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Benchwarmer News

4/15/24

4/14/24

  • Week 1 Complete - Games 4-6 posted - See results
    • Next game posting expected on Tuesday or Wednesday.
  • Starting with this week's transactions (Week 3), the transaction order is determined by the standings on the game week 2 weeks before that (Week 1). Since we're currently finishing up Week 1 games, and setting the picking order takes a lot of time early in the season (a lot of ties to break), we probably won't be able to post the new order prior to the Monday evening deadline. You're going to be flying blind a little bit on the exact order.

4/12/24

  • Week Two Transactions Posted
  • Next deadline - Week Three: Monday night, April 15 at 7 PM Eastern
  • Expected deadlines beyond that:
    • Week 4: Sunday, April 21, 1 PM EDT (this gets us back to our expected schedule)

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4/11/24

  • We are underway - it's BWB Opening Day! Week 1 Begins - Game 1 posted
  • Maybe Friday for the next couple games and then we'll finish the first week over the weekend.
  • Don't forget as we try to catch up - Week 2 lineups/transactions are due tonight at midnight EDT.
  • Check all your teams to see if you have any pending trade offers.

4/9/24

4/8/24

  • Week One Transactions Posted
  • These early weeks take a long time to process (fixing rosters and lineups, etc.) - so this is posted a day later than intended. I'll adjust the next deadlines, but we're still on short spans to get caught up.
  • Next deadline - Week Two: Thursday night, April 11 at Midnight Eastern
  • Expected deadlines beyond that:
    • Week 3: Monday, April 15, time TBD
    • Week 4: Sunday, April 21, 1 PM EDT (this gets us back to our expected schedule)

4/5/24

  • A big batch of new positions added (mostly pitchers). This is probably the last update before the lineup deadline on Sunday.

4/3/24

  • Week Zero Transactions Posted
  • Next deadline - Week One: Sunday afternoon, April 7 at 1 PM Eastern
  • Expected deadlines beyond that:
    • Week 2: Wednesday, April 10, time TBD
    • Week 3: Sunday, April 14, 1 PM EDT (this gets us back to our expected schedule)
  • All teams received an extra 2000 in cash this week

3/30/24

  • Reminder - we are NOT enforcing the 5000 maximum cash balance after Week Zero this season. I turned off one warning message, but I may have missed others.  You can ignore any warning that you need to get your cash below 5000.
  • Check all your teams to see if you have any pending trade offers.

3/28/24

  • Week Minus One Transactions Posted
  • Next deadline - Week Zero: Monday night, April 1 at 7 PM Eastern. I had intended to post results on Wednesday night, so this is a move of one day.
  • Expected deadline for Week 1 transactions and lineups is now Thursday, April 4, time TBD.
  • With the short time between Week Zero and Week One, work on getting your lineups/rotations close to ready for Opening Day.
  • All teams will get an extra 2000 in cash this week - it's not added to your balance yet, but if you're short on cash, you spend it as though you have it (your cash balance can go up to -2000 in the hole in your transactions).

3/22/24

3/14/24

  • Pre-season/early season transactions - I've had delays and we're running close to the start of the regular season, but we're going to squeeze in 2 short transaction weeks before the BWB season begins:
    • Thursday, March 21 7 PM EDT - Redistribution Draft reset - Rounds 3-5
    • Tuesday, March 26, Time TBD - Week minus one - Free agent signings/cuts/trades
    • Sunday, March 31, Time TBD - Week zero - Free agent signings/cuts/trades - Plus, all teams get an extra 2000 in cash
    • Wednesday, April 3, Time TBD - Week one lineups due
  • The dates are subject to change. I do have some family obligations during the last 9-10 days of March that could affect these if I'm unable to process transactions in a timely matter.
  • Last season, I adjusted the schedule to have a little bit earlier deadlines for each week. This year I have to revert back to where we used to be with the Week 1 deadline coming after maybe a full turn in the MLB rotations already in the books.
  • Normally, we have at least 4 weeks of free agency between the draft and Week 1.  With only 2 weeks, there are a couple of changes:
    • Week minus one and Week zero will have more than 4 rounds of free agent picks (exact number TBD).
    • I will not enforce the 5000 cap on team cash balance heading into the season. You can wait longer this year to sign your multiyear contracts.

3/13/24

2/28/24

  • Redistribution Draft deadline is Sunday night. You can check the lists for all your teams to see if you have any errors.
  • I still could use some foster owners to do the draft lists for orphan teams. Let me know if you are willing to do that.  (Michael Gaston and Bill Munger - I have your emails - I'll try to set you up with something on Thursday).

2/17/24

  • Results of carryover choices posted.  View the Transactions page to see the cuts in your league.
  • The 2024 Redistribution Draft is now open.  You'll 2 weeks to make your first selections.  Deadline is Sunday 3/3/24 at Midnight Eastern
  • Visit your team roster to see the link to begin making your picks.
  • For more information, see the rules regarding the Redistribution Draft
  • There are 2 weeks to do your list for Round 1, but you should consider building for all 5 rounds - or at least as much as you can, because if any of your listed picks/alternates are gone by your turn in the order, we'll pull up picks from Round 2 and beyond to make sure you get 3 selections.
    • After March 3, we post the results of only Round 1 only - any drafted players will be removed from the remainder of your lists.
    • You'll have one week to redo draft lists (if you choose), then we post the results of only Round 2 (again removing drafted players from your rounds 3-5)
    • Then one more week for an optional redo of your draft lists, and we post the results of Rounds 3-5
  • The season calendar of deadlines is not yet updated for 2024, but the deadlines for the Redistribution Draft are:
    • Sunday evening 3/3 Midnight EST - First submission - we post results for Round 1
    • Sun night 3/10 Midnight EST - Adjust your lists for Rounds 2-5 - we post results for Round 2
    • Sun night 3/17 Midnight EST - Adjust your lists for Rounds 3-5 - we post results for the remaining 3 rounds
    • Because of delays to this point, we'll have a compressed time for free agency - squeezing in 2 weeks of transactions in about 10 days...but we'll increase the number of rounds of picks during those weeks.
  • Any players on your Prospect Roster have been moved back to your 40-man roster.  You can begin to move players to prospect status again after the Redistribution Draft.

2/9/24

  • Check the carryover status for all your teams
  • I've set the roster cutdown deadline to midnight Eastern on Sunday, Feb. 11 - it could change if I am still working with orphan teams.
  • Can you help out with orphan teams as a foster owner?  Whether you want to just help with the roster cutdowns, get them through the Redistribution Draft, or run them until we get a new owner, please let me know and how many teams you'd take.  Thanks!

2/3/24

  • With all the orphan teams to go through, this weekend won't work for the cutdown deadline.  I'm going to extend it out to Sunday, Feb. 11 - however, it might be earlier in the day than midnight - stay tuned.
  • There's another round of orphan team requests that came in on Thursday or later and I'll assign those teams later today - as well as assigning foster owners to those of you who have volunteered for that.

1/25/24

  • Week Thirty Transactions Posted (2nd winter trade period)
  • I'll have an email out to everyone discussing the delays.  At this time, roster cutdown decisions are due on Sunday, February 4 at midnight Eastern time.  However, due to the large number of orphan teams, it's possible that this could be pushed out further.
  • Orphan Teams - here's the initial list of 170 available orphans for 2024.  There may be a few more added once I verify if some "no answers" on returning will indeed become orphans.  Email me if you want to pick up any of these orphans and we still might be able to get you to pick your roster cuts/keeps.
  • 84 New players added to the game based on the 40-man rosters for MLB teams as of mid-January.
    • This is the only player addition until after Opening Day
    • To find them - In the filter/search area of the player lists, look for the "New in 2024" menu - See the list of new players
    • NEW - While we're in the cutdown period and Redistribution Draft, you can also view players who were added in Week 25 in 2023. Since the last free agent signings were in Week 24, these players have not yet been available to sign.
  • Payment information is not yet set up for 2024.  While I'd love to take your money, hang on tight for a week or two until that's ready.

1/7/24

  • Deadline changes. I have some things going on in real life and will not be ready to open up the Redistribution Draft next week after the roster cuts deadline, so I'm going to extend everything out another week.
    • Winter Trade Period #2 deadline - extended to Sunday, January 14 at midnight Eastern - all trade offers set to expire at the January 7 deadline have been moved out to January 14.
    • Roster cutdown decisions deadline - extended to Sunday, January 21
    • First submission for Redistribution Draft expected Saturday, February 10
    • See season deadlines

1/6/24

  • Coming back with your teams in 2024? A few of you haven't answered yet for any teams - and some of you have left some of your teams undecided.  I'll contact the people who haven't weighed in, but you can help out by answering yes/no for all of your teams.

12/31/23

  • Looks like the site I was using to link player stats when you click on a name has shut down. I've changed the links so that will work again, in case you've tried for the last few days.
  • Check all your teams to see if you have any pending trade offers. The next trade deadline is Sunday 1/7.

11/21/23

11/20/23

  • Lots of changes and updates as we move on to the 2024 season!
    • Salary cap cash has been distributed.  The 2024 salary cap is 40575 (was 41833 in 40735).
    • Cash rewards for playoff performance will be distributed on Wednesday
    • 2024 salaries are posted and are final - Premium salary adjustments have already been applied
    • 2024 player positions are updated but not final
      • Any player showing an "x" in their position didn't have any MLB stats in 2023, so I need to go back in and check what they did in the minors in 2023 (or maybe they didn't play at all and might be removed from the list) - their positions may change.
      • That usually takes a lot of time and will be finished sometime late December/early January
    • Player retention decisions for 2024 can now be made from your team roster pages.  Deadline to complete this is expected to be Sunday, January 7 - if you have a lot of teams, don't wait!!
    • First step before you can do any trading or pick your carryover players - indicate if you're keeping each of your teams in 2024.  You must answer "yes" before you may submit any trades or before anyone can contact you for trades.  Deadline is December 31 or we assume the unanswered teams become Orphans.
  • New leagues for 2024 will be opened in late December.
  • As people indicate they're dropping teams, orphans will become available.
  • Trades are now open for a 3-week trading period, ending on Sunday, Dec. 10.  Following that will be another 3-week trade period open through December 31.

11/19/23

  • Team finances updated with cash awards on final division placement. Post season rewards are added after the salary cap is calculated.
  • Player salaries for 2024 are final (but not yet posted) - working today on salary cap and positions and will open up the rosters when all that is complete (maybe tonight, but definitely by tomorrow).

11/12/23

  • Benchwarmer Bash 2023 - Final Results: Kingston Baseball Club (Marxball) defeated Suffolk Steel (Perfect World League) 4 games to 2
    • Congratulations to team owner Ricardo Alexander.
    • This is Ricardo's 3rd straight win in the BWB ultimate tournament. This franchise also won it in 2021.
    • Ricardo won 10 league championships in 2023 and had 16 teams in the field of 128 that started out the Bash.
    • Also congratulations to runner-up Robert Elias in his second trip to the finals.

11/11/23

  • Benchwarmer Bash 2023 - Semifinals: Games 1-7 posted
  • Benchwarmer Bash Bracket
  • We're down to our final two teams. Kingston (Marxball) and Suffolk were victorious in the semifinals:
    • Kingston Baseball Club (93-57, Marxball, Power Rank 55) - Ricardo Alexander vs. Suffolk Steel (96-54, Perfect World League, Power Rank 42) - Robert Elias
    • Ricardo won the Bash last year with Kingston (from That's the Fact Jack League). This Kingston team from Marxball won the Bash in 2021.
    • This is a championship match of owners - Robert Elias had the runner up Valley Forge Continentals in 2022. Robert has never won the bash before.
    • No winner has come out of Perfect World League before. Marxball has had 2 teams win the Bash.

See the News Archive for older headlines.