big question regarding my league

[MasterX1918]

i'm the commissioner of an 8 team league. It recently has come to my attention that my league has a maximum innings pitch limit of 1250, which a manager has told me is "unreasonable" and is already projected as going over the limit by 80 plus innings since he was unaware of the rule. Today I eliminated the limit, since I did not see the importance of the limit in the first place and felt having a maximum innings pitch limit beared no effect on the outcome on our league, and would only make it more competetive without the regulation. My main question is, should I keep the 1250 innings pitch limit or is it more trouble than it's worth? A good amount of teams seem to be in trouble with it but I don't think it's fair to change the rule in the middle of the season. Is the max innings cap important enough for it to matter if I were to get rid of it?

[bartjones]

That depends on whether other players who were aware of the limlt have been adjusting their rosters to account for it. You may have guys who have been sitting pichers in disadvantageous matchups and saving their innings for better situations. It's early in the season, but if you eliminate the limit those guys might be pretty pissed. Had they known there would be no limit they would have set their rosters differently. You're effectively penalizing them for having been sharp enough to understand the rules of your league. Why not put it to a vote and let the players decide?

Gotta say, your post is a little confusing. On the one hand you say you have eliminated the rule, on the other you're asking whether you should or not. Which one is it? Is it a done deal or are you still considering it?

[MasterX1918]

I eliminated it for a couple of hours after a manager complaied about it, then put the rule back in place because I though it unfair to other managers who have changed their rosters because of the rule.

[CBMGreatOne]

IP maximums are a staple in every fantasy league. If the complaining manager is only 80 innings ahead of pace, that's really not that big of a deal. Just tell him to be a little more selective from now on and move on from there. It's nobody's fault but his that he didn't know the rules. 1250 is totally standard by the way. Unless the league votes UNANIMOUSLY to eliminate the innings cap, you have to leave it exactly where it is.

Even one vote of no, and you are compelled to stick with what you put in place at the beginning of the year. Anything else would be poor commissioning.

[MasterX1918]

I understand. But would the IP cap make my team more or less competetive? how?

[CBMGreatOne]

I understand. But would the IP cap make my team more or less competetive? how?

Having no IP max will allow teams to stream pitchers constantly, so as to inflate their W and K totals, perhaps at the expense of their ERA and WHIP, but still.

Removing the cap will be good for teams with bad pitching staffs because they probably didn't stand much of a chance to do well in ERA and WHIP anyway, but could still pile on the Ws and Ks.

All in all, an IP max seems necessary to me, and to remove one midseason would be a serious breech of fair play.

[bartjones]

It makes the league more competitive because with an IP cap you have to give some consideration to who pitches and who sits on any given day. That's somewhat more difficult than just throwing your guys out there everyday and letting the chips fall where they may. I still say let your guys vote on it. Maybe nobody cares.

[CBMGreatOne]

It makes the league more competitive because with an IP cap you have to give some consideration to who pitches and who sits on any given day. That's somewhat more difficult than just throwing your guys out there everyday and letting the chips fall where they may. I still say let your guys vote on it. Maybe nobody cares.

I'm not opposed to a vote, but again I stress, if even one person says:

"You can't scrap the innings limit. The rules were in place at the beginning of the year and everything I've done this season has been catered to playing into those rules."

then you have no leg to stand on in changing them. If they vote unanimously, that's the only way I'd change them.

[bartjones]

If they vote unanimously, that's the only way I'd change them.

I agree. I think you're safe if you proceed on that basis. The rules were in place from the beginning and anyone could have realized there was an IP cap had they taken the time to check. Guys really can't complain because they failed to do their homework.

[Mayor Daley]

I love it when it gets towards the end of the year and you can send this email to the guy in the league thats gone over his innings pitched limit.

'You might as well bench your pitchers".