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| Rules |
The Hickory Baseball League (HBL) is an online simulation baseball league using Out of the Park Baseball (OOTP) which was established in June of 2001 (real-time). The HBL is a modified modern
version of Major League Baseball (MLB), as at inception incorporated 24 of the MLB's teams. The teams that were contracted by the HBL upon creation of the league were the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado
Rockies, Florida Marlins, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies were contracted after the
2022 season. An expansion draft was held before the 2029 season which added two teams, The Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies. 2 more teams were added in 2031 with Las Vegas and Kansas City entering the American League.
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A. LEAGUE STRUCTURE
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The HBL consists of 24 teams, divided into two separate leagues. Furthermore, each league is divided accordingly into three separate divisions. The names of the leagues and divisions are:
| American League (AL) |
National League (NL) |
| Eastern Division |
Eastern Division |
| Western Division |
Central Division |
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Western Division |
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B. SIMULATION SCHEDULE
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The HBL runs three simulations per week, which take place on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday at 12:00 PM EST. All team exports will be due by 11:00 AM EST the day of the simulation and they must
be sent using the FTP tool inside of OOTP.
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C. LEAGUE OFFICE
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The Commissioner presides over the entire HBL and has final say on every issue. The Assistant-Commissioner is second in power and maintains the day-to-day operations of the HBL. The League
Presidents help maintain their respective league. The Consultants serve as helpers who lend a hand whenever possible.
The Commissioner, combined with the Ast-Commissioner, League Presidents and Consultants, make up the League Office. The current members are:
| Commissioner |
Asst Commissioner |
| Robert Glass (ANA) |
Matthew Pepe (CGY) |
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| American League President |
National League President |
| Vacant |
Vacant |
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D. CURRENT OOTP VERSION
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The HBL uses the latest patched version of OOTP10 to simulate all games. It is necessary that each team owner own a copy of OOTP10. All team owners must
keep up-to-date on the latest patches to ensure compatibility with the Commissioner's version of OOTP.
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E. GAMEPLAY SETTINGS
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There are some settings that OOTP uses for gameplay that have been modified by the League Office to better suit the HBL. These settings are, for the most part, the core of OOTP's gameplay.
However, not all the settings are relevant to online simulation baseball league's such as the HBL, so those settings will be ignored in this section.
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F. BASIC SETUP
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The basic setup of the HBL looks like this:
| League Options |
Player Ratings Options |
| League Mode: Career |
Ability Ratings Scale: 1 - 10 |
| Financial System: Enabled |
Talent Ratings Scale: 1 - 5 |
| Coaches / Scouts System: Disabled |
Other Ratings Scale: 1 - 20 |
| Simulate Minors: Enabled |
Show Star Rating: Yes |
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Show Ratings > 100: No |
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G. FINANCIAL SETUP
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The financial setup of the HBL looks like this:
| Basic Options |
Advanced Options |
| Financial System: Enabled |
Standard Roster Limit: 25 Players |
| Salary Cap: None |
40-Man Roster Rule: Enabled |
| Revenue Cap: $75,000,000 |
Waiver Rule: Enabled |
| Team Cash Maximum: $35,000,000 |
Waiver Period: 13 Days |
| National TV Contract: $29,000,000 (all teams) |
Designated for Assignment Period: 15 Days |
| Minimum Player Salary: $100,000 |
Minor League Option Years: Enabled |
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Rule 5 Draft: Disabled |
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Salary Arbitration: Enabled |
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Minimum Days for 1 Service Year: 172 Days |
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Minor League Free Agents: Enabled |
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H. ENGINE SETUP
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The engine setup of the HBL looks like this:
| Basic Engine Setup |
Player Evaluation AI Setup |
| Internal Game Engine: OOTP10 Engine |
Ratings Weight: 37% |
| Baseball Era: Modern Baseball (1980+) |
Current Year Stats Weight: 33% |
| Home Field Advantage: Enabled |
Last Year Stats Weight: 22% |
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Year Before Last Stats Weight: 8% |
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I. MISCELLANEOUS SETUP
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The miscellaneous setup of the HBL looks like this:
| Player Injuries / Fatigue |
Amateur Draft Setup |
| Injuries: Enabled |
Number of Draft Rounds: 15 |
| Injury Frequency: Very Low or Low |
Draft Time: June 1st |
| Position Player Fatigue: Enabled |
Draft Pool: Created Players Plus Feeder Leagues None |
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J. OWNER PROTOCOL
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The team owners of the HBL are welcome to manage their team anyway they see fit, but the League Office expects all team owners to make an effort to field a winning club intrinsic to competitive gameplay and correlative enjoyment.
The purpose of the HBL is to have fun, so any team owner who threatens, is abusive, attacks other team owners, or, in any way, tries to undermine the HBL, will be subjected to immediate grounds for dismissal.
All team owners must have America Online's Instant Messenger™.
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K. ROSTER MAINTENANCE
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1. All teams must carry 25 players on their active roster at all times. Once the playing schedule reaches September 1, the active roster may be expanded to 40 players until the end of the regular season. Also, if a player has a major league contract, he must be placed on the 40-man roster. However, if a team wishes to remove a player from the 40-man roster, the player must clear waivers. It is the team owner's responsibility to make necessary lineup changes to keep the active roster at the 25-man level.
2. All teams' minor league system consists of four levels, which are Rookie League (R), Single-A (A), Double-A (AA) and Triple-A (AAA). There can be a maximum of 50 players at each minor league level. It is the team owner's responsibility to promote / demote players to and from the active roster, including within the minor league system.
3. All teams must use a five-man starting pitching rotation until the playing schedule reaches September 1. Furthermore, three-man starting pitching rotations are not allowed until the final simulation of the regular season.
4. We no longer have limits on the hit and run and stealing slider, but we ask that owners please keep stolen bases at a realistic setting.
5. Any player who has suffered an injury may be placed on the 14-day disabled list. Once a player is placed on the 14-day disabled list, he must stay there for at least 14 days. When a player heals from an injury, he must be placed back on an active roster immediately.
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L. SPECIAL REQUESTS
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1. If a team has a week of devastating injuries, they may be eligible to go with a four-man starting pitching rotation for one simulation, provided that they sign a player from free agency to fill-in for the following simulation. The team owner must discuss the situation with their respective League President or the Commissioner.
2. The HBL simulates seven days each simulation, so that sometimes interferes with players who were placed on the 14-day disabled list, as players sometimes have to sit out an entire simulation because they are injured for just one day. Therefore, the HBL will accommodate teams who run into this problem.
If a player is injured for just the first day of a simulation, the player will be edited down so that he is healthy. However, the team owner has to create a thread in the Injury Exemptions forum before the player is ready to come back, so that he can be edited before the next simulation.
It will be up to the team owner of any player to bring this situation to the Commissioner's attention.
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M. NEW TEAM OWNERS
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1. All new team owners will go through a break-in period. During this period, which lasts six simulations, new team owners must discuss any possible trades with a league officer. If the trade is approved, then the trade will go through.
2. After the third simulation of the break-in period, the League Office will start to become more lenient. However, please do not try to make a big splash by immediately making the team's best players available for trading, as most veteran team owners do not appreciate that. It is best to wait a few simulations to get a better feel for the team before making serious changes to it.
3. If any new team owner needs advice or help, please ask the League Office.
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N. TRADING
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1. If two teams agree to a trade, one team owner has to create a thread in the Completed Trades forum and the topic title should include the name of both teams. In the body of the thread, a link to each players' page must be included. Finally, the other team owner must respond to the thread to confirm the trade.
2. Any trade can involve cash. Cash will not change hands until immediately after the World Series. The only exception is during Winter Meetings or specially announced "lenient periods". During the Winter Meeting time, cash can change hands immediately during a trade.
3. The trading deadline is July 31.
4. If a player with a contract over $15m per year or more is traded or waived (and claimed), the team waiving or trading the player has to pay a 10% tax to the front office. The 10% tax is on the remaining total contract.
5. Players that were signed to an extension in the previous season cannot be traded until July 1 of the following season.
6. Players that were signed in the previous free agency period cannot be traded until July 1st of the following season.
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O. RELEASING PLAYERS
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Any player can be given their outright release, regardless of their contract situation. If a team releases a player with a major league contract, they will be forced to pay the player's entire contract. If a team owner wishes to release a player, they can do so when sending their team export.
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P. DESIGNATED FOR ASSIGNMENT
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1. The purpose of the Designated for Assignment (DFA) spot is so that after a roster move is made by a team, whether by a waiver claim, signing a free agent or trade, the team owner has an opportunity to place the player wherever they would like on their roster. When this action is taken, the player is removed from both the active roster and the 40-man roster.
2. Any player placed on DFA can be left there for 14 days, which is a total of two simulations. If they are left on DFA for more than 15 days, then the Commissioner will decide where to place the player. In the event the player cannot be placed on the active roster or in the minor leagues, the player will be given his outright release.
3. If a player has a major league contract, then he must be placed on the 40-man roster before he is removed from DFA and placed on the active roster, sent to the minor leagues or given his outright release.
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Q. FINANCIAL SYSTEM
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1. All team owners are responsible for maintaining their own income and they are accordingly responsible for making an effort to turn a profit each season.
2. There is no salary cap.
3. A revenue cap is in effect; no team may make more than $75,000,000 per season, not including playoff revenue. If any team makes more than $75,000,000, the remaining money will be removed from the team's revenue.
4. A cash cap is in effect; no team can have more than $35,000,000 in cash reserves at any point during a season. If any team is over $35,000,000 when the season ends, it will be cut down automatically.
5. Playoff revenue is determined within OOTP.
6. All teams may change ticket prices at any time during the season or playoffs.
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R. AMATEUR DRAFT
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1. The Amateur Draft is held every season on June 1 and it is conducted using the HBL's Amateur Draft Software.
2. The Amateur Draft will be 15 rounds long and it will be in a straight 1-24, 1-24 order. All teams will take turns selecting players in reverse order of their won-loss records at the close of the previous regular season.
3. The HBL will use rookies generated by OOTP in College and High School leagues.
4. Trading of future draft picks is allowed, beginning with the conclusion of the 2026 postseason.
Teams can only make one trade involving a first round draft pick every two drafts. So if you make a trade involving a first round draft pick, you cannot make another trade involving a first round draft pick the following draft.
A draft is not said to be completed until June 2nd.
5. All players that were drafted in the first round cannot be traded until the next amateur draft is completed (June 2nd). Any draft pick can be given their outright release at any time.
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S. PLAYER ARBITRATION
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The HBL uses player arbitration, which means that once a player reaches three full service years, he will no longer have a yearly contract of $100,000. After a player's third season (1 season equals 172 days on the major league roster), OOTP will suggest a fair arbitration salary for the player. Teams then have the choice to offer the player the suggested amount or go higher/lower. Alternatively, you may have an option to offer the player a major league contract. Teams can offer a player a contract through their 28th birthday. For instance, if an arbitation player is 25 years old, you can offer up to a 3 year major league contract. If the player is 21, you may offer up to a 7 year contract. If the player is 27 years old, you may offer a 1 year major league contract. Teams must either click "submit", "withdraw" or offer a major league contract to each arbitration eligible player.
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T. IN-SEASON CONTRACT EXTENSIONS
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1. In-Season extensions run from July 1st until one sim after the completion of the World Series. Keep in mind the entire post-season is often simmed in one night.
Players are only eligible for extensions at the following times:
- The player is in the final year of a major league contract.
- The player is currently receiving an arbitration salary and has at least 5 years and 1 day of major league service time.
To find out who is a possible free agenty, in your team menu, go to "Front Office" and then "Possible Free Agents". Note that this may not include arbitration players.
2. To offer an extension, simply click on the player name and select "Offer Extension". The player will them inform you of his demands.
* The maximum amount of years for any extension is 4, regardless of how many the player asks for.
* You can offer an escalating or de-escalating contract. However, you may not offer more/less than $1 million over/under the previous year. For example, 12-13-14-15 is acceptable. 12-14-15-16 is not because the leap from year 1 to year 2 was more than $1m.
* You may NOT offer a bonus for MVP or Cy Young.
* You may NOT offer a bonus for reaching certain at bat or innings pitched milestones.
3. There is a limit to how many players can be extended each season:
* If your team did not make the playoffs in the previous season, you may sign 3 extensions (not including players who accept minor league contracts).
* If your team did make the playoffs in the previous season, you may sign 2 extensions (not including players who accept minor league contracts).
* Please do not make more offers than you are eligible for. If a team signs more extensions than they are eligible for, that team will be substantially fined and the player will be released at the end of the season.
* NEW! If a player has played 10 seasons or more (does not need to be consecutive) with your franchise, he does not count towards the player limit.
* NEW! Each team will be allowed to sign one additional player for less than $3m per season (average annual salary).
3. Please note that there are penalties for trading players with contracts over $15m. If a player with a contract over $15m per year or more is traded or waived (and claimed), the team waiving or trading the player has to pay a 10% tax to the front office. The 10% tax is on the remaining total contract. A player is said to have a contract of 15 million if any single year remaining on his contract is $15m or more.
4. Players that were signed to an extension in the previous season cannot be traded until July 1 of the following season.
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U. IN-SEASON FREE AGENTS
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1. The League Office may implement and modify, as necessary, reasonable procedures for signing In-Season Free Agents.
2. You may offer a minor league contract to an In-Season Free Agent.
3. If a team would like to sign an In-Season Free Agent, the team owner can navigate to the FREE AGENCY section in the HBL menu (in-game). Right click on the player that you would like to make an offer to and select "Offer Contract".
4. Please do not offer any contract more than 1 year in length. Also, please limit your offers to one or two players per sim.
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V. OFFSEASON FREE AGENTS
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1. Offseason free agency begins 2 file releases after the conclusion of the World Series (typically 3 days from the end of WS).
2. To offer an player a contract, simply click on the player name and select "Offer Contract". The player will them inform you of his demands.
* Maximum contract length is 4 years, regardless of what the player asks for.
* You can offer an escalating or de-escalating contract. However, you may not offer more/less than $1 million over/under the previous year. For example, 12-13-14-15 is acceptable. 12-14-15-16 is not because the leap from year 1 to year 2 was more than $1m.
* You may NOT offer a bonus for MVP or Cy Young.
* You may NOT offer a bonus for reaching certain at bat or innings pitched milestones.
3. Please note that there are penalties for trading players with contracts over $15m. If a player with a contract over $15m per year or more is traded or waived (and claimed), the team waiving or trading the player has to pay a 10% tax to the front office. The 10% tax is on the remaining total contract. A player is said to have a contract of 15 million if any single year remaining on his contract is $15m or more.
4. Players that are signed in free agency cannot be traded until July 1st.
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