Saturday, January 1, 1994

SLFBL RULES (AS OF APRIL 4 2026)

SMOKEY LOUIS FANTASY BASEBALL LEAGUE OFFICIAL CONSTITUTION

(Updated April 4, 2026)

 

We the People of the Smokey Louis Fantasy Baseball League, in Order to form a more perfect League, establish Sportsmanship, insure league Tranquility, provide for the common Fun, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Dynasty Baseball to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the Smokey Louis Fantasy Baseball League.

 

ARTICLES

 

ARTICLE I: LEGISLATION

 

Section A. Proposing Amendments

 

  1. For an owner to enter a proposal (constitutional amendment) on the official agenda, he/she must inform the Commissioner of the proposal at least one month prior to the draft and must be seconded by at least 1 other franchise owner.

 

Section B. Voting On Amendments

 

  1. A vote, organized and run by the Commissioner, will take place at the next SLFBL draft.

 

  1. In order for a proposal to pass, a majority vote is required.

 

ARTICLE II: EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY

 

Section A. Commissioner

 

  1. The executive power of the Smokey Louis Fantasy Baseball League shall be vested in a Commissioner.

 

  1. The Commissioner shall be elected by a majority vote and shall hold his office for an unlimited term

 

Section B. Vice Commissioner

 

  1. A Vice Commissioner shall be elected by a majority vote and shall hold his office for an unlimited term

 

  1. If the Commissioner is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office (e.g., he/she is out of town and incommunicado), the Vice Commissioner shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting Commissioner.

 

  1. Thereafter, when the Commissioner informs the Vice Commissioner that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office.

 

Section C. Adjudicating Disputes

 

  1. All disputes between teams shall be given a hearing before the Commissioner who shall have unfettered authority to settle such disputes.

 

  1. In any dispute between a team that is owned by the Commissioner and any other team, the Vice Commissioner shall arbitrate such disputes.

 

Section D. Other Powers

 

  1. Powers not delegated to the owners and rules not stated or prohibited by this Constitution are reserved to the Commissioner.

 

ARTICLE III: POINT SYSTEM

 

Section A. Starting Pitchers [AMENDMENT XI 2015]

 

  1. 5 Bonus Points for every start made (for a start to be legal, the starting pitcher must pitch at least one inning).

 

  1. -1 point for every earned run the pitcher allows.

 

  1. +1 point for a full 6 IP and +1 point for each successful IP after the 6th.

 

  1. +4 points for a win.

 

  1. 0 points for a loss.

 

  1. +2 bonus points for a complete game shutout.

 

  1. +10 bonus points for a no hitter.

 

  1. +15 bonus points for a perfect game.

 

§  For Example: In a 1998 against Minnesota, David Cone had a very good start. He pitched 7 innings and allowed just one earned run in notching the win. Therefore, his point total for the game would be as follows: 5 points for the start + 1 point for 6 IP + 1 point for the 7th inning -1 point for allowing 1 earned run +4 points for the win. Total: 10 pts.

 

Section B. Relief Pitchers [AMENDMENT XVIII 2026)

 

  1. +2 bonus points for every appearance (for an appearance to be legal, the relief pitcher must pitch at least one-third of an inning).

 

  1. -1 point for every earned run charged to the reliever.

 

  1. +1 point for a full IP.

 

  1. +2 points for a win.

 

  1. +3 points for a save.

 

  1. -1 point for a loss.

 

  1. -1 point for a blown save.

 

  1. +1 point for a hold.

 

§  For Example: In the same game, Mariano Rivera recorded the save after pitching a scoreless 9th. Therefore his point total for the game would be as follows: 2 points for the appearance (after recording the 1st out), +1 point for 1 IP, + 3 points for the save = a total of 6 pts.

 

§  For Example: In the same game, Jeff Nelson pitched a scoreless 8th inning to preserve the lead. Therefore his point total for the game would be as follows: 2 points for the appearance (after recording the 1st out), + 1 point for 1 IP, + 1 point for the hold = a total of 4 pts.

 

Section C. Hitting

 

  1. +1 point for every hit, RBI, run scored and/or stolen base.

 

  1. +1 bonus point for every hit, RBI, run scored and/or stolen base totaling more than 3.

 

§  For Example: In the same game against Minnesota, Derek Jeter racked up major points. Here's what he did. He had 4 hits, he stole 1 base, scored 1 run and had 4 RBIs. Thus, his point total would be as follows: +1 point for each hit, +1 point for each RBI, +1 point for each stolen base, +1 point for each run scored, +1 bonus point for the 4th hit, + 1 bonus point for the 4th RBI = a total of 12 pts.

 

Section D. Fielding

 

  1. -1 point for every error made. [AMENDMENT X 2009]

 

  1. DH doesn't lose error points.

 

ARTICLE IV: ROSTERS

 

Section A. Major League Roster

 

  1. 25 players per team.

 

Section B. Lineup

 

  1. By the time games begin on Monday during the season, owners will exchange lineups with their opponent of the week. Lineups must be in to your opponent BEFORE the day's games begin. If a lineup has not been turned in, the offending team will receive zero points for every full day in which a lineup has not been received by that team's opponent.

 

  1. Each lineup shall consist of:

 

ü  1 player at each position.

ü  1 DH.

ü  5 starting pitchers ranked from #1 to #5.*

ü  3 relief pitchers.

ü  3 Tiebreakers (1 IF, 1 OF, 1 RP)

 

  1. Email, fax, &/or phone submissions of lineup are permitted.

 

  1. Scores MUST be reported to the Commissioner by midnight on Tuesday night. It is generally the responsibility of the winning team to report the score. If no score is reported by either team, the commissioner may levy a forfeit to both teams.

 

Section C. Starting Pitching Rankings System (The French System)

 

  1. Each team's 5 starting pitchers are ranked from #1 to #5.

 

  1. In the course of the week teams are allowed to count up to six starts.

 

  1. The starts are weighted in favor of the top of the rotation.

 

§  For Example: In a game against the Rabbis (Pugz) the Celtics ranked their starting pitchers in the following order: 1) Clemens 2) Cone 3) Smoltz 4) Neagle 5) Park. Always remember that the starts that count are weighted in favor of the top of the rotation. That particular week, Clemens had 2 starts, Cone and Smoltz had 1, and Neagle and Park 2. Thus, Clemens' starts bring the total to 2, Cone and Smoltz raise the total to 4 and then Neagle's starts account for the final 2 starts to count. Park's starts did not count because he was ranked #5 and there were 6 other starts from pitchers above him in the order that take precedence. Clemens had 15 points in 2 starts. Cone had 10 in 1 start. Smoltz had 6 points in 1 start and Neagle had 8 points in his 2 starts bringing the Celtic total for the week to 39 points.

 

Section D. Transactions

 

  1. Each team has a cap of 25 unforced (non-injury) transactions in the space of the season.

 

  1. Upon conclusion of the regular season, teams may not conduct any further non-trade transactions until after next year's draft.

 

  1. Playoff teams may only conduct forced (injury related) transactions during the playoffs. Like the non-playoff teams, their rosters are then frozen after the playoffs.

 

  1. During the season, most transactions are conducted on a first-come-first-serve basis.

 

  1. The only exception to this is the weekly waiver wire. Any player dropped during the previous week must remain a free agent and clear waivers the following Monday. Each Monday morning the commissioner records on his answering machine a list of players dropped the previous week. Teams will have the opportunity to claim a player on the list in reverse order of the most up to date standings. The waiver wire expires at the beginning of games on Monday. If unclaimed, a player then becomes a free agent. [AMENDMENT V 2001]

 

Section E. Trades

 

  1. There is unlimited trading in Smokey Louis baseball.

 

  1. No trades are permitted between teams in the playoff race and teams that have been officially eliminated from playoff contention. [AMENDMENT III 2001]

 

3.      Trades are permitted during the off-season; otherwise rosters are frozen.

 

4.      Upon receiving a clear consensus of support, the Commissioner has the right to veto trades if a trade is deemed to undermine the integrity of the league.

 

Section F. Injured Reserve

 

  1. Up to 5 players can be placed on the Injured Reserve (Note: To be eligible for the IR, a player must be legitimately hurt—i.e. not playing in his team's games). [AMENDMENT VII]

 

  1. Owners must activate players who return to the lineup & it is the responsibility of individual owners to this. Periodically, the commissioner will monitor each team's IR to make sure each player is truly hurt. If the commissioner finds a player who is healthy and is still being carried on a team's IR, he will inform that team owner that the player must be activated immediately. In extreme cases, if the owner fails to activate the player, the player will become a free agent and become available to other teams via the waiver system.

 

Section G. Position Eligibility

 

1.      Players qualify at a position if they have:

 

2.      20 games played at a position in previous year; or

 

3.      10 games played at a position in current year; or

 

4.      5 consecutive games started (in games played by player) at a position.

 

Section H. Frozen Rosters

 

1.      Rosters freeze at end of regular season until the conclusion of the next year’s draft—free agent pick-ups are prohibited.

 

2.      Trading of players and draft picks is permitted during the off-season.

 

3.      Playoff teams are allowed to make waiver-wire &/or free agent pick-ups only if a player on their roster sustains an injury and there is no other player on the major league or DV roster eligible at that position that can replace them.

 

ARTICLE V: DRAFT

 

Section A. Protected Lists

 

  1. Teams are permitted to protect up to 15 players from their major league and 15 players from their developmental rosters respectively (Note: teams receive a developmental draft choice for every open spot on the developmental protected list).

 

  1. 2 weeks before the entry draft, each team must turn in its protected lists (major league and DV) to the Commissioner by midnight.

 

  1. The entry fee for Smokey Louis baseball is $55. [AMENDED TO $60 by AMENDMENT VI] This fee MUST be in the Commissioner's hands by the time of the draft or a team risks losing the right to draft.

 

  1. At the conclusion of the season winner's shares are paid along the following lines: $30 for the regular season first place team. $65 apiece for the #3 and #4 playoff participants. $130 to runner-up and $200 to the champion. Note: These winner's shares will vary from year to year depending on league costs. [AMENDMENT VI]

 

Section B. The Draft

 

  1. The DV draft will always take place before the major league draft.

 

  1. In both drafts, Rounds 1-3 will take place in reverse order of the previous season's final standings. Rounds 4-10 will then flip flop.

 

  1. After the major league entry draft, there will be a 2 round supplemental draft which will be conducted in the reverse order of the previous season's standings.

 

ARTICLE VI: THE DEVELOPMENTAL (DV) SQUAD

 

Section A. Roster

 

  1. Each team shall have a roster of up to 15 developmental or non-major league players.

 

  1. The roster is a maximum of 15 players but owners can have less than that if they so choose.

 

Section B. DV Qualification

 

  1. Starting pitchers must have started 10 or fewer big league games the previous season.

 

  1. Relief pitchers must have appeared in 20 or fewer big league games the previous season.

 

  1. Position players must have appeared in 30 or fewer big league games the previous season.

 

  1. Upon drafting a developmental player for the first time, a team owns his rights for 3 seasons regardless of major league games played during that 3-year period. Note: Teams can choose, however, to release that player at any time and start fresh with another player.

 

  1. Teams can choose to call up the player for use on their major league rosters and then send him down with no penalty. This can be done an unlimited number of times.

 

  1. After the end of the 3rd year a player is on a team's developmental squad, the team loses any further developmental rights to a player. Therefore it can only retain him by placing him on its major league protected list.

 

  1. Players picked up or traded during the season are considered to have used up a year of development.

 

  1. Major league players who miss most or all of a season due to injury DO NOT qualify for the developmental squad. I.e., Players must have played in minors or international competition the previous year, not been injured for the whole year in order to qualify; e.g., if Greg Maddux suffers a season-ending injury on Opening Day 2003, he is not eligible to be drafted as a developmental player in 2004.

 

  1. However, former major league players who are demoted to the minors and then qualify for the developmental squad, can be drafted as developmental players the following year.

 

AMENDMENTS

 

AMENDMENT I: THE COHEN-KURTZ INJURY PROTECTION ACT OF 2000

 

§  Rationale: recognizing that many injuries are of the lingering, non-catastrophic variety, but nonetheless do regularly affect the outcome of games, owners will have the following option upon passage of this proposal. This act will be revaluated at the end of the 2000 season to determine its efficacy.

 

Section A. Information Sources

 

  1. You may choose to replace a position player or reliever during the week if and only if he shows up on either the USA Today or ESPN official injury lists.

 

Section B. Timing

 

  1. Injury substitution must occur before the replacement player plays that day. E.g., Celts lose Miguel Tejada (SS) to a pulled groin on Monday; the injury is reported on the USA Today web site on Tuesday morning; Celts substitute Orlando Cabrera (SS) on Tuesday at 5:00 EDT. If the Expos have a night game @ 8:00 EDT, there is no problem; however, if they are playing a day game starting at 1:00 EDT, he would be in the lineup beginning Wednesday.

 

  1. All injury substitutions must be reported to the Commissioner as well as your opponent; if reporting via email, include the date and time of the change (injury substitutions involving the Commissioner’s team will be reported to the current Communications Director).

 

Section C. Eligibility

 

  1. An injured player must be replaced by someone from that team's major league or DV roster (i.e., no mid-week mercenaries).

 

  1. Double-switching IS allowed. E.g., Celts lose Mo Vaughn (1B) for a month due to nasty drunken fall involving a stripper; Mark McGwire is then moved from DH to 1B & Matt Lawton is substituted in (from the bench) at DH; another scenario from 1999 when Tony Womack qualified at 2B & Damion Easley qualified at 2B & SS: Pugz lose Mark Grudzelianek (SS); Easley is moved from 2B to SS, Womack is substituted in (from the bench) at 2B.

 

  1. Starting pitchers cannot be substituted.

 

  1. The replaced player must be held out of your lineup for the next week (i.e., you have to decide if your guy is hurt badly enough to risk not having him in next week's lineup).

 

AMENDMENT II: THE MCLUCKYCHARM-PUGOWITZ 3 YEAR DEVELOPMENTAL ACT OF 2000

 

§  Rationale: There are two major advantages to this change. First, and foremost, teams can actually develop their talent. Far too often, teams draft players, hang on to them during their formative year or two in the majors, but then lose out on them because they no longer qualify for the developmental team and are thus drafted by other Smokey Louis teams (e.g., Casey, Konerko, and Ordonez, to name a few). That is not what the developmental system is designed to do. It is designed to allow teams to develop and benefit from their own homegrown talent. Second, this proposal will eliminate the confusing graduated scale of qualification. Every year, we get several phone calls from confused owners (e.g., “How many games does my guy have to play before he no longer qualifies in the third year”). This rule eliminates all the confusion, and thus saves everybody time and effort. All a player has to do is qualify that initial time under our original 10/20/30 rule. If he does so, then he's yours for 3 full years if you want him to be.

 

Section A. 3-Year DV Status

 

  1. Upon drafting, trading for, or acquiring a player who qualifies under the original 10/20/30 draft qualification rule (10 or less starts for pitchers; 20 or less total games played for pitchers; 30 or less games played for position players), teams may now keep that player for 3 years, regardless of how many major league games the player appears in during that period.

 

§  Example A: The Practice Jerseys draft a minor league player in the 2000 draft. That player is PJ property for 3 years regardless of how many big league games he plays during the 2000, 2001, and 2002 seasons.

 

§  Example B: In the middle of the 2000 season, the Pugboyz, by virtue of their extensive Sally League scouting network, pick up JoJo “The Rabbi” Pugowitz (3B-Brewers), a player they absolutely love & MUST have. Pugowitz qualifies under the 10/20/30 draft qualification rule based on the fact that he played only 28 games for the Brewers in 1999. The Pugboyz may then keep Pugowitz from 2000-2002 regardless of how many major league appearances Pugowitz makes.

 

§  Example C: Always looking to add a Brave to the roster, the Woodpeckers decide they want to trade for Conor McLuckycharm (OF-Braves), a developmental player who is on the Celtics roster, just before protected lists are due for the 2000 season. If McLuckycharm meets the standard 10/20/30 draft qualification based on his 1999 playing time, he may then spend 3 full years in the Woodpeckers system in the same fashion as a drafted player, regardless of how many years he was in the Celtics system. However, if McLuckycharm had played more than 30 games in the field for the Braves in 1999, he would NOT be eligible for 3-Year DV Status on the Woodpeckers.

 

§  Example D: The Broken Cups decide they want to make a trade for Gary “The Frenchman” Wilfredo (SS-Twins), a developmental player who is on the Commanders roster, during the 2000 season. If Wilfredo played 30 games or less for the Twins in 1999, and thus has met the standard 10/20/30 draft qualification, he may then spend 2 calendar years + the trade year in the Cups system (2000-2002), regardless of how many years he was in the Commanders system. However, if Wilfredo played more than 30 games for the Twins in 1999, he would NOT have 3-Year DV Status on the Cups.

 

Section B. Previous Season Trump Card [AMENDMENT XVII 2026]

 

  1. The 10/20/30 draft qualification rule applies only to the previous season—i.e., for all you poker aficionados, the previous season trumps all other seasons.

 

§  Example A: if Steve Finster (2B-Cards), a free agent in our system, played 100 games for the Cards in 1998, and then spent the entire 1999 season at AAA, Finster would qualify for the developmental draft in 2000.

 

Section C. Grandfather Clause

 

  1. This rule would apply immediately (as of 2000) to all developmental players currently on team rosters. So, from this point forward, teams would have the developmental rights to their players for their entire 3 year tenure regardless of how many big league games they've played in.

 

§  Example A: Hilton Hyatt (RP-Reds), drafted by the Scabs in 1998, has 1 year of eligibility left on the Scabs developmental roster but pitched in an astounding 110 big league games in 1999. Under this new rule, the Scabs can still keep Hyatt through the 2000 season. However, if Hyatt is traded, he would NOT have 3-Year DV Status on his new team.

 

Section D. Draft Re-Eligibility

 

  1. If a minor leaguer takes an excruciatingly long time to develop or is unprotected by a team before the draft, he is re-eligible to have his 3-Year DV Status renewed provided he meets the requirements of the 10/20/30 draft qualification rule.

 

§  Example A: Jake “Cy” Clops (1B-Royals) is drafted by the One-Eyed Jacks in 2000 who hang on him for the full 3 years. If Clops played 30 games or less in the field for the Royals in 2002, he is re-eligible for the 2003 developmental draft provided the Jacks do not protect him on their major league roster.

 

§  Example B: Vee “The Colonel” Sanders (OF-Rangers) is drafted by the Panthers in 2000 who do not protect him for the 2001 season. If Sanders played 30 games or less in the field for the Rangers in 2000, he is eligible for the 2001 developmental draft.

 

AMENDMENT III: CARL SAGAN'S TRADE DEADLINE RATIONALITY ACT OF 2001

 

§  Rationale: Figuring out the mathematical probabilities of which teams are eliminated from the playoffs (& thus are prohibited from making trades) & which teams have a 100-1 shot at making the 4th playoff seed can be time-consuming & is probably beyond anyone's but Carl Sagan's abilities (& he's dead so he would be of no help). Fixing our trade deadline to Week 16 of our season would rid us of this laborious & confusing process & add excitement to our pennant races.

 

Section A. Trade Deadline

 

  1. Beginning with the 2001 season, the SLFBL trade deadline will be fixed with Week 16 (Saturday night at 11:59 p.m. EST) of the SLFBL season.

 

AMENDMENT IV: AMENDMENTS TO THE 2000 MCLUCKYCHARM-PUGOWITZ 3 YEAR DEVELOPMENTAL ACT (2001)

 

Section A. Eligibility

 

  1. Beginning with the 2001 season, any DV player cut by their team & picked back up in the season by that same team would have the same eligibility as if that player were never cut in the first place.

 

§  Rationale: to prevent teams from circumventing the eligibility standards of the DV process.

 

§  Example A: the Celtics cut 2nd year DV player Diego "The Whiplash" Jortenz in the 2001 season & pick him back up the following week. Under the new rules, Jortenz' 2002 season would be his 3rd & last as a Celtic DV player.

 

§  Example B: For argument's sake, suppose the Celtics had cut 2nd year DV player Whiplash Jortenz in the 2001 season & drafted him back in the 2002 DV draft. McLuckycharm-Pugowitz rules, Jortenz would be eligible for 3 full years as a Celtic DV player because the Celtics chose to expose him to the draft.

 

Section B. ML Eligibility for DV Squad

 

  1. Beginning with the 2001 season, any major league player (defined as a player who does NOT qualify for the DV squad) suspended or disciplined by MLB & sent to extended spring training or other form of minor league competition is NOT eligible to be placed on the DV squad or IR list.

 

§  Rationale: to prevent teams from circumventing the integrity of the DV process.

 

§  Example A: Relief pitcher Rocky Johnson decides to mouth off to a reporter about his antipathy to Asian women drivers & is suspended by MLB at the beginning of the 2001 season. Johnson's major league team decides to send him to extended spring training to get some work in. Under the new rules, Johnson would not be eligible for the DV team.

 

AMENDMENT V: WAIVER WIRE REFORM ACT OF 2001

 

Section A. Duration of Waiver Wire

 

  1. In order to ensure that every team in the SLFBL has a chance pick up players waived by other SLFBL teams, as of the 2001 season the waiver wire will be extended to an entire week's duration. The order of the waiver wire is determined by the inverse of the current league standings. The weekly waiver wire will be emailed to the league as part of the league’s weekly transactions. Rationale: Most of us have lives & jobs & cannot possibly scour the waiver wire on Monday morning for the 2-4 hours that it is currently operating. By giving the league a one-week window, it allows owners more time to participate in the waiver wire process.

 

§  Example A: In the 2001 season, the PugBoyz suffering from an unknown form of dementia, decide to “turn their luck around” by cutting their star catcher Ike “The Pepperoni” Pizza in the FIRST week of the season. Pizza & the rest of the waiver wire players would be eligible to be picked up by Sunday @ Midnight EST at the END of the SECOND week of the season.

 

Section B. Back of the Line

 

  1. Teams who attempt to pick up their own waived players via the waiver wire go to the back of the line. Rationale: to discourage the haphazard picking up & cutting of players in order to add a de facto 26th roster spot. This brings our waiver wire more in line with MLB reality.

 

§  Example A: In the 2001 season, the PugBoyz suffering from a last-place, 0-10 start, decide to “turn their luck around” by cutting Ike Pizza. Under the new rules, the Pugz would have to wait until Pizza cleared waivers before they could pick him back up. Since they go to the back of the line (even though they have the worst record), if any team puts in a competing waiver claim for Pizza they would not be able to reclaim him.

 

AMENDMENT VI: THE LUCKY LEFTY AWARDS (2001)

 

§  Rationale: These signify individual awards of excellence in the SLFBL to honor the outstanding play of players at select positions and in select categories. These awards are named for Donnie “Rain Man” Smith, and seek to perpetuate the memory of The Lucky Lefties, one of the most storied of all franchises in the SLFBL. The hapless Lefties managed to win 2 games in their only season in existence, thus proving that even a blind monkey can sometimes hit the bull’s-eye! The Lefties are best known for arriving unprepared at the '94 draft, uttering such phrases as “Oh boy, oh boy,” and “Rabbi Dave, Rabbi Dave.” Smith's first round selection of Tommy Greene is still regarded as one of the biggest draft blunders in SLFBL History. Other memorable selections from the Lefties '94 draft include: Orestes Destrade, Alvaro Espinosa and Michael Jordan. Unlike the Lefties team, the Lucky Lefty awards signify greatness in Smokey Louis.

 

Section A. Award Categories

 

  1. Winners are voted on by league owners at the conclusion of the SLFBL Season in the following categories: SLFBL Owner of the Year, SLFBL MVP, SLFBL Best Offensive Player, SLFBL Best Pitcher, SLFBL Best Closer, SLFBL Rookie of the Year.

 

Section B. Voting

 

  1. Voting occurs in two stages. Each team owner nominates a player from eligible players. Once the slate of nominees is in place, owners cast their votes for winners in each category from that narrowed-down list of nominees. Winners are announced at the conclusion of the Smokey Series.

 

AMENDMENT VII: AMENDMENTS TO THE SLFBL ENTRY FEE/PAYOUT SCHEDULE (2001)

 

§  Rationale: For years, the league's operation included a number of ancillary expenses such as mailings, copies and long distance charges. With a streamlined operation in the new millennium, proscribed payouts have not been updated in the league rules to reflect modern practices. Further, the rules have not been amended to reflect the change in the entry fee from $55 to $60. This will result in a total pool of $600 in collections, less any potential expenses such as draft phone calls, etc. Under this system & assuming there are no league expenses, the league champion would receive $240, 2nd place $150, 3rd place & 4th place $90, & the regular season champion would receive a $30 bonus. There has been confusion about actual totals collected and paid to playoff participants (e.g., the payouts on the web site & the payouts from 2000 are not even close to being consistent). This proposal squares the actual practices from the 2000 post-season with a printed, approved policy that are now published on the Smokey Louis website.

 

Section A. Entry Fee

 

  1. Beginning with the 2001 season, the entry fee will be $60.

 

Section B. Payouts

 

  1. After the end of the season, the pot will be distributed in the following percentages: Champion -- 40%; Runner-up -- 25%; 3rd Place & 4th Place playoff participants -- 15% each; Regular season champion -- 5%.

 

AMENDMENT VIII: IR EXPANSION (2002)

 

Section A. Quantity

 

  1. As of the 2002 season, the IR list will be expanded from 5 to 10 slots.

 

Section B. Previous IR Rules

 

  1. All of the previous rules concerning the IR still apply.

 

AMENDMENT IX: AMENDMENTS TO THE DEVELOPMENTAT DRAFT (2004)

 

§  Rationale: to avoid the annual confusion that inevitably occurs when DV draft picks are traded. By treating them in the same manner as in the MLB draft, confusion is minimized.

 

Section A. DV Draft Pick Quantity

 

  1. The number of DV rounds a team can participate in will be equal to the maximum number of players allowed on a DV roster minus the number of DV players protected.

 

§  Example A: the Celtics protect 13 DV players for the 2005 draft thus they can participate in the first 2 rounds of the DV draft.

 

  1. The maximum number of DV players a team can protect will be equal to the maximum number of players allowed on a DV roster minus the lowest round DV draft pick traded.

 

§  Example A: the Pugz trade their 5th round DV pick in 2005 to the Hit Men who own the rights to the “next Mike Piazza” playing tee-ball in Cleveland, OH. The Pugz could only protect 10 DV players maximum for the 2005 draft.

 

Section B. Trading of DV Draft Picks

 

  1. In the event that teams trade DV draft picks, they will be treated in the same manner as those draft picks traded in the MLB draft.

 

§  Example A: Suppose the Panthers trade their 1st round DV pick in 2005 to the Broken Cups & both teams protect 13 DV players. The Panthers would have only their 2nd round DV pick remaining. The Cups would have 3 DV picks: two 1st round DV picks (theirs & the Panthers’) & a 2nd round DV pick.

 

  1. Following the MLB draft, teams can only have 15 players maximum on their DV squad.

 

§  Example A: In the above example (B1a), since the Cups would have 3 DV picks but only 2 open spots, immediately following the MLB draft, they would have to either call one of their DV players up to the ML squad, put one of their DV players on IR, or cut one of their DV players in order to get down to the 15 player maximum.

 

Section C. Effective Date

 

  1. All changes contained in this amendment will commence with the 2005 SLFBL season.

 

AMENDMENT X: ELIMINATING DEFENSIVE POINTS IN THE SCORING SYSTEM (2009)

 

Section A. Elimination of Defensive Points

 

  1. Amendment X eliminates the provisions of Article III Section D of this Constitution.

 

Section B. Effective Date

 

  1. This amendment is effective at the beginning of the 2009 season.

 

AMENDMENT XI: STARTING PITCHING SCORING CHANGE (2015)

 

Rationale: Starting pitching in Smokey Louis is undervalued compared to both RPs and hitters, and compared to their value in MLB. This proposal aims to increase their value relative to other players to make their value more comparable to their real life value. It would especially value pitchers who pitch quality starts.

 

Section A. Change in Starting Pitching Points

  1. +1 point for every full inning pitched.
  2. -1 point for every earned run the pitcher allows.
  3. +1 bonus point for every full IP after the 5th inning.
  4. +4 points for a win.
  5. 0 points for a loss.
  6. +2 bonus points for a complete game shutout.
  7. +10 bonus points for a no hitter.
  8. +15 bonus points for a perfect game.
  • Example A: In a 2014 win against Colorado, Chicago Cubs SP Jake Arrieta pitched 7 innings and allowed 1 earned run. Therefore, his point total for the game would be as follows: 7 points for 7 IP, + 2 bonus points for 2 IP beyond the 5th inning, -1 points for allowing 1 earned run, +4 points for the win. Total: 12 pts. With the current rules he would have scored 10 points.

 

AMENDMENT XII: DEVELOPMENTAL ROSTER REDUCTION (2016) [NULLIFIED BY AMENDMENT XIII]

 

Rationale: By reducing the maximum, this will release more quality minor league and amateur players into the DV draft pool. This proposal, if passed, will allow owners to maintain their creative license by permitting them to sign whomever they want (MLB, MILB, College, High School, International) while simultaneously increasing the quality of players available for the DV draft.  It will also present new and exciting challenges for owners when submitting their keeper lists.

 

Section A: DV Roster Reduction

 

Beginning with the 2017 season, owners may keep up to 12 players on their developmental squad (instead of previous maximum of 15).

 

  • Example A: The Farmers protect 11 players on its DV squad in 2017 so they would receive 1 pick in the DV draft, not the customary 4.

 

AMENDMENT XIII: DEVELOPMENTAL DRAFT & ROSTER REFORM REDUCTION (2022)

 

Section A. DV Roster In-Season Expansion

 

1. DV roster expands to 15 during season; teams can only protect a maximum of 12 players when submitting protected lists. [This is similar to the major league roster being set at 25 and teams only protecting 15].

 

2. Teams would be guaranteed a minimum of 3 rounds in the DV draft.

 

Section B. Prohibition on Trading DV Picks Beyond Round 3

 

1. Only picks in Rounds 1-3 are allowed to be traded.

 

Section C. Extra Draft Picks

 

1. Those teams protecting less than 12 DV players would have extra late-round picks [e.g., the Celtics decide to protect 11 players instead of 12, they would have a 4th round pick. Even if they traded their 1st rd DV pick, they would still have picks in rounds 2-4].

 

Section D. Date Effective

 

1. This amendment goes into effect for the 2023 SLFBL season.

2. This amendment nullifies Amendment XII (2016) in total as of the end of the 2022 MLB SLFBL season.

 

AMENDMENT XIV: ROOKIE & INJURED POSITION ELIGIBILITY (2025)

 

This Amendment amends Article IV, Section G.

 

Section A. Rookie Position Eligibility

 

Upon being called up to the MLB roster, rookies (defined as those who have played 30 MLB games or less the previous season), will immediately be eligible at the positions they played in MiLB in the previous season and current season under the eligibility requirements laid out in Article IV, Section G. Once a player achieves eligibility in MLB at a position, their MiLB positions will no longer be used for eligibility purposes.

 

As an example, in 2023, Jackson Holliday of the Baltimore Orioles played 98 games at SS and 20 games at 2B in MiLB. When he made his MLB debut on April 10, 2024, he would have been eligible immediately for the Chopp Sticks at SS & 2B. Once he started 5 consecutive games at 2B in MLB (which he did from April 10-15), his eligibility would have been reduced to 2B only the next week in Smokey Louis.

 

Section B. Injured-Player Position Eligibility

 

An MLB player who suffers a season-ending injury who plays 20 games or less would retain position eligibility the next season based on the start of that injury-plagued season.

 

As an example, Matt McLain entered the 2024 season with position eligibility for 2B & SS and suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in spring training. Since he did not play >20 games in 2024, he would retain 2B & SS eligibility for the 2025 season.

 

AMENDMENT XV: STARTING PITCHER INJURY REPLACEMENT (2025)

 

This amendment amends Amendment I: The Cohen-Kurtz Injury Protection Act of 2000 by allowing starting pitchers to be eligible for injury replacement.

 

Section A. Removing and Replacing a Starting Pitcher in an Active Lineup

 

Any starting pitcher that is injured can be replaced according to the current injury replacement rules (Amendment I) of Smokey Louis. If an injured SP pitched earlier in the week, they are not eligible to be replaced, even if they have a second start scheduled for that week. The replacement SP must be on the current roster (MLB or DV) and would be placed in the #5 SP slot in the lineup. If a team has multiple injured SPs they can be replaced accordingly. Retroactive scoring is not allowed.

 

E.g., the Bad News Bears submitted the following SP lineup for their game:

 

SP1: AARON NOLA-PHI

SP2: SHOTA IMANAGA-CHC

SP3: CHRISTOPHE SANCHEZ-PHI

SP4: MICHAEL KING-SP-SD

SP5: KUMAR ROCKER-SP-TEX

 

Phillies teammates Aaron Nola and Christopher Sanchez were scheduled to pitch Friday and Saturday respectively. On Tuesday, news breaks that both teammates were injured in a freak thumb-wrestling accident in the Phillies clubhouse and will both miss their scheduled starts. Later that day, the Bears replace them with Tanner Bibee and Clayton Kershaw in the SP4 and SP5 slots respectively. Following the injury substitution, the Bears rotation looks like this:

 

SP1: SHOTA IMANAGA-CHC

SP2: MICHAEL KING-SP-SD

SP3: KUMAR ROCKER-SP-TEX

SP4: SHANE BIEBER-SP-CLE

SP5: CLAYTON KERSHAW-LAD

 

Section B. Prohibition on Retroactive Scoring

 

Retroactive scoring is prohibited.

 

E.g., in the above example, if Kershaw had two starts scheduled for the week and already pitched a no hitter on Monday and was scheduled to pitch again on Sunday, the Bears could not count Monday's no hitter in their point totals because the game was already played; however, they could use the Sunday start.

 

AMENDMENT XVI: STARTING PITCHER INJURY REPLACEMENT (2025)

 

Section A. Players Missing Games Due to Public Health Issue

 

Players who are impacted by COVID (or other public health issue) for any reason are eligible to be replaced according to the Smokey Louis injury replacement rules. This applies to all pitchers and position players. This includes players who, though they may not test positive or be quarantined because of COVID (or other public health) protocols, have their games cancelled due to COVID (Or other public health reasons).

 

Section B. Players Missing Games Due to Non-Injury Personal Reasons

 

Players missing games for non-injury personal reasons (e.g., paternity or bereavement list) are eligible to be replaced according to the Smokey Louis injury replacement rules.

 

Section C. Players Missing Games Due to Violation of MLB Rules

 

Players suspended because of violation of MLB rules are eligible to be replaced according to the Smokey Louis injury replacement rules. However, they are not eligible to be placed on Injured Reserve and must be kept on the regular MLB or DV roster.

 

E.g., on August 22, 2023, Rays SS Wander Franco was placed on “administrative leave” pending investigation for having a relationship with a minor. Under this rule, the Trash Talkers would have been able to replace him in their lineup.

 

AMENDMENT XVII: ELIMINATING THE DV PREVIOUS SEASON TRUMP CARD FROM AMENDMENT II SECTION B (2026)

 

If a non-rostered player no longer qualifies as a developmental player because they have exceeded the maximum games played for developmental status in a previous season, they are ineligible for developmental status at any point in the future.

 

AMENDMENT XVIII: ADJUSTING RELIEVER SCORING TO REFLECT REAL VALUE ACT (2026)

 

Section A. Decreasing the Value of an Appearance

 

Beginning with the 2026 season, reliever scoring is changed to decrease the points earned for simply making an appearance from 2 points to 1 point.

 

Example A: Francisco Rodriguez enters the game in the 9th inning with a four-run lead. Rodriguez pitches ⅓ of an inning before loading the bases and giving up 1 earned run. He is then replaced by Jeremy Jeffress, who strikes out the next two batters and earns the save. Under the current scoring, Rodriguez would earn 1 point for this appearance (2 points for the appearance, minus 1 point for the earned run), despite a clearly negative real-life outing. Under the proposed new scoring, Rodriguez would fail to earn a point.

 

Section B. Increasing the Value of Run Prevention

 

Beginning with the 2026 season, reliever scoring is changed to increase the potential points earned for recording a scoreless appearance by adding two bonus point opportunities: one potential bonus point for an appearance with zero earned runs, and one potential bonus point for an appearance of 4 outs or more with zero earned runs.

 

Example B: Billy Wagner enters a game in the 8th inning with 2 outs, the bases loaded, and the Mets in the lead by one run. Wagner strikes out the next batter to escape the inning, then pitches a scoreless 9th to earn the save. Under the current scoring, Wagner would earn 6 points, the same as a standard one-inning scoreless save. Under the proposed new scoring, Wagner would be rewarded for the valuable multi-inning outing, earning 7 points.

 

Amended Article III Section B point values:

 

1.      +1 point for every appearance (for an appearance to be legal, the relief pitcher must pitch at least 1/3 of an inning)

2.      -1 point for every earned run charged to the reliever

3.      +1 point for a full IP

4.      +2 points for a win

5.      +3 points for a save

6.      -1 point for a loss

7.      -1 point for a blown save

8.      +1 point for a hold

9.      +1 bonus point for an appearance with zero earned runs

10. +1 bonus point for an appearance of 4 outs or more with zero earned runs

 

E.g., In the same game, Mariano Rivera recorded the save after pitching a scoreless 9th. Therefore, his point total for the game would be as follows: 1 point for the appearance (after recording the 1st out), +1 point for 1 IP, + 3 points for the save + 1 bonus point for the appearance with zero earned runs = a total of 6 pts.

 

E.g., In the same game, Jeff Nelson entered and escaped a 2-out jam in the 7th inning and then pitched a scoreless 8th inning to preserve the lead. Therefore his point total for the game would be as follows: 1 point for the appearance (after recording the 1st out), + 1 point for 1 IP, + 1 point for the hold + 1 bonus point for the appearance with zero earned runs + 1 bonus point for an appearance of 4 outs or more with zero earned runs = a total of 5 pts.

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