Auction League Questions

[Big_E]

As a possible alternative, would anyone be interested in trying out http://www.gamedayritual.com/baseball/index.aspx? I did it a few years back and it was good fun, but without knowing anyone in the league, there was little incentive for poor teams to keep going.

Commishing requires little effort from what I can see, and the format is an auction-style.

Be seeing you,

Saxmania

I'd play!

[miko]

As a possible alternative, would anyone be interested in trying out http://www.gamedayritual.com/baseball/index.aspx? I did it a few years back and it was good fun, but without knowing anyone in the league, there was little incentive for poor teams to keep going.

Commishing requires little effort from what I can see, and the format is an auction-style.

Be seeing you,

Saxmania

I looked at playing this once before but lost interest as I didn't know anyone. I would be willing to play if you had room for one more.

[Saxmania]

I looked at playing this once before but lost interest as I didn't know anyone. I would be willing to play if you had room for one more.

Currently we've got room for 5 more at minimum! Maybe I should post something in the other forum.

Be seeing you,

Saxmania

[ruthianblast]

Currently we've got room for 5 more at minimum! Maybe I should post something in the other forum.

Be seeing you,

Saxmania

I'm certainly in.

[miko]

Oh boy! The gang is all gonna carry over.

[Saxmania]

If people are happy, I suggest that:

1) When GameDayRitual comes online for 2011, we open sign-ups. Suggest 1st priority goes to anyone in the Auction league last year, then anyone else from NYYFans.com (including the main NYYFBB league, but also anyone in the other parts of the forum). I think it's from 8-12 teams max.

2) If people are happy with this, I'll volunteer to commish or co-commish with someone else. I'm also volunteering to pay the league's fee for 2011, which I think is around $120. I do feel a bit guilty that I walked away from the NYYFBB league without handing over properly a few years ago, and I've just gotten a decent bonus calculation at work, so it might be a nice gesture.

3) The point of the GameDay Ritual site is continuity for more than 1 year during the Free Agent negotiation period, so we should ask people to try to come back in 2012 if possible, though obviously there's no way to guarantee that.

4) There is no 4).

Sound okay? If we can't get 8, then no harm, no foul. Just thought this might be fun.

Be seeing you,

Saxmania

[YanksRockMan]

I'd be willing to try this auction thing out

[miko]

Just pay the fee up front Sax. We can all throw you $10. A 12 team league would be sweet!

[rodg12]

I'd be in.

[Costanza]

I'd be in, too. I freakin' love GDR.

[Saxmania]

That makes 7, by my count. I'll PM the other Auction League participants this week and ask them if they want to return. If not, we should go hunting for more teams.

Should be cool.

Be seeing you,

Saxmania

[yanksphan]

As a 3 time Auction League champ - I would like to go for a fourth.

[Saxmania]

Okay, we're up to the minimum (8). We can have up to 16, and the cost is only $99 for the league. Bargain.

Be seeing you,

Saxmania

[Costanza]

Whatever type of Roto you play, there's nothing like GameDayRitual ... It's completely different. Maybe Saxmania can explain better or in better detail what it's all about, but I've been playing in it since 2006 and would never give it up.

[ChrisRo]

Count me in as well, the auction league over here was awesome.

[Saxmania]

Gladly!

The idea is that the GDR game is a points-based H2H game, but the major difference is in how teams draft. You have a budget (of $100m, I believe) that you can assign to your team, which has to last you all season. You also get 50 'years' and 2 no-trade clauses. Players get paid per week, so you can pick up players mid-season and only pay the remainder of their salary - quite useful if you want to salary-dump or make a deadline move!

It's easier with an example. For last year. C.C. Sabathia's salary averaged around $12m per year in GDR. Let's say his salary benchmark for 2011 is the same (what the site thinks he'll demand). Before the draft starts, everyone assigns the amount they want to bid on Sabathia ahead of time - if they want to bid on him. Let's say that there are four owners, A, B, C, and D, and A enters an initial bid of 2 years, $14m. B offers 1 year, $15m. C offers 2 years, $10m. D doesn't bid initially. This is all done before bidding begins.

When the draft starts, A's 'first-bid' list is headed by Sabathia, so Sabathia gets placed on the market. Each of A, B, and C's offers get processed. Sabathia rejects the offer from C, and C's screen updates with Sabathia as Red-0. That means that Sabathia's not going to sign (and was somewhat insulted by the offer!), and won't accept any more bids from C. He's locked out. A gets a Green-2, meaning that A knows that he's probably winning, and that he can enter up to 2 more bids. B sees a Yellow-1, meaning that he might be winning, but might not be, and only gets 1 more bid.

Sabathia remains on the market for 48 hours, during which time:

1. B panics, and offers 3 years, $16m. His screen goes to Green-0. A's screen goes to Yellow-2. C's screen doesn't change.
2. A gets worried, and offers 3 years, $15m. His screen goes to Yellow-1. B's screen goes to Yellow-0. Neither knows who's winning.
3. D, meanwhile, has lost out on Halladay, and takes a look. He can jump in with a bid, but doesn't know what the bids are. He offers 2 years, $14m, and goes to Red-0 immediately. Oops. Should have planned ahead.
4. A has one more bid, and decides he really needs Sabathia. He goes to 3 years, $16m and uses one of his two no-trade clauses as a sweetener. He goes to Green-0, B to Red-0. A's going to win. (Unless E, F, G, or H jump in!)

As you make successful bids, your GM rating rises, which gives you more information (like the number of other GMs bidding, and even what their bids are if your rating improves further). However, making bad bids or jumping in at the last minute lowers your rating, so you can't just eBay it. There's more details - e.g. there's a minor-league draft, and a 25-man roster. You also set a lineup, with certain points categories getting bonuses - e.g. your leadoff hitter gets bonuses to stolen bases. And you build your own ballpark, which adds further bonuses or penalties, depending on how you build it.

It's good. It works best when people stick with it for a few years, so you get re-building, dumping bad contracts, etc. But it's worth a go, and no-where near as complex as it sounds once you get familiar with it. I last played about 5 years ago - here's how it went (if you're bored with nothing to read on The Internet): http://forums.nyyfans.com/showthread...ghlight=ritual

Be seeing you,

Saxmania

[ruthianblast]

here's how it went (if you're bored with nothing to read on The Internet): http://forums.nyyfans.com/showthread...ghlight=ritual

Be seeing you,

Saxmania

Yay, that's me!

I'm excited for the season to start.

[yanksphan]

Interesting. I'm definitely game.

[Costanza]

When would we have to get moving on this, though, Sax?

[Saxmania]

Owners so far:

Big_E
ChrisRo
Costanza
Miko
rodg12
Ruthianblast
Saxmania
Yanksphan
YanksRockMan

That's 9. I've just tried to sign up for the website, but a bug prevents me from doing so. I suggest we close signups at midnight Eastern on Sunday, March 6th, and go with what we have then. I'll PM the other Auction League owners to invite them, and as soon as I can log on to GDR, I'll send you guys invites. Free Agent Blitz will be the slower option, but I'll know timings when we're signed up.

Be seeing you,

Saxmania

[miko]

I apprecitate you allowing me to dominate yet another league Sax.

[Big_E]

I apprecitate you allowing me to dominate yet another league Sax.

At least until the playoff start.

[Saxmania]

I apprecitate you allowing me to dominate yet another league Sax.

I apppprceeiiate it when you make my spelling look good!

Be seeing you,

Saxmania

[miko]

In Canada we add extra consonants as well as the extra "u".

[miko]

So what if only one team bids on a player and try and low ball him. Does the player pull a Jermaine Dye and opt not to play at such a low salary?