Preamble
This webpage contains proposals submitted by IBL Owners which await your vote(s) for the 2003 Mid Season Ballot.

Ballot Instructions
Please be sure to enter your name, IBL e-mail address, and IBL team affiliation.  This information is necessary to accurately process the IBL league owner ballots.  Your ballot will be considered void if not included.

Each Ballot Proposal requires a 'yes' or 'no' response. Make sure to answer all ballot proposals - from 2003-01 to 2003-30.  Ballot Proposal 2003-03 requires the preferred option be answered regardless if the response is yes or no.

Name: 

IBL Email:

IBL Team: 

  (ie. MAD for Monrovia Madness)

2003-01: DAY/NIGHT GAMES IN APRIL

Change the day/night rules for the first week of the season, such that game 1 is the day game, and games 2 & 3 are night games.

YES  

NO   

2003-02: DESIGNATE FOR ASSIGNMENT

Allow teams to temporarily exceed the roster limit by one additional player, by letting them "designate for assignment" a player on their roster. This would give the team one week to trade the player, otherwise the player is released. Players signed from the free agent pool may not be immediately DFA. Any player who had been previously DFA by their team may not be DFA again by the same team during that season.

YES  

NO   

2003-03: ROSTER LIMITS

(Vote on both, indicate a preference should both pass)

a) Rosters will be limited to 35 carded players. Uncarded players do not count against the roster limit.

b) Rosters will be limited to 37 players, carded or uncarded.

35 Man Rosters  

37 Man Rosters  

Preference (35 or 37):

2003-04: UNCARDED PLAYER STATUS

If a player is carded after being uncarded the previous season, he may only be released prior to the start of the season. Once the player begins the season on a roster he may not be released until week 8. (replaces ambiguous rule where you have to keep the player on the active roster)

YES  

NO   

2003-05: DRAFT TIERS

Modify the draft rules such that the group of teams which have 1 playoff appearance in the last three years are broken into two sub-tiers, with the teams that made the playoffs this past season drafting in the second (later) sub-tier.

YES  

NO   

2003-06: CONSTITUTION EDIT

The Commisioner will appoint an individual (or group) to consolidate the various existing league rules into a single Constitution, renumbering, re-ordering, and clarifying as necessary. The league will then vote to ratify the new Constitutional document. (Essentially one big Commissioner's edit)

YES  

NO   

2003-07: PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Change to a fixed playoff schedule. The conference with the home field advantage in the IBLCS would use Schedule "A".

(n) = night game
(d) = day game
WC = wild card series
D1 = divison series #1 (top seeded team)
D2 = division series #2
LC = conference championship series
IC = IBL championship series

There will be 1 day off between the end of the regular season and the first day of the playoff schedule.

YES  

NO   

2003-08: ELIMINATE GAMES PLAYED LIMIT

Eliminate overall games played as part of the starts/limits system. (keep limitation on players starts at a specific position and number of games a pitcher can start)

YES  

NO   

2003-09: MULTIPLE HOME PARKS

Clarification of What Happens When MLB Team Has Multiple Home Parks

Add the following paragraphs to section 2.3.1 of the Constitution:

If an MLB team played at least 24 games or more at each of two or more home ballparks during the season, the IBL team that possesses the home park of the MLB team may choose one of the following options, provided that the TIG Design Team had sufficient data to create ballpark numbers for all of the parks in question, and must notify the Commissioner within one week after the Stadium Draft (regardless whether the team was involved in the Stadium Draft that season):

a. Play all of its home games at one of the parks; or
b. Play an approximate number of home games at each park as was the case for the MLB team, rounded to the nearest multiple of three. The Commissioner shall randomly determine which weeks the team shall play at which park.

YES  

NO   

2003-10: CARETAKER TRANSACTIONS

Clarification of the Caretaker's Authority to Make Transactions

Add the following sentence to section 3.2.1 of the Constitution:

A transaction that the caretaker makes shall not be reversed unless the Commission and the Vice-Commissioner, or the Review Board, in fact finds the transaction to be an abuse of discretion or grossly detrimental to the team. The judgment of the caretaker is to be reviewed on a deferential standard.

YES  

NO   

2003-11: PREVIOUSLY UNCARDED PLAYERS

Clarification on the Release of Previously Uncarded Players

Add the following sentence to the second paragraph of section 6.1.1 of the Constitution:

The player may not be released until Week 8, but may be traded. The team that receives the player shall be under the same roster restrictions as the team that trades the player.

YES  

NO   

2003-12: INJURED PREVIOUSLY UNCARDED PLAYERS

Permitting the Deactivation of Previously Uncarded Players in Case of Injury

Add the following sentence to the second paragraph of section 6.1.1 of the Constitution:

However, the player may be deactivated if he will be totally unavailable for at least the two weeks following the proposed deactivation. The player must be reactivated as soon as he becomes available to play in at least one game of a week prior to Week 8. If the team fails to do so, the Registrar shall activate the player for the team and randomly deactivate another player from the team's active roster.

YES  

NO   

2003-13: BATTERS FACED

Provisional Amendment to Add Batters Faced to Box Scores

Conditionally (if the TIG Design Team chooses to go to a BFP-based system for fatigue and/or rest) amend the pitching statistics lines in section 5.3.2 of the Owners' Manual, from:

List statistical information from the game for innings pitched (use decimal format, 7.2 instead of 7 2/3), hits allowed, runs allowed, earned runs allowed, walks allowed, strikeouts, and homeruns allowed in that order. Be sure to list a number for each statistic. If a player had none of a certain statistic, place a zero ("0") in that column.

to:

List statistical information from the game for innings pitched (use decimal format, 7.2 instead of 7 2/3), hits allowed, runs allowed, earned runs allowed, walks allowed, strikeouts, homeruns allowed, and batters faced in that order. Be sure to list a number for each statistic. If a player had none of a certain statistic, place a zero ("0") in that column.

YES  

NO   

2003-14: RAINOUTS

Allow More Rainouts

Amend the fourth paragraph of section 1.3 of the Game Rules from:

When hosting a team for the last time during the season, if a rainout is rolled prior to the game becoming official and the rainout would lead to the impossibility to make up the game via game played on off-day or double-header on day 3, reroll to see if the game is rained out. Field will be wet for the remainder of the game.

to:

When hosting a team for the last time during the season, if a rainout is rolled prior to the game becoming official and the rainout would lead to the impossibility to make up the game via game played on off-day or double-header on day 3, reroll (but reroll only the rainout roll, with a –50 modifier on the roll) to see if the game is rained out. Field will be wet for the remainder of the game.

YES  

NO   

2003-15: EXTRA STARTS

Clarification (and Semi-Rescinding of Commissioner Ruling on) Extra Starts Rule

Amend the first paragraph of section 2.1 of the Game Rules from:

Any player entering the game prior to the sixth inning, unless replacing a player who has been injured or ejected, or relieving a fatigued pitcher, or relieving a pitcher when the opposing team has not scored five runs shall be considered as using one of the player's starts at the position which he enters.

to:

Any player entering the game prior to the sixth inning, unless replacing a player who has been injured or ejected, or relieving a fatigued pitcher, or relieving a pitcher when the opposing team has not scored five runs shall be considered as using one of the player's starts at the position which he enters. If a position player enters to replace a player who has been injured or ejected enters at a different position and necessitates other players to shift positions, none of the players shall be charged with the extra start.

YES  

NO   

2003-16: CLOSER USAGE LANGUAGE

Removing Obsolete Language About Closer Usage

Remove the third paragraph of section 2.3 of the Game Rules, which currently states:

A pitcher rated "closer" shall be treated as a pitcher rated "short" for purposes of determining required rest.

YES  

NO   

2003-17: STARTERS REST RULES

More Realistic Rest Requirement for Swingman Making Start (and removing grammatical error)

Amend the first paragraph of section 2.3 of the Game Rules from:

A pitcher must use the appropriate rest chart based on the pitcher's previous role (starter or reliever). All pitchers must rest a least one day prior to appearing as a starting pitcher.

to:

A pitcher must use the appropriate rest chart based on the pitcher's previous role (starter or reliever). A pitcher whose last appearance was in relief must rest as many days as he would have needed to if he had started the game prior to appearing as a starting pitcher.

YES  

NO   

2003-18: DH RULE

Clarification About DH Rule

Add the following explanatory language to section 3.2 of the Game Rules:

(This means that the IBL adopts all of the AL rules on the DH -- including, but not limited to the following: the DH must make one plate appearance before he can be removed, unless he is injured before or during the initial plate appearance; the DH position in the lineup may not be double switched, and no player can move to the DH position; and that the team shall lose the DH position if the DH takes the field or the pitcher enters to bat for the DH.)

YES  

NO   

2003-19: MIDDLE INFIELDER COVERING SECOND

Disallowing the "Wrong" Middle Infielder to Cover

Add section 3.8 to the Game Rules:

On any playing situation where one of the middle infielders is covering second base:

a. Second baseman covers the bag if the throw is coming from the catcher and the batter is right-handed; if the throw is coming from a left-handed pitcher; or if the throw is coming from the shortstop, third baseman, or left fielder.

b. Shortstop covers the bag if the throw is coming from the catcher and the batter is left-handed; if the throw is coming from a right-handed pitcher; or if the throw is coming from the second baseman, first baseman, or right fielder.

c. If the throw is from the center fielder, shortstop covers if the throw is coming from right center; second baseman covers if the throw is coming from left center. If the throw is coming from straight center, shortstop covers if the center fielder throws left-handed, and second baseman covers if the center fielder throws right-handed.

YES  

NO   

2003-20: POSITIONING WITH POOR RANGES

Disallow Positioning Abuse of Very Bad-Ranged Players

Add section 3.9 (or 3.8 if 2003-19 is not passed) to the Game Rules:

A position player is not allowed to position himself in such a way that would make him worse than K range in a range-neutral park on any given play, except that a first baseman is allowed to hold the runner. (For example, an infielder who is I range or worse may not play in.)

YES  

NO   

2003-21: THE "KIESCHNICK AMENDMENT"

Withdrawn - Commissioner ruling instead.

2003-22: RUNNERS NOT HELD

Runners that are not held with 0 or 1 outs get +1 ABR.

YES  

NO   

2003-23: STARTERS REST RULES

A starting pitcher must have rested for 2 days prior to a start.

YES  

NO   

2003-24: RUNNER ADVANCEMENT ON INFIELD GROUNDERS

Get rid of the fast runner on 2nd can take 3rd after throw on a RG (& HG) to the left side.

YES  

NO   

2003-25: DESIGN TEAM CHANGES

Allow the commissioner, in coordination with the design team, to change game-play-related constitutional provisions to reflect changes to TIG made by the design team.

YES  

NO   

2003-26: IBL SEASON LENGTH

The IBL will play a 150 game season.

Usage limits will be reduced from 75% and 133% to 67% and 125% for a 150 game season.

YES  

NO   

2003-27: REALIGNMENT

The IBL will be made up of three leagues, with 2 divisions in each league. The Commissioner shall determine a realignment plan, subject to league approval as in a Constitutional amendment.

Teams will play teams in their division 18 times (54), teams in the other division 12 times (48) and teams in two other divisions 6 times (48) in a 150 game season. Teams will play teams in a third other division 3 times (12) in addition in a 162 game season.

10 teams will still make the playoffs, with six division winners and four wild-card teams. The wild card teams will be the teams with the four best records of non-division winners, regardless of league or division.

Division champions will meet in a 7-game league championship. Wild card teams will meet in 1st round 5-game series and a 7-game second round series.

IBL Championship semifinals will have the three league champions and the one wild card champion, ranked in order of winning percentage, with 1 playing 4 and 2 playing 3. The team with the highest remaining winning percentage will have home field advantage for the IBL Championship Series.

YES  

NO   

2003-28: TRADE DEADLINE

The IBL trade deadline will be after week 21 (in a 162 game schedule) or after week 19 (in a 150 game schedule).

YES  

NO   

2003-29: DRAFT SYSTEM

Change the draft system so that:

Teams making the playoffs draft last, in the order from lowest to highest winning percentage.

Teams failing to make the playoffs draft in groups of 0, 1 or 2 playoff appearances in the past three years (0 drafting first, etc..). Within each group, teams draft in order of highest to lowest winning percentage in the previous IBL season.

YES  

NO   

2003-30: MANDATORY OFF WEEKS

The IBL shall have two mandatory off weeks, one between week 9 and week 13 and one during the trade deadline week, unless such off-weeks push the regular season past December 15. Off-weeks will have no effect on “off days” in the IBL season schedule.

YES  

NO