSE MUNOZ, CRAIG SHIPLEY. The ORIOLES released CASEY CANDAELE, PEDRO MUNOZ, JOE SIDDALL, CRIS CARPENTER. The EXPOS released BILLY RIPKEN, KEN ROBINSON. The ATHLETICS released KEVIN ELSTER, STEPHEN LARKIN, GIOVANNI CARRARA, DANNY DARWIN. The CARDINALS traded DWIGHT GOODEN to the GIANTS for WILLIS OTANEZ. The GIANTS released AARON SMALL. The DIAMONDBACKS released FRANK BOLICK, MILT CUYLER, P.J. FORBES, TODD HANEY, REX HUDLER, SCOTT STAHOVIAK, DAROND STOVALL, JACK VOIGT, EDDIE WILLIAMS, DOUG DRABEK. The ROYALS released BILLY ASHLEY, JEFF BRANSON, JOHN MARZANO, KEVIN MITCHELL, JOHN SMILEY, BOB TEWKSBURY. The YANKEES released MIKE DURANT, ROBERTO MEJIA, KEN RAMOS, LARRY CASIAN, MARK DEWEY, CHRIS HAMMOND, JASON JACOME, TIM PUGH, JOE ROA. The DEVIL RAYS released JEFF BALL, SHAWN GILBERT, MARK P. JOHNSON, SCOTT MCCLAIN, MIKE METCALFE, ROB SASSER. The RED SOX released RUBEN AMARO, GEORGE CANALE, CECIL FIELDER, VINCE HORSMAN, A.J. SAGER. ...................................... I have included final cross-referenced rosters and team Player Usage Form files. Please contact me immediately if you find any errors on the cross- reference rosters or the DMB IRBL player files. ...................................... I have included updated IRBL Rules changing the references from 1999 to 2000. ...................................... 2000 IRBL Schedule: Due to the continued use of an IRBL # 592 3-12-00 3 unbalanced schedule and Interleague series that the Major Leagues used in 1999, the 2000 IRBL schedule is again unbalanced (for the third straight year). Although all IRBL teams play 81 road games and 81 home games, the number of series per team varies. All AL teams play 36 series and NL teams play 38 or 39 series. So that the NL teams will not get an advantage of having extra days off for scheduling starting pitchers, NL teams have 3 series where there are no days off between series. These series are noted with an asterisk, "*", on the Starting Pitchers Rotation sheet after the series date. For these noted series, there will be no day-off between this series and the preceding series for calculating the days off between starts for starting pitchers. You will find the post-season schedule at the bottom of the SCHEDULE.Y00 file. ...................................... My thanks again to Gerry McDonald for volunteering and preparing the 2000 IRBL schedule. This is the third straight year that Gerry has completed this time consuming task and I appreciate the effort. ...................................... I have included the following items so you can prepare your 2000 season team instructions (refer to IRBL Rule # 15): 1) Starting Pitchers Rotation forms for all teams (PITCHING.Txx) 2) Inactive List forms for all teams (INACTIVE.Txx) 3) Team Instructions forms (INSTRUCT.Txx) 4) Player Usage forms for all teams (PLAYERUF.Y00) xx: IRBL team code number NOTE: To edit the above files, select "Display or Print Series Results or Newsletter Files" from the IRBL Menu Program. Highlight the file name in the LIST file selection display and press the [E] key. This will invoke the DOS EDIT program. Use this method to edit the file rather than your own word processing program so that the file remains pure text. Be sure that you are in the "Overwrite mode" (the IRBL # 592 3-12-00 4 cursor will be a blinking rectangle) and not the "Insert mode" (the cursor would be a blinking underscore, "_"). You can switch between modes by pressing the [Insert] key. The "Overwrite mode" is easier to work with because it will not "push out" the remainder of the line when you type. If you prefer, you can also use a Windows text editor program (such as Notepad) to edit the files. Please do not use a word processing program (such as Word or WordPerfect) because these programs will modify the format of the file and will insert special characters that will be time- consuming for me to remove. You can verify that the file is saved as pure text by viewing the file with the IRBL Menu Program and verifying that you do not see any strange characters mixed in the file. ..................................... Please use the following guidelines when filling out the forms: 1) Starting Pitchers Rotation form: Fill in the pitcher's initials (2 capital letters only) next to each game number. At the bottom of the page, list each pitcher's full name, the initials used, indicate if he throws "L" or "R" and the number of starts he is scheduled for using the following format: T GS - -- BOUCHER, DENIS (DB) L 25 DELUCIA, RICH (RD) R 30 GROOM, BUDDY (BG) L 30 JONES, JIMMY (JJ) R 27 MILITELLO, SAM (SM) R 11 PUGH, TIM (TP) R 8 ROBINSON, RON (RR) R 2 WILLIAMS, MIKE (MW) R 29 When typing the above chart, make sure that you do not exceed 60 lines on the page or 80 characters on a line (refer to the line and column counter in the lower right corner of the editing screen). 2) Inactive List form: Place an "XX" (use capital letters only) in the appropriate box for each player on the Inactive List for each series. IRBL # 592 3-12-00 5 There must be exactly 25 players on the "Active List" for each series (i.e., 25 boxes next to a player's name in each column that do not have a "XX"). 3) Team Instructions: Edit this file to contain your starting lineups for all your road and home series (including all lineups stored in your Computer Manager profile). If you leave out your home series lineups, your instruction package will be considered incomplete. If you list a player in every lineup who cannot play 162 games, you must include a note indicating which games he will be sat out and who will replace him. When typing this page, make sure that you do not exceed 60 lines on the page or 80 characters on a line. 4) Player Usage Form: The PLAYERUF.Y00 file contains a filled out form for each team. You can select and copy your team's form to a file (use file name PLAYERUF.Txx) using the directions detailed in IRBL Rule # 21A. 5) Computer Manager: Create your profile following the guidelines in IRBL Rule # 15 and export the files to the C:\IRBL\RESULTS.Y00 directory (MPyy.EXP and TEAMyy.EXP). Prepare the above detailed files and plus the files described in the previous newsletter and then select "Create ZIP file of Team Instructions Files set" from the IRBL Menu Program. This will combine the 5 files into one file called INSTRUxx.ZIP (where xx is your IRBL team number). Send me this INSTRUxx.ZIP file via email. The 5 files are summarized as follows: 1) INSTRUCT.Txx 2) PITCHING.Txx 3) INACTIVE.Txx 4) MPyy.EXP and TEAMyy.EXP NOTE: The xx is the two digit IRBL team number. The yy is a different one IRBL # 592 3-12-00 6 or two number that the DMB game assigns to each team. These numbers are: yy xx yy xx -- -- -- -- D-BACKS 28 29 ANGELS 13 13 DODGERS 27 03 ATHLETICS 12 14 GIANTS 26 04 MARINERS 11 25 PADRES 25 05 RANGERS 10 15 ROCKIES 24 27 ASTROS 23 01 INDIANS 8 20 BREWERS 9 19 ROYALS 7 16 CARDINALS 22 07 TIGERS 1 23 CUBS 21 08 TWINS 6 17 PIRATES 20 12 WHITE SOX 5 18 REDS 19 06 BRAVES 18 02 BLUE JAYS 4 26 EXPOS 17 09 DEVIL RAYS 29 30 MARLINS 16 28 ORIOLES 3 21 METS 15 10 RED SOX 2 22 PHILLIES 14 11 YANKEES 0 24 ...................................... All the team instruction files will be included in the next LRD. ...................................... The following is a summary of the 2000 draft telephone calls that I should be receiving reimbursement for: TEAM MANAGER CALLS COST ---- ------- ----- ---- REDS Jeff Nicholson 6 4.50 BRAVES Jim Jansen 8 6.00 INDIANS Bill Mattfeld 2 1.50 ...................................... DEADLINES: Mar. 26 - Team instructions to be received by League Office and all managers within your league Apr. 5 - First series of 2000 season ...................................... Files included on LRD # 592: --------------------------- INACTIVE.Txx --> Inactive List Forms INSTRUCT.Txx --> Team Instructions file IRBLROST.TXT --> IRBL Rosters IRBLRULE.TXT --> IRBL Rules NEWSL592.xxx --> Newsletter # 592 PITCHING.Txx --> Starting Pitchers Rotation Sheets PLAYERUF.Y00 --> Player Usage Forms for all teams SCHEDULE.Y00 --> IRBL NL and AL league schedule IRBL # 592 3-12-00 7 File Extension Legend (xxx): --------------------------- T1C --> Viewable one column newsletter text format TXT --> Viewable text format ...................................... BK