Poison

Poison Tournaments

The Structure

The tournaments are comprised of two groups (or divisions) of 8 teams each. One team in each group is designated as "poison" at the inception of the tournament. Let's assume there are two poison teams in the tournament. Let's call them "Poison Oak" and "Poison Ivy" for easy reference. Every team plays every other team only twice, for a total of 30 games, 14 inside your division and 16 against the opposing division. That means you play a total of 2 games against Poison Oak and 2 against Poison Ivy. Lots is at stake in those 4 games. Poison teams have the power of taking (or stealing) players from their opponents whenever they win. The odds are tilted towards the poison teams from the start. It's important to recognize that poison status is an advantage for those teams that have it and a disadvantage for those that do not.

The Gaming Challenge

These tournaments feature constant movement of personnel by means of player exchanges. We define a player exchange as an exchange of personnel designed to make the winning team stronger and the losing team weaker--a version of baseball Darwinism. The sim decides precisely which players are to be exchanged by determining the best possible personnel upgrade for the winning team. What's "best" is calculated by considering the relative difference in PV (player value) at each position. In other words, poison teams regularly dump their lower quality players for higher quality players on other teams. But they can do so only when they win games. Losses result in no exchanges. If poison teams manage to win early in the tournament, they will morph into stronger, more menacing opponents. Again, when they lose they cannot exchange players. So, if they are beaten early and often they may become nothing more than average-quality teams.

!! IMPORTANT !! If poison teams lose by shut out, they forfeit their poison status and hand it over to the team that shut them out. Thus, it is possible for teams to acquire and lose poison status throughout the tournament.

There are THREE TRIGGERS for the player exchanges defined above:

Trigger #1: When a Poison Team Wins

When Poison Oak (see above) wins, they immediately evaluate their opponent's players and "steal" a player they think will improve their roster. They always send off a player from the same pool in return. If you lose to a poison team, you will see an Alert on the Manager Tips tab that looks like this: "Poison Oak took Alex Rodriguez (SS) and sent you Larry Bowa in return." Exchanges are usually at same position/pool, e.g., Poison Oak's SS might be exchanged with yours, or their SP exchanged with yours, etc. A high-quality odds and ends batter (OEB) or pitcher (OEP) can also be exchanged. A record of exchanged players is maintained in League News. You can also track player movements by consulting Sim Circulation details in the Pitcher and Batter Control Windows. Each time Poison Oak and Poison Ivy win, they try to improve themselves by exchanging players. If they decide they cannot improve after surveying the losing team's roster, they will leave it alone.

Trigger #2: When Any Team Wins by Shut Out

Any team in the tournament can exchange players with another team when they shut them out. That is, you don't have to be "poison" to exchange players.

Note : shutouts are here defined as team wins in which the pitching staff (and defense) as a unit allows no runs to the other team.

Trigger #3: When a Poison Pitcher is Credited with a Win

Any pitcher received from a poison team becomes a poison pitcher. While usually of lower quality, these pitchers become a possible weapon to their owner's advantage. When a poison pitcher gets a WIN--either as a starter or reliever--the sim will enact a player exchange with your defeated opponent. This incentivizes the strategic use of lesser quality pitchers throughout the tournament.

Strategic Tips

• If you are sent a poison pitcher, consider using stat splits and/or randomize options on them to make them more potent.
• Try your best not to lose to a poison team.
• Analyze pitchers' splits to maximize your chances of a getting a shutout against your opponent.
• Use the waiver wire and auxiliary roster to your advantage.

To win the tournament you must win your division (outright or by tie breaks) and then win a seven-game championship. During the championship, poison rules still apply! Games take place at the same pace as the 30 game schedule, that is, 1 game per day.

List of Rules

1. Either 2 or 4 teams can be "poison" at any given time (see variations below). As poison status changes, it's possible for all poison teams to be in the same division.
2. Poison status can be inherited from a poison team if they are shut out by a 'live' (i.e., owned, not league-owned) team.
3. Poison teams take 1 player from you at their discretion whenever they beat you.
4. Poison teams take players from each other if/when they play each other.
5. Pitchers arriving from a poison team become poison. When a poison pitcher gets a win, his team steals a player from the losing team.
6. Non-poison teams steal players (sim analyzes and decides who) from other teams when they win by means of a shutout.
7. Players can be stolen/exchanged multiple times.
8. Auxiliary Rosters are available to all teams.
9. Waiver Wire is open from games 1 to 30.
10. Players are protected from injury in tournament-style play.
11. The two division winners play a 7 game championship during which poison rules still apply.
12. RPL and Finances can and should be ignored.
13. When a pitcher is taken or sent away, your rotation is automatically re-created.

Variations

• The tournament may have 4 poison teams instead of 2.
• The tournament may come with signed players and no draft in order to expedite play or offer an additional challenge.