2000 IBL Mid-Season Ballot

Preamble

This webpage contains proposals submitted by IBL Owners which await your vote(s) for the 2000 IBL Mid-Season Ballot.

Ballot Instructions

Please be sure to enter your name, IBL e-mail address, and IBL team affiliation. This information is necessary for the Commish and Vice-Commish to accurately process the IBL league owner ballots.

Each Ballot Proposal requires a 'yes' or 'no' response. Ballot Proposals II and VI require the preferred option be answered if the response is yes.

Name:
IBL Team:	(ie. MAD for Monrovia Madness)
IBL Email:

Proposal I - PROHIBIT "OVERFATIGUING" OF PITCHERS

Insert new subsection 2.3.1 to the Playing Rules as follows and renumber current section 2.3.1 as 2.3.2.

2.3.2 Doubly Fatigued Pitchers

A pitcher who has been "doubly fatigued" (i.e., one who has given up twice as many earned runs as necessary to be fatigued, a starter who has reached his fatigued inning and allowed twice as many runners as necessary to be fatigued, or a reliever who has allowed twice as many runner as necessary to be fatigued), taking in account of any special plays or weather conditions that modify the number of runners or the fatigue inning, must be removed from the game. If this requirement leaves a team without an usable pitcher, the team must use an emergency pitcher.

YES

Proposal II - MODIFY FATIGUE REQUIREMENTS

Enactment of this proposal will result in a change in the TIG rules to increase or modify when a pitcher fatigues based upon the number of earned runs allowed. The proposals are for a pitcher to fatigue after:

(A) 6 Earned Runs,
(B) 6 runs, or
(C) 7 runs.

A YES vote is to change the number of runs, and will require a commissioner's edit to the effect of short rest rules.

A NO vote is to retain the current system, pending other amendments.

Please vote for YES or NO, or if you simply want the system changed indicate your prefered choice.

Proposal A: YES NO
Proposal B: YES NO
Proposal C: YES NO
Voted YES, Prefer A: YES
Voted YES, Prefer B: YES
Voted YES, Prefer C: YES

Proposal III - CHANGE USAGE REQUIREMENTS

Modify section 6.3 usage requirements as follows.

CHANGE

6.3 Usage Requirements

Every position player must have a combined total of at bats plus walks during the IBL season greater than or equal to 75% and less than or equal to 133% of the combined total of at bats plus walks in the previous MLB season.

Every pitcher must appear in at least 75% but no more than 133% of the innings pitched in the previous MLB season.

Players not meeting their usage requirements for a given year become free agents at the end of the regular season.

Players will receive injury PA or injury IP (as appropriate) which are added to earned PA or earned IP. A player's total Usage (injury + earned) is only used to determine if a player meets the 75% usage requirement.

6.3 Usage Requirements

Every position player must have a combined total of at bats plus walks during the IBL season greater than or equal to 90% and less than or equal to 120% of the combined total of at bats plus walks in the previous MLB season.

Every pitcher must appear in at least 90% but no more than 120% of the innings pitched in the previous MLB season.

Players not meeting their usage requirements for a given year become free agents at the end of the regular season.

YES

Proposal IV - FIRST INNING PINCH HITTERS

Add this paragraph to Section 6.2 of the Constitution:

When his team is the road team, a player may start at a position that he is not eligible to start at, but he must be removed to start the bottom of the first inning and replaced with a player who can start at the position, who will be charged with a start at that position even if the starting player were removed due to injury or ejection.

YES

Proposal V - PLAYERS OUT OF POSITION

Dave Darby once made the following ruling: a player who enters a game at an emergency fielding position must stay there. Another non-carded player can't rotate into that position and allow the emergency fielding subsitution to go to his naturally carded position(s).

This proposal wishes to reverse this ruling so that a player who enters the game in an emergency fielding position may move to his natural fielding position(s) as the game continues. Another non-carded player may rotate into that emergency fielding postion.

YES

Proposal VI - DRAFT CHANGES

Change Section 4.5:
4.5 Drafting Free Agents
By November 30, the Commissioner will send the draft order for the free agent draft to all league members. The initial draft order will be determined by lowest to highest winning percentage in last year's IBL season, however, teams with incentive point deficiencies may be penalized (see section 5.2 for a complete list of incentive point penalties). For the purpose of computing winning percentage, games which are lost by forfeit are considered wins. Games which are won by forfeit are also considered wins. New members shall draft as if they had the maximum possible incentive points.

PROPOSAL (a)

Change to the following:
By November 30, the Commissioner will send the draft order for the free agent draft to all league members. The initial draft order will be determined by fewest to most playoff appearances over the preceding three seasons, with ties broken by random draw. Teams with incentive point deficiencies may be penalized (see section 5.2 for a complete list of incentive point penalties). New members shall draft as if they had the maximum possible incentive points.

PROPOSAL (b)

Change to the following:
By November 30, the Commissioner will send the draft order for the free agent draft to all league members. The initial draft order for the first round will be determined by random draw among non-playoff teams, followed by random draw among playoff teams. The initial draft order for succeeding rounds shall be determined by lowest to highest winning percentage in last year's IBL season, with ties to be broken by random drawings, alternating between rounds. Teams with incentive point deficiencies may be penalized (see section 5.2 for a complete list of incentive point penalties). New members shall draft as if they had the maximum possible incentive points.

Please vote YES,NO or to change the system. Either measure would be first effective for the 2002 Draft.

Proposal A YES NO
Proposal B YES NO
Voted YES, Prefer A YES
Voted YES, Prefer B YES

Proposal VII - DMB

The Internet Baseball League shall use Diamond Mind Baseball (DMB) rather than The IBL Game (TIG).

YES

Proposal VIII - BEST INTEREST CLAUSE

Add the following to the definition of duties of the commissioner in section 4.2 of the Constitution:

- Take all steps which are in the best interest of the league

Add the following as a new section 7.3 to the Owners Manual:

7.3 Protesting a Commissioner Decision
In the event that an owner disagrees with a discretionary decision made by the commissioner, such decision may be protested. Such a protest shall be heard by an Expanded Review Board, consisting of the Vice-commissioner, the Review Board, and another owner selected by the Vice-Commissioner based upon the subject matter (i.e. the statistician if appropriate). The Expanded Review Board shall determine if the Commissioner has abused his discretion and the decision will only be overturned upon a unanimous or 4-1 vote of the Expanded Review Board. A commissioner decision may also be challenged on a going-forward basis, on the next ballot and the Commissioner's determination will be overturned by a simple majority vote.

YES

Proposal IX - IBL OWNER REMOVAL

Add a Section 3.4 to the Constitution

3.4 Removal
A member shall be removed by resignation, for violations of the Incentive Point procedures, or, in extraordinary situations, by league vote upon motion of the Commissioner. The Commissioner may, in his discretion, seek the removal of an owner, associate, or co-owner. If the Commissioner decides to seek such removal he shall so notify the league and shall appoint another owner to supervise the secret balloting process. The owner will be removed if two-thirds of the teams vote for such removal. The actually tally of such a vote will not be publicized, only the outcome.

YES

FORWARDED TO THE IBL DESIGN TEAM - NOT ON BALLOT

III. ALLOW INJURIES WITH A FATIGUED PITCHER

When a ! play is rolled with a fatigue pitcher, 3 dice should be rolled as normally and the wild play chart be consulted and the play further resolved to based on the text of the chart.

If the final result does not lead to an injury by either team, the offensive team may choose to accept the result of the play or choose to roll one die, which results in a DF (do not adjust further) if the roll is odd or a 2B rc(Lp/Ro)/rcf(Lsp)/lcf(Rsp)/lc(Rp/Lo) if the roll is even. If the final result leads to an injury by either team, the results stand even if unfavorable to the offensive team.

IV. WORSEN INJURIES FOR A FATIGUED PITCHER

This is both a design and constitution element. if we approve the design feature, we should then deal with this, not before.

When a fatigue pitcher requires an injury check, he is considered to be one injury rating worse (more likely to be injured) than if he were not fatigued. Further, the injuries suffered while fatigues do *not* count toward injury usage requirements.

If you have any questions regarding the ballot or submit it manually, please contact IBL Commish Chris Hartjes

Ballot Results

ITEM I - ban overfatiguing of pitchers: FAILS.
                   14 YES, 9 NO, 1 ABSTENTION

ITEM II - modify fatigue requirements: FAILS.
                   Option a: 6 earned runs.  12 YES, 12 NO
                   Option b: 6 runs.  9 YES, 15 NO
                   Option c: 7 runs.  6 YES, 18 NO
                   Note: 16 of 24 liked at least one option

ITEM III - modify usage requirements to 90/120: FAILS
                   7 YES, 17 NO

ITEM IV - first inning pinchhitters: FAILS
                   10 YES, 14 NO

ITEM V - players out of position modification: FAILS
                   15 YES, 9 NO
                   NOTES: would pass under new rule
                          will be included on "post-season ballot"

ITEM VI - draft changes: FAILS
                   Option a: three year lottery.  11 YES, 13 NO
                   Option b: one year lottery.  3 YES, 21 NO

ITEM VII - Diamond Mind Baseball: FAILS
                   3 YES, 21 NO

ITEM VIII - best interest clause and review of commissioner: PASSES
                   20 YES, 4 NO

ITEM IX - IBL owner removal: PASSES
                   19 YES, 5 NO

     Chris will shortly add the two new provisions to the Constitution 
documents and will make all necessary Commissioner's edits.  



The language for the proposals which passed are as follows:

Proposal VIII - BEST INTEREST CLAUSE

Add the following to the definition of duties of the commissioner in section 
4.2 of the Constitution:

- Take all steps which are in the best interest of theleague

Add the following as a new section 7.3 to the Owners Manual:

7.3 Protesting a Commissioner Decision
In the event that an owner disagrees with a discretionary decision made by 
the commissioner, such decision may be protested. Such a protest shall be 
heard by an Expanded Review Board, consisting of the Vice-commissioner, the 
Review Board, and another owner selected by the Vice-Commissioner based upon 
the subject matter (i.e. the statistician if appropriate). The Expanded 
Review Board shall determine if the Commissioner has abused his discretion 
and the decision will only be overturned upon a unanimous or 4-1 vote of the 
Expanded Review Board. A commissioner decision may also be challenged on a 
going-forward basis, on the next ballot and the Commissioner's determination 
will be overturned by a simple majority vote.



Proposal IX - IBL OWNER REMOVAL

Add a Section 3.4 to the Constitution

3.4 Removal
A member shall be removed by resignation, for violations of the Incentive 
Point procedures, or, in extraordinary situations, by league vote upon 
motion of the Commissioner.  The Commissioner may, in his discretion, seek 
the removal of an owner, associate, or co-owner. If the Commissioner decides 
to seek such removal he shall so notify the league and shall appoint another 
owner to supervise the secret balloting process. The owner will be removed 
if two-thirds of the teams vote for such removal. The actually tally of such 
a vote will not be publicized, only the outcome.