What are the "unwritten rules" of fantasy baseball?

[kaiser]

Regardless of what you think about his politics, George Will writes some really interesting articles on baseball. I particularly enjoyed one that apperred in last week's New York Times, as well as many other newspapers, on the topic of the "unwritten rules" in baseball, like not bunting late in the game to break up a no-hit bid, etc.

You can find the article here:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10095/1047945-109.stm

That article, along with another thread in this forum regarding an "alternate strategy" for winning a fantasy league, and the accompanying debate as to whether or not it was "honorable" or "cheating," got me to thinking: are there unwritten rules in fantasy baseball? If so, what are they?

Discuss...

[jsphlly]

Continue to compete even if you're out of it.

Don't throw garbage trades at the new guy.

[kaiser]

Don't throw garbage trades at the new guy.

What? That's one of my favorite things to do! I'm going to get plunked for that?

[great gretzky]

When I read that article, I can't help but think about how dumb some of those are. Like, yea you don't bunt to break up a no hitter. BUT, I thought that controversy was stupid. When the game is still winnable, then game on, as in the example. I see calling off the dogs on the base paths etc. but some of these unwritten rules get taken too far in the real game. Funny how baseball has more of them than the contact sports, which one would think would be reversed.

I think waiver churning (NOT streaming) but picking up players and then dropping them, just to activate the waiver period in one of them. Although I guess it is "written" in some platforms.

Throwing trades at the new guy? That's irresponsible NOT to do. You have to poke the new guy with a stick.

I am warming to the idea that you must start a legal lineup. In other words, I have in the past declined to have a Catcher in the final two weeks of the season, so I could free up a roster spot for pitching. Looking back, I don't think that should be done.

I will say this though: I hate it when people complain about position eligibility. I saw it more in football with Marques Colston having TE eligibility, people moaned in some of my leagues that his owners dared exercise it. I think one rule should be, that if you are playing on Yahoo, you agree to abide by what they decide in terms of that, etc.

[DaSh 1s]

I love Waiver churning. Especially in the playoffs when people really try to stream. You can scout a favorable SP matchup two,three day before, and block that a manager from streaming.

In football when your opponents Defense has a Bye, churn up the FA Def to give your self a edge

[kab21]

An unwritten rule for me is to not accept a proposed trade (by another owner) if my player gets hurt. that's kind of underhanded.

[thejusman1]

1. Albert Pujols is your Lord and God, and you shall have no other 1B ranked before Pujols.
2. You shall not follow false idols (Emilo Bonafacio, 2009).
3. You shall not make wrongful and impatient drops prematurely.
4. Remember Sunday Night Baseball and watch it.
5. Honor your first 5 picks.
6. You shall not stream.
7. You shall not player churn.
8. You shall not "freeze" your pitching stats in a league with no minimum IP requirement.
9. You shall not bear false witness to your league-mates in order to deceive them into a trade.
10. You shall not covet your league-mates' 1st round pick.

[lastingsgriller]

as long as you remember that Evan Longoria has no peer, then everything should just fall into place from there.

[kaiser]

1. Albert Pujols is your Lord and God, and you shall have no other 1B ranked before Pujols.
2. You shall not follow false idols (Emilo Bonafacio, 2009).
3. You shall not make wrongful and impatient drops prematurely.
4. Remember Sunday Night Baseball and watch it.
5. Honor your first 5 picks.
6. You shall not stream.
7. You shall not player churn.
8. You shall not "freeze" your pitching stats in a league with no minimum IP requirement.
9. You shall not bear false witness to your league-mates in order to deceive them into a trade.
10. You shall not covet your league-mates' 1st round pick.

From the Book of Ruth.

By the way, "Commandment #8" is the subject of the debate in that other thread I was talking about.

[great gretzky]

I love Waiver churning. Especially in the playoffs when people really try to stream. You can scout a favorable SP matchup two,three day before, and block that a manager from streaming.

In football when your opponents Defense has a Bye, churn up the FA Def to give your self a edge

I hope this is sarcasm at its finest, because that is just using procedural rules to screw someone.

Yea, letting a trade sit, then taking it when favorable news pops up is Junior Varsity.