X) POST SEASON
A) Playoff qualifiers will be the 3 Division winners and the top 2 Non-Division (a.k.a Wild Cards) winners with the best record for each league.
B) BEFORE THE SERIES BEGINS, all home-field advantage owners MUST reach out to the opposing owner via email (and CC: Stray) before playing the series to determine if they are able to play head-to-head, or not.
1) If the games are NOT played head to head, each owner needs to inform the Commissioner’s Office immediately before the series begins.
2) If that home-field owner plays the first (2) games without reaching out or gaining approval from the opposing team, the opposing owner has the option to accept the results or void them. If they decide to void them, the home field owner must replay games 1 & 2.
C) The 3 Division Winners will be ranked from 1 thru 3, with the best record receiving the higher seed, and the 2 Wild Cards, being ranked 4 & 5.
(a) Determine Division Winners first before determining wild cards and seeding
(b) Two Team Tiebreakers
(i) Head-to-head winning percentage
(ii) Higher winning percentage in intra-division games.
(iii) Higher winning percentage in inter-division games.
(iv) Higher winning percentage in the last half of intraleague games.
(v) Higher winning percentage in the last half plus one intraleague game (provided that such additional game was not between the two tied clubs). Continue to go back one intraleague game at a time until the tie has been broken.
(c) Three-Team Tiebreakers
(i) All Three Clubs Have Identical Records Against One Another
(1) Highest winning percentage among three tied Clubs in intradivision games.
(2) Highest winning percentage in the last half of intraleague games.
(3) Highest winning percentage in the last half plus one intraleague game (provided that such additional game was not between any of the tied Clubs). Continue to go back one intraleague game at a time until any ties have been broken.
(ii) Three Clubs Do Not Have Identical Records Against One Another
(1) If Club 1 has a better record against Clubs 2 and 3, then Club 1 qualifies.
(2) If Club 1 and 2 have identical records against one another, but each has a better record against Club 3, then Clubs 1 and 2 would follow the two-Club tiebreak rules to determine the qualifier.
(3) If Club 1 has a better record against Club 2, Club 2 has a better record against Club 3, and Club 3 has a better record against Club 1; OR Club 1 has a better record against Club 2, Club 2 and 3 have identical records against one another and Club 3 has a better record against Club 1; OR Club 1 and 2 have identical records against one another, Club 1 has a better record against Club 3 and Club 2 and 3 have identical records against one another, then:
a. The Clubs will be ranked by their overall winning percentage amongst the other Clubs combined. The Club with the highest overall winning percentage in that group qualifies.
b. If two of the Clubs have identical winning percentages, then they would follow the two-Club tiebreak rules to break their tie to determine the qualifier.
c. If all three teams have identical winning percentages, then the tiebreak rules above (No. 1) for three clubs having identical records against one another should be followed.
(iii) Determining Postseason Qualification in Four-Team Tiebreakers
(1) Highest winning percentage in games among the tied Clubs.*
(2) Highest winning percentage in intradivision games.*
(3) Highest winning percentage in the last half of intraleague games.*
(4) Highest winning percentage in the last half plus one intraleague game (provided that such additional game was not between any of the tied Clubs). Continue to go back one intraleague game at a time until any ties have been broken.
NOTE: *If two Clubs have identical winning percentages, then the two-Club tiebreak rules shall apply to determine which team qualifies. If three Clubs have identical winning percentages, then the three-Club tiebreak rules shall apply to determine which team(s) qualify.
D) Post-Season playoffs will consist of four rounds with the Wild Card Series being a best of 3 series. The other three rounds being the Best of Seven formats (2-3-2).
1) Round 1 – Wild Card Round (WCR)
(a) Top 2 Non-Division winning teams would qualify for the Wild Card Round.
(b) Team with the better record will be Home Team for all 3 games.
(c) The series may begin as soon as 1 day after the Regular Season ends.
(d) Due to system restrictions within League Manager, while the intent is to have NO OFF DAY between the Wild Card Round and the Division Series it may be unavoidable
(e) Due to system restrictions within League Manager, while the intent is to revert all Division winning team’s players from an “itchy” status back to a “rested” status for the Division Series, it may be unavoidable
2) Round 2 – Division Series (LDS)
(a) The Division winner with the best record against the Wild Card Round winner.
(b) The other two Division Winners will face each other.
(c) Games will be played in the following sequence: Division Winner #1 & Division Winner #2 (the top 2 records) will be Home Team for games 1, 2, 6 and 7.
(d) In the event the teams have identical records, the Head-2-Head record will determine who has home field advantage
3) Round 3 – League Championship Series (LCS)
(a) Winners of the LDS will meet.
(b) Home team advantage (games 1, 2, 6 and 7) will go to the team with the best regular season record, unless it is a Wild Card team.
(i) The Wild Card team will never get home field advantage over a Division Winner.
(c) In the event of identical records, the Head-2-Head record will determine who has home field advantage.
4) Round 4 – World Series
(a) Winners of the LCS will meet
(b) Host for games 1, 2, 6 and 7 are on a rotating basis with the American League team hosting these games in EVEN numbered seasons and the National League team hosting them in ODD numbered seasons. (the actual calendar year is used in this calculation
E) Days of Rest
1) There will be one day of rest between the end of the season and the beginning of Post Season play.
2) There will be ZERO days of rest during the WCR games
3) Regardless of when the previous series ends, all subsequent series start dates will be based on the previous series going their maximum duration and one day off between each series.
4) The format for LDS, LCS and WS playoff games will be Two Games, (off day), Three Games, (off day), Two Games.
F) Post Season Restrictions
1) A Position Player or Pitcher must have appeared in at least 5 games in the current MWWL Regular Season for the Team that wishes to use the Player/Pitcher in the Post Season.
2) Pitcher Availability
(a) All teams must have a minimum of 9 pitchers on their 27-man Post Season roster.
(i) Of the 9 pitchers, there must be a minimum 4 starting pitchers who meet the Post Season Pitching restrictions
(b) Pitchers (Starters & Relievers) must have at least 20 IP in the corresponding MLB season AND pitch 20 IP during the MWWL Regular Season in order to be allowed to appear in the post season.
(c) A Pitcher must have at least 15 Regular Season STARTS in either MWBL Regular Season or corresponding MLB season AND pitch 50 innings during the MWBL Regular Season in order to be allowed to START in the Post Season.
(i) This does not affect how much a pitcher can be used in post season, but it does affect who can START games in the post season.
(ii) A pitcher who is not qualified to start due to regular season usage limitations can not be counted in the 4 Starter Minimum for the Post Season Roster.
(iii) If a team finds that it has no available starters due to injury, they are allowed to bring up a qualified starter from their farm for the next start or start a fatigued starter
(d) Position Player Availability
(i) Position players must have at least 125 plate appearances in both the MLB and MWWL regular season in order to start or enter the game prior to the 6th inning for any game in the MWWL playoffs.
(ii) Exception: Injuries or as a pinch-hitter (to then be removed)
(iii) All position players on the playoff roster must have at least 75 PA in both the MLB and MWWL regular season.
(iv) 930 Innocuous Player Playoff Threshold
(1) 930 innocuous players do not need to meet PA thresholds to appear or start in playoffs; however, they can be downgraded unless the player receives 75 MWBL PA
a. Catchers’ arms: For every (up to) 10 PA below the minimum 75, their throw rating will be lowered by 1 to a maximum of 5 rating losses
i. Example:
1. 74 PA 4 arm adjusted to a 3 arm
2. 64 PA 2 arm adjusted to a 0 arm
3. 3 PA 1 arm adjusted to a -4 arm
b. Steal Success: For every (up to) 10 PA below the minimum 75, their steal success was lowered by 1 (no maximum rating loss)
i. Example:
1. 74 PA 34 success rating adjusted to a 33 rating
2. 44 PA 32 success rating adjusted to a 28 rating
3. 5 PA 36 success rating adjusted to a 29 rating
(2) Additionally, the steal rating will be set to ‘N’ to prevent any steals from that player.
a. It is the team’s responsibility to inform the league office before the series begins so the steal rating can be altered, however, it is encouraged that each team reviews their opponent’s roster to be sure each team is inline.
b. If any series has begun, adjustments cannot be made and the teams will have to come to an understanding during their series.
c. It is NOT the Commissioner’s Office responsibility to look over Post Season
G) Post Season Injury
1) If ‘Live’ – an injured player may be moved after the game in which the player was injured is complete
2) If not ‘Live’, injured players can be moved during the file update cycle. Injured players moved will be put on the 15-Day DL.
ONCE A SERIES HAS BEEN PLAYED & RESULTS SENT TO THE COMMISSIONER’S OFFICE – THE RESULTS WILL BE FINAL – So again…
It is up to each team’s opponent to make sure the other team’s Post Season Roster is legal.