This article will hopefully serve as a primer on how to successfully maintain a roster in the SSL. The methods and ideas within are certainly not the only alternatives available to owners; they are one option out of many. Nevertheless, some of our usage rules can be cumbersome, and having a blueprint in place might help to eliminate a lot of wasted time as owners scramble to avoid misusage. The primer is divided into sections for easy perusal, although I recommend reading from start to finish at least once. Part One details the rules and requirements to keep in mind, while Part Two suggests some tips and techniques to maintain a misusage-free roster without spending a lot of preparation time.
All batters must have 40 PA or more to be on the active roster, and all pitchers must have at least 20 IP. A few owners have accidentally assumed that a player could be active when he was in fact a few PA or IP short – so while this isn't a common issue, I’d still urge owners to know which of their players can’t be activated during the season.
Two players per position
All teams need to have each position covered twice on the active roster. A single player can cover multiple positions; for example, a utility man who is rated at 2b, 3b, ss, lf, and rf "counts" for all of these positions. When completing your active roster, keep in mind that players will use up PA as the season progresses; it isn't a good idea to rely on someone with only 50 available PA (or worse, someone with, for example, 10 PA vs lefties) to cover a position. Finding an unlimited infielder and an unlimited outfielder can usually keep this from becoming an issue.
Batters and games played limits
All batters, regardless of PA restrictions or lack thereof, are limited in the number of games they can play in. Take note – games in which a player was a defensive replacement and didn't even get a PA still count towards that total! If a batter played in 150 or fewer games during the Major League season, he is limited to 150 or fewer games in the SSL season. If a batter played in 158 games in real life, for example, he is then allowed to play in up to 158 games in the SSL season.
Catchers and games caught limits
Catchers are a slightly different animal. They are restricted by the 150 game max outlined above, but they have another restriction – catchers may only CATCH in 130 games, unless they caught in more in real life. For example, a catcher who caught 132 games during the MLB season is limited to 132 games in which he may appear as a catcher. If he is rated at other positions, he may play in more games (and he can certainly pinch-hit or DH), but as soon as he dons the tools of ignorance, the game counts as a "game caught".
Starting pitchers and games pitched limits
Starting pitchers may only start 150% of the number of real-life starts. If a starting pitcher is not rated as a reliever, he can’t relieve during the regular season. Further, starting pitchers may not start more than 35 games, unless they started more in real life. This isn’t usually an in-season issue, as long as each owner carefully sets up his rotation sheet in March.
Relief pitchers and games pitched limits
Relief pitchers may pitch in as many as 80 games. If they pitched in more games during the MLB season, they will be allowed to pitch up to that number of games.
Swingmen games pitched limits
A pitcher who can start and relieve games is limited to 80 games relieved. For counting purposes, one game started is counted as two games relieved. Therefore, a pitcher who started 20 games in real life would be limited to 30 games started and 20 games relieved in the SSL (or, 25 games started and 30 games relieved, or any other combination where 2s+r is less than or equal to 80). Keep in mind that many swingmen are also limited in the number of IP and/or BF, which effectively keeps them from reaching the maximum games pitched limits. Unlimited pitchers are still limited by the games pitched limitations.
Total PA/IP/BF limits
Although all batters are limited in the number of games they can play (or catch) in, there are two categories they fall under when considering PA limits. Unlimited batters either have 502 or more PA, or their statistics are mediocre enough to qualify, as per yearly baseline statistics outlined in the constitution. Limited batters fall in between; they don’t have enough PA to qualify as unlimited, but their numbers are good enough to avoid the “other”, more dubious unlimited classification. Limited players are restricted to 125% of their real-life PA and are automatically farmed when they exceed this limit, although a “September buffer” allows batters to reach up to 132% without fine. Players who exceed this cause their team to be fined, and playes who are overused by 140% or more of their real-life PA are released.
Pitchers are similarly limited; if both their total IP and their total BF exceeds 125%, they'll be farmed. The same percentages listed above (and the same penalties) apply to pitchers.
Side PA limits for batters
There is one more "twist" to the SSL’s rules on overusage. Batters may be limited vs one side (vs LHP or vs RHP, but not both), no sides, or both sides. This means that owners need to keep track not only of total PA accrued, but PA vs each side. Almost all of the misusage in the SSL occurs because of side PA overusage. The same percentages as those found in the above section on total PA overusage apply here.
Underusage
A player may also be misused because he did have a mimimum number of PA or IP/BF. Players with over a certain number of PA or IP apply; these players must be used for at least 60% of their real-life totals or be released.
An offseason checklist
1: You’ll want to make sure each position is covered twice. The easiest solution is to find one or two utility players who, between them, cover 1b, 2b, 3b, ss, lf, cf, and rf. Make sure said players are either unlimited or else have enough PA to compensate for the player being used here and there during the season. Be wary of relying on players with very few total PA OR PA vs a specific side, for if such players are incidentally overused and farmed, you'll no longer have each position covered…and this can lead to more serious usage headaches as the season winds down!
2: Two catchers might be enough, but it’s best to make sure. Take the time to calculate about how many PA each catcher is allowed, keeping the 130 games caught limit in mind. Is your backup catcher capable of catching in 32 games? If so, you’re fine. If not (and usually this happens when the backup has less than 200 PA and is limited vs one side), you may need a third catcher (usually, one who is unlimited for the side that your first backup is limited in). For example, if Backup #1 is unlimited vs RHP, but has only 20 usable PA vs lefties, you’ll probably want another catcher who is unlimited vs LHP.
3: When constructing your rotation sheet, make sure each pitcher gets his required numbers of days rest, as per the constitution. Also make sure that each pitcher isn’t starting more games than he is allowed to start. Finally, keep in mind that some pitchers might be technically allowed to start a certain number of games, but their IP/BF limits are such that they can’t start that many games without logging too many innings. For exmaple, a stud rookie pitcher might have started 8 games and pitched in 46 innings. He is allowed to start in 12 (8*150%) SSL games, and may pitch up to 57 (46 *125%) innings; that’s less than 5 innings per start! Therefore, it might be wise to use pitchers such as this one for fewer than the maximum number of starts, lest he run into IP usage problems near the end of the season.
4: Make sure, as well, that you have plenty of innings to use during the season. If you have far fewer than 1500 “real-life” innings on your staff, you may want to invest in another pitcher or two. Keep in mind that “high ERA” unlimited pitchers may pitch in up to 200% of games started and IP (but not more than 200% for either!).
5: Look over your projected starting lineup. Are there any starters who will be severely limited? If so, do you have an unlimited batter to, in a worst-case situation, take over for a month? If not, think about getting one.
6: Do any of your full-time players have serious limits vs one side? If so, once again, invest in an unlimited player who can easily cover PA if your starter is being overused more quickly than anticipated vs the side in question.
7: Are any of your players in danger of being underused from where they sit on your depth chart? If so, be prepared to manually put them in the starting lineup often enough to meet minimum usage requirements.
How to avoid exceeding games played limits
For pitchers, this is rarely an issue; games are divied up when you submit your rotation sheet. For hitters, however, the best solution is almost certainly a policy of "rest 'em early". If your shortstop can start in 150 games, it pays to rest him 12 times during the first month or two, for two reasons. First of all, you won't have to worry about it later in the season. Second of all, many of your players may be on the cusp of overusage by season's end - not a good time to rest that shortstop and put your nearly overused utility guy in the lineup for 12 games. Several players have been overused in the past because they were covering for starters who "had" to take days off in September. So, remember to rest your regulars early! A final note - simply removing a player from the starting lineup does not guarantee that he'll avoid taking part in the game; starters can pinch-hit or enter as defensive replacements. You should therefore remember to make the player inactive, if he is not already, before playing a game that he isn't meant to participate in.
Total PA limits – keeping track
Relatively few batters have been overused in this manner, but it's worth reviewing a few hints, regardless. First and foremost, the amount of time you spend setting up your lineup (and, if you use it, your depth chart) before the season starts will pay dividends later on. If you have potential trouble spots (a 1b with only 400 available PA, or a shallow bench), it's best to recognize these things ahead of time. Regardless, you should spend a few minutes each month checking your players' usage, making sure they aren't getting too close to overusage. This is a vital step; nearly all total PA overusage problems can be avoided when owners check up on their players regularly.
Side PA limits – keeping track
This is a similar issue to the one above. Again, checking your players' side usage on a monthly basis is a key preventative measure. Not all batters need to be checked; those who are not limited vs. either side can be ignored. It's best to know how your hitters are limited before the season starts - this way, you'll be able to quickly scan certain players' usage during the season, and ignore those who aren't affected.
Avoiding underusage
The best way to avoid underusing a player is to take note of any players with lots of IP/PA who don't have big roles on your team. Such players should be monitored periodically to make sure they haven't fallen so far behind that they can't reach their 60% minimum. Monthly checking is probably not required unless the player has a lot of IP/PA.
When to avoid platooning
Platoons can often provide significant advantages - especially in DMB, where we have so much advanced knowledge of a player's likely performance. However, platoons can be risky, especially if one/both hitters have usage concerns. There are a few situations where platoons should be avoided, despite the benefits they might convey. Namely, platoons should be avoided if a platoon partner is severely limited vs. one side, or if a platoon partner needs to have a lot of "free" PA (utility players are a good example). Finally, avoid using players with few PA in platoon roles; they'll get overused quickly, and you'll be left with a potential usage problem (one half of a platoon) as well as one fewer pinch-hitter/bench player...which could lead to more usage problems. In other words, a platoon partner should not be someone with few PA or usage issues - and players with stats on one side that are good enough to use in such a manner often fall under one of those two headings. Use them at your own risk.
Home/away lineup suggestions
A quick note on home/away lineups. Since we play all of our away games, we also have a lot more control over how players are used in those games. It makes a lot of sense, then, to use your "best" lineup in home games, and your "safest" lineup (i.e. one with fewer limited players in the starting lineup) during away games. Unfortunately, most owners like seeing their best team in action, which leads them to play their best lineup during away games. This strategy isn't necessarily bad, but it's worth considering the effects of starting very limited players during home games.
E-mailing special instructions
If you find yourself in a tricky situation, there are few steps more expedient than e-mailing another owner with special instructions. These can range from a simple "make player X inactive", to a complex "remove player X if he's about to face a lefty after the 5th inning". Often, owners will instruct opponents to use specific lineups vs. specific pitchers. It is best to send out instructions before the play cycle begins. If you do this, and send a copy of the instructions to a league official, you'll have some paperwork to point to if a player is accidentally misused during the contest. Regardless, sending instructions to opponents is a fast, easy way to keep your players' usage on target.
Selective farming
Another quick-and-dirty solution to usage problems is to keep a player on the active roster during away games, but to have him farmed during home games, making your effective roster in such games less than 25. This is indeed legal, and is a simple way to keep players who are close to misusage from being inadvertantly or excessively used.
Playoff preparation
A final caveat - if you are expecting to be in the playoff hunt, read the player usage rules very carefully. Players who help you win games in the regular season may well be extremely limited (or even restricted) in postseason play.