GSBA CONSTITUTION

I. The Grand Slam Baseball Association (GSBA) is a play-by-mail draft league using Diamond Mind Baseball (DMB)
1. Uses the most recent version of DMB which league members have agreed to use. In 1998, this is version 7.
2. All members must own a copy of this game version and the current season player disk (not the projection disk).

II. FORMAT
1. 20 teams into 4 divisions of 5 teams each
2. League rules 
a. DH rule (you can let your pitcher hit just at in American League rules).
b. no injuries (players may be lost to ejections and rain delays).
c. no bullpen warmup rule in effect, except it is permitted in face to face games when both managers agree to use it.
d. weather effects are turned on.

III. ROSTERS
1. Teams have 32 roster spots available.
2. Teams retain players from year to year.
3. Players not on the DMB player disk may be retained but occupy a roster spot
4. Teams designate 25-man active rosters on a monthly basis. All series beginning in the same month use the same 25-man active roster.
5. All 32 players are active for a team's final 30 games (10 series), simulating major league baseball expanded September rosters. 
Note of clarification: At any time, teams may place active players on "hold" in road games to prevent their being used by the computer manager - this is not to be confused with the set of 7 month-long inactives.

IV. SCHEDULE
1. 162 games.
2. 9 home and 9 road games against teams in the same division, 3 home and 3 road games against all other teams.
3. Season starts August 1
4. Simulated season starts in April, so "April" games are played in August, "May" games played in September, etc.
5. Rest days are based on game calendar, for instance the first month has 30 days as it simulates April, even though we play in August which has 31.

V. INSTRUCTIONS AND PLAY OF GAMES
1. Games may be played by mail using computer manager instructions supplied by the visitors, or games may be played in person or equivalent (over telephone, Netmeeting, etc).
2. Visitors team must be rested at least 4 games prior to starting play of the series. Home team may also rest before series. 
[Clarification: consecutive schedule dates with the same home and away teams constitute a "series" even if they appear as several one game series on the DMB schedule; in 1998 all series are 3 games and all games are in 3-game series]
3. No teams may be rested during the play of the series.
4. Visiting manager must indicate which players are active or inactive 
(note: this is done automatically if you send an export file of a manager profile with your roster having farmed out the inactive players)
5. Visiting manager profile may include supplementary instructions provided they can be programmed into the computer manager prior to playing each game. For instance, many managers identify some players to be on "hold" to avoid player overuse and may use different lineups vs. the first LH, the second LH, etc. - the only requirement is no intervention needed during play of a game
6. Home managers must take care to implement special instructions in (5) above. For instance, ensure that the correct starting pitcher is being used, the correct lineup if more than standard vs. LH/vs. RH, players placed on "hold" using the "Avail" option in accordance with the visitor's specifications, etc. This may require initiating the game in human-human mode and switching over to computer-human mode when first batter comes to the plate.
7. Games are to be played as "scheduled" league games. (so the stat base is complete and correct)

VI. LEAGUE PROCEDURE
1. Timely sending of instructions, reporting of results, and reporting of stats is imperative.
2. Series need not be played in the scheduled order but all games in a series should be completed before playing games in another series.
3. Home manager should send boxscores AND scoresheets for each game to the visiting manager. Monthly stats should be done using export for "league", not for individual teams you played that month - the other teams will have zeroes but extra league files are also generated which are necessary for getting a complete league report when all teams are added together.
(Clarification: the commissioner will specify deadlines and detailed procedures for reporting stats, provided these are reasonable and agreeable by the league)

VII. PLAYOFFS
1. Teams with the best record in each division make the playoffs. 
2. The two non-division-winners with the best road record qualify as wild card teams.
3. Ties are broken by (1) road record, (2) head to head record, (3) record in division, (4) coin toss.
3. The two division winners with the best overall records receive a bye in the first round. The wild card team with more overall wins plays the division winner with least overall wins while the remaining two play each other.
4. Following the principle of (3) for the semifinals, the division winner with the best overall record will face the surviving team with the weakest overall record and the remaining two will play each other. 
5. All playoff series are best of 7 with better road record home in 1,2,6,7.
6. Playoff rosters are 25 man, fixed for each round. [note: Commissioner thinks they should be the same 25 men for all rounds, but this is not in the constitution and is only recommended, not presently required]
7. There is 1 off day after the regular season, 1 off day after games 2 and 5, and one off day between date of 7th game (even if series doesn't go 7) and start of the next round. Pitchers require at least 3 days between starts.
8. A playoff series should be played using the same stat base for starter and reliever fatigue. Thus, if not played face-to-face, the home manager in games 1 and 2 should send the playoff stats export file to the home manager in games 3, 4, and 5, who should then make sure both teams are rested one day before starting game 3. Likewise for going back to games 6 and 7. 

VIII. PLAYER USAGE RESTRICTIONS - REGULAR SEASON
1. Batters are limited to the total number of games played. Batters are additionally restricted to not exceed 150% of AB vs. LHP and 150% of AB vs. RHP (to limit abuse of platoon and part-time players) [Clarification - these are AB vs each side, not total AB]
2. Players may play out of position (computer compensates with defensive deterioration)
3. Pitchers with more starts than relief appearances are limited by actual games started and total games pitched. No limitation on innings.
a. If a pitcher has no relief rating, he may not be used in more than actual number of relief appearances [this sometimes happens for rotation pitcher who got a relief appearance in a very long extra-inning game or similar occasion]
4. Pitchers with more relief appearances than starts is limited to actual number of games started and total season innings. No limit on number of relief appearances. 
5. Each team must be able to play out the season without exceeding these limitations. 

IX. PLAYER USAGE RESTRICTIONS - PLAYOFFS (limits per round, fresh slate each round)
1. Hitters with less than 100 plate appearances may have one plate appearance per game. 
2. Hitters with less than 66 plate appearances vs. RHP are not eligible to start or pinch hit vs. RHP - likewise 33 plate appearances for LHP
3. Relief pitcher innings limits are as follows:
less than 40 actual innings: ineligible
40-49 actual innings              allowed 3 IP/playoff series
50-59                                     6
60-79                                    10
80-99                                    15
100+                                 unlimited
4. It is agreed upon that within a playoff series the same stat base should be used for all games, with one rest day between home parks, so that pitcher fatigue is properly accounted for including for relievers. [This never seems to have formally been constitutionalized but it is the league practice.]
5. Also league practice in matching the regular season restrictions means starting pitchers not rated for relief are not eligible for relief in playoffs.

X. SPECIAL LEAGUE RULES FOR THE PLAY OF GAMES (regular season AND playoffs)
1. Starting pitchers are required to have at least 3 days rest between starts. (off days count as rest days - go by the schedule dates) 
2. Pitchers must be pulled after allowing 9 runs (charged to the same pitcher)
3. Starting pitchers must not be relieved before either pitching at least 4 innings or allowing at least 3 runs. [Clarification: I don't think this is intended to apply in event of rain delay reducing effectiveness]

XI. BALLPARKS
1. Real ballparks with ratings for the current season must be used
2. Teams may select any park permitted by (1) above, even if another team also plays there. [Note: Commissioner and some other managers will be unhappy if you select Coors Field, but under present rules you are free to do so]
3. Teams sign 3-year park leases.

XII. TRADES
1. Players and/or draft picks (rounds 1-6) may be traded.
2. Picks for the upcoming year, only, may be traded. [Example: picks for the March 1999 draft can used in trades which take effect for the August 1, 1999 GSBA season, but picks for the 2000 draft cannot be used for trades taking effect for the August 1, 1999 season]. 
3. Trades involving draft picks must be completed by some specified period shortly before the draft. (to establish and distribute the draft order)
4. No trades involving drafted players or draft picks may occur during the draft.
5. Trades made after the trading deadline (usually in April) take affect the following year.
6. Players and picks involved in a deal must be exchanged at the same time.
NOTE FROM COMMISSIONER: The commissioner has no statutory authority to rule on trades but he can tell you he won't allow Griffey to be traded for Jack Voigt.

XIII. DRAFT
1. All players on the DMB season disk who are not on any team's roster are eligible.
2. Draft order is based on overall record, worst to first. Ties are broken by (1) road record, (2) head to head record, (3) divisional record, (4) coin toss.
3. Draft is held following the season, usually in March.
4. Draft consists of 6 rounds. 
5. A cut-draft follows after the 6 rounds. 
a. Teams may cut a player and select any remaining draft-eligible player
b. A player must be cut prior to each selection. Players retained from the previous season but not on the new player disk are eligible as cuts.
c. Cut draft order is same as draft order. 
d. Cut players are eligible to be selected by other teams.
e. Teams may continue for as many rounds as they wish, provided they cut a player before each selection. 
6. Teams may pass at any round in the draft or cut draft.

XIV. AMENDING THIS CONSTITUTION
1. All amendments must be voted on prior to February 1 to be in effect for the upcoming season.
2. A proposition passes when at least 2/3 of all league members vote in favor.
3. All members can make proposals.