Posted by ozomatli on 7/25/2025 1:00:00 AM (view original):
Of the 5 new themes, I love the 80M, 90M, 100M, and 110M but man I hate that "$255M" lol.

Request for more high cap representation next year please!

You are cordially invited to join the theme committee. Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if you want to run it again. But our thinking in ultimately cutting a lower cap we didn’t love and a higher cap version of the Box theme is that you’d get more similar rosters if you do the Boxes at 140. I think we’ll see harder decisions and fewer cookies in these.

I definitely don't have time to run things anymore (sadly) and wouldn't want to put the rest of y'all in a bad spot. But would love to share ideas next year, so I accept the committee invite, haha.

I actually agree the lower cap works well for the boxes theme since the choices are limited by default. But in general $130M - $200M requires more strategy (for other types of themes) than people tend to give those caps credit for — it's just different.

This seems fairly obvious, but just want to make sure everyone is clear:

"F) born in the same state or country"

Country is only for non-Americans, correct?

Posted by redcped on 7/24/2025 10:11:00 PM (view original):

$80 Million - Eight Men Out There

Choose any 8 players. Clone each of them at least once. The remaining 9 players must be additional clones of any of your 8 players (so you could theoretically use 11 versions of one player).

Seasons: All

DH: No

Clones: Yes

Ballpark: Use any park one of your players called home in a season you use

Alignment: Random

Combined seasons: You can use partial or combined seasons

300K exceptions: No

Team name: No restrictions

That's my Great 8 league..... did this a few months ago.... if only I could qualify for 2nd round lollll

Assuming I’m understanding it right, it looks like the owners picking 7–12 are actually in the worst spot for the $255M draft?

Apologies if I’m off here, but it seems like their only “advantage” is getting to choose a division after the top 6 picks are made. That sounds good in theory, but in reality, they’re picking their years at the back end of the first round and they don’t even get the benefit of an early pick in round two. At least the person picking last in a traditional snake gets the first pick in round 2.

Honestly, I think spots 19–24 are in a much better position. They get to see how every division is shaping up (3 owners per), plus they know which years the top 6 teams have already taken. Then they get the first shot at a pick of years with all that info in hand.

Also, just to be clear—no disrespect at all to whoever lands in the top 6. I’m not assuming those teams are any stronger or more dangerous than the rest of the top 24. At this point, the playing field is pretty even. The pick of years themselves are way more valuable than just choosing a division first.

The top 6 are already getting a pretty big advantage picking 1st, 5th, 6th, and being separated in a division from other top 6 (assuming you think this matters). Maybe, at least change it so the actual draft sticks to a true snake so the top 6 draft 1st, 8th, 9th, and 7-12 teams get 4th, 5th, 13-18 get 3rd, 6th, 19-24 get 2nd, 7th.

My main argument is that we are giving value to division selection, but I didn't want to make a comment without a proposed solution, so that's what I did above.

Posted by Jtpsops on 7/25/2025 10:03:00 AM (view original):
This seems fairly obvious, but just want to make sure everyone is clear:

"F) born in the same state or country"

Country is only for non-Americans, correct?

Correct. If your captain is born in the US then his category F connections would be from the same state. If he was born outside of the US then his connections would be from that country.

Posted by pumped on 7/25/2025 10:21:00 AM (view original):

Posted by redcped on 7/24/2025 10:11:00 PM (view original):

$80 Million - Eight Men Out There

Choose any 8 players. Clone each of them at least once. The remaining 9 players must be additional clones of any of your 8 players (so you could theoretically use 11 versions of one player).

Seasons: All

DH: No

Clones: Yes

Ballpark: Use any park one of your players called home in a season you use

Alignment: Random

Combined seasons: You can use partial or combined seasons

300K exceptions: No

Team name: No restrictions

That's my Great 8 league..... did this a few months ago.... if only I could qualify for 2nd round lollll

Pumped, I honestly never saw your original Great 8 leagues but I see the basic idea is the same. We will share the credit.
However, I see your leagues were 120M. Most clone leagues we have been in have been at higher caps and tends to accumulate the same choices. We were looking to do something a little different here and go with a low cap and, hopefully, bring in some variety.

I share your hope in qualifying for the second round. Good luck.

255M Question: Let's say you are in a division with 1927 and 1928. Can one team draft Babe Ruth '27 and another team draft Babe Ruth '28?

Fun themes! Thanks for putting in the work to craft these. Probably an obvious answer here, but for the box theme, is says we can use "any season" for a player listed. Is that only seasons for the franchise they're listed under or truly any season? If I need Ichiro as he gets ready to go in the hall of fame, does it have to be with my Mariners, or could I take him in one of his prime years as a member of the Yankees or Marlins?

Posted by discodemo on 7/25/2025 11:30:00 AM (view original):
255M Question: Let's say you are in a division with 1927 and 1928. Can one team draft Babe Ruth '27 and another team draft Babe Ruth '28?

No. That’s why it says you don’t have to say which season you’re using. But it could have been clearer.

Posted by Bansberg on 7/25/2025 11:44:00 AM (view original):
Fun themes! Thanks for putting in the work to craft these. Probably an obvious answer here, but for the box theme, is says we can use "any season" for a player listed. Is that only seasons for the franchise they're listed under or truly any season? If I need Ichiro as he gets ready to go in the hall of fame, does it have to be with my Mariners, or could I take him in one of his prime years as a member of the Yankees or Marlins?

Yes any season for any franchise.

I disagree with emanes10 on his comments regarding the draft.

What if there's a season that gets selected that has a clear cut Top 3 players then a big dropoff? Pick #7 decides to choose that division? Then pick #8 jumps in there too... Maybe picks #9, 10, 11 chooses a different division, but then pick #12 decides he wants that third stud player and jumps in as the fourth team. What if there is one season that isn't as good as the other five and 3 of the last 5 picks end up in that division? There's no way to know how things are going to shake out.

We're not making any changes to the themes now.

I've never made it to round 2. I am on the bubble right now. I really hope I get to participate as these themes look really fun and challenging!

For the $110M theme - I know it says "any season" but given the title of each box, I just want to confirm: does our pick need to be tied to the franchise assigned to the box? For example, could you use a Doolittle season from the Athletics, or does it have to be a Nats season?

Posted by Jtpsops on 7/25/2025 2:24:00 PM (view original):
For the $110M theme - I know it says "any season" but given the title of each box, I just want to confirm: does our pick need to be tied to the franchise assigned to the box? For example, could you use a Doolittle season from the Athletics, or does it have to be a Nats season?

Any season.

My original intent was only that franchise, but the other guys talked me out of it lol.