Continental Baseball Federation OOTP 22 8-tier promotion/relegation sim: 1950-onward

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 10-29-2022, 08:51 PM

Re: Continental Baseball Federation OOTP 22 8-tier promotion/relegation sim: 1950-onw

The sport of baseball started coming into prominence in the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s, eventually leading to the National Agreement to establish the Major Leagues in 1903. However, the Black Sox scandal of 1919 created ripples in the professional ranks and among fans. Soon after, the National League and American League severed ties, and the sport would be a disorganized mess for the next 30 years.

Dozens of small, regional leagues would exist in the next few years in North America, but with very loose alliances and no uniformity. The game still had many fans and supporters, plus the general tendency away from the "dead ball" style was boosting popularity. However, segregation, the Great Depression, and World War II all were major barriers from any sort of organized structure taking hold.

Some regional leagues began limited integration, but others remained steadfast in maintaining the racist status quo, keeping Black ballplayers and fans away from growing the game. The Great Depression made it difficult for many teams to survive financially and for the average fan to award even the cheapest ticket. World War II led to many potentially great players to have to serve either in Europe or the Pacific theatres. While still well liked, baseball certainly became a tertiary concern.

When the war concluded, the American economy boomed and baseball began to thrive as well across North America. It became clear to everyone attached to the game that a unified and modernized structure for the sport was required to grow and preserve baseball. However, there was fierce debate on what that structure should look like.

Throughout the late 1940s, discussions were constantly held between team owners, players, local and national politicians, and other power brokers about the direction of baseball. One sticking point was the difference between perceived “major” and “minor” leagues. Certainly, the regional leagues that existed weren’t all equal in terms of talent or financial structure. Many of the larger market teams favored the idea of having subordinate affiliate teams, but many of the medium and small market clubs had become fiercely independent and competitive in the prior decades.

Eventually, many had inspiration from the promotion/relegation pyramid systems favored by many international football clubs. Supporters felt baseball could be divided into tiers, which would reward the most successful clubs with upward movement and punish the poorly run with downward movement. Those in favor felt it would promote the highest level of competition and innovation at all levels, ultimately leading to a terrific product for fans in all markets and financial rewards for all involved.

There were other sticking points that had to be resolved as well. Eliminating segregation was an important positive step to growing the game, as was expanding the sport’s reach beyond the United States and more traditional baseball markets. The 288 teams that would end up in the superstructure not only represented every state in the Union, but also had clubs in Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. This would become known as the Continental Baseball Federation (CBF), which would play its first official season in 1950.

That said, maintaining part of the regional structure of the game was critical to both maintain traditional rivalries and to limit travel expenses and logistical concerns. It was agreed that teams would be placed in geographic divisions; East, Midwest, South, and West. These groups would be divided into two Conferences, the East-Midwest Conference and the South-West Conference.

The final math had eight total leagues; first through eighth. Each league had 36 total teams split between two conferences. The conferences would each have two nine-team divisions. At the end of the season, the top placing team in each division would be promoted up to the next highest league, while the last place finisher in each division dropped down a peg. All teams would play a 162 game schedule; with 10 games against each of their eight division opponents, six games versus the other nine teams in their conference, with the remaining games in inter-conference play.

In the second through eighth leagues, the postseason structure was simplified to two best-of-seven Conference Championships between division champs, followed by a best-of-seven League Championship. In the first league, the top three teams from each division qualify for the postseason. The #2 placer from one division meets the #3 in the other in a best-of-five with the #2 placer getting a one-game advantage and home field. The advancing wild cards play a best-of-five against the division champ, all hosted by the division champ. From there, a best-of-seven 2-3-2 Conference Championship and a best-of-seven 2-3-2 World Series.

Players also had a seat at the table and significant influence as they began to unionize and fight for shared interests. Those who had been stuck under a “reserve clause” in their leagues were tired of having their career potentials often squashed. It took time to come up with financial structures for each tier that were properly rewarding and competitive for the players and that promoted parity among the clubs. Standardizing rules for the game took work as well, eventually leading to the universal adoption of the designated hitter rule. The CBF also scrapped minimum batter limits for relief pitchers and the free runner on second in extra innings; gimmicks that a few leagues tried prior.

Along with existing players came the question on how to integrate new players. Baseball had become popular in recent years at universities across the United States and the CBF and NCAA worked together to establish an amateur player draft. This would occur each July and college juniors and seniors would be eligible to be picked.

The five round draft would see the first two rounds be regional rounds based on where the player was born (not their college, as enrollment on teams was increasingly out-of-state based). Teams would choose from a pool based on players from their same region; divided into the American regions of New England, the Mid-Atlantic, the Southeast, the Midwest, the Great Plains, the Southwest, the Pacific Northwest; along with a split between Eastern and Western Canada; a region for Mexican born players; and one for Caribbean born players.

The draft would also be limited to teams in the first three leagues; a concession to keep the tip-top college prospects from potentially languishing in the bottom leagues in their prime. Lower leagues would be able to sign any undrafted college players. All players needed a minimum five service years to eventually become eligible for free agency with three years needed for salary arbitration. Teams in the top three leagues would get draft pick compensation for lost free agents. Additionally, lower league players could be purchased by other teams, albeit at a fairly steep fee.

Around this time, the NCAA established a more uniform structure and established the first College World Series for the 1950 season. The 150 or so “Division I” teams were split roughly evenly between the NCAA East region and NCAA South-West region. Teams would play 66 game schedules; 42 games against their conference and 24 against other regional teams. The top 16 from each region compete in a modified double-elimination single game bracket in the first two rounds. Those that survive move to the Sweet 16, quarterfinal, and semifinal rounds; each best-of-three. The College World Series is then best-of-five.

While the majority of players would come through the college system, the CBF also did set up international free agency signings with the hopes of increasing the sport’s popularity worldwide. As the game grows, the infrastructure would grow globally and more potential stars would pop up ready to be spotted by keen eyes.

With all of the kinks worked out, the first CBF season was to open in 1950. One last major challenge was determining which teams would begin play in which league. The eight leagues would ultimately be structured as so.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 10-29-2022, 09:00 PM

Re: Continental Baseball Federation OOTP 22 8-tier promotion/relegation sim: 1950-onw

With all of the kinks worked out, the first CBF season was to open in 1950. One last major challenge was determining which teams would begin play in which league. The eight leagues would ultimately be structured as so.

First League

Second League

Third League

Fourth League

Fifth League

Sixth League

Seventh League

Eighth League

NCAA

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 10-30-2022, 01:38 PM

Re: Continental Baseball Federation OOTP 22 8-tier promotion/relegation sim: 1950-onw

The formation of the Continental Baseball Federation essentially made all active players “free agents” by codifying contract rules and financial terms. Heading into the 1950 debut season under the framework, eight teams found themselves with a payroll above $900,000. The Chicago Cubs spent the most at $980,400 with the lowest spender in the First League the Los Angeles Angels at $622,200.

The richest payroll in the Second League was Orlando at $711,300. The average payroll in the Second League was around $550k, around $450k in the Third League, $380k in the Fourth League, $300k in the Fifth League, $250k in the Sixth, $180k in the Seventh, and $150k in the Eighth.

Signing the richest initial contract was Jess Peron, as the 30-year old Puerto Rican outfielder would be paid $93,000 in 1950 by the Washington Senators.

Player ratings are on a 1-10 scale.

The media predictions entering the season predicted the Brooklyn Dodgers as Eastern Division champs, Chicago Cubs as the Midwest champs, the Mexico City Diablos in the Southern Division, and Hollywood Stars in the West.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 10-30-2022, 03:19 PM

Re: Continental Baseball Federation OOTP 22 8-tier promotion/relegation sim: 1950-onw

After the first full month of play in the First League, the Philadelphia Phillies were atop the Eastern Division at 20-9, three up on Montreal and 4.5 ahead of Boston and Toronto. The Phillies initially had an excellent run of home games with an 18-3 record in Philadelphia. The Midwestern Division had Minneapolis on top at 19-10, 3.5 over St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee.

Mexico City was on top of the Southern Division at 23-6, building a 6.5 game lead over Atlanta and 7 game lead over Dallas entering May. Hollywood led the Western Division at 18-9, only 0.5 ahead of Denver, two over Oakland, and 2.5 over San Diego. The Denver Bears at +72 had the best run differential in the game thus far. The worst, by a large margin, was Tampa at -122; 7-22 overall.

The first ever player to hit for the Cycle in the First Division was Chicago Cubs centerfielder Marcelo Carmago, doing it on 4/20 in a blowout of Milwaukee. The second was Hollywood third baseman Elijah Green, pulling it off against San Diego on 4/27.

The first pitcher to strike out more than 15 batters in a start came on April 14 from Cleveland’s Keenan Williams. He struck out 16 Reds in 8.2 innings.

Entering May 1950, Furman is atop the Associated Press Top 25 poll, followed by Cal State Fullerton, Brown, Oregon State, and Nebraska.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 10-30-2022, 05:14 PM

Re: Continental Baseball Federation OOTP 22 8-tier promotion/relegation sim: 1950-onw

Entering June, the best record in the CBF First League belonged to Mexico City, as the lone team south of the border led the Southern Division at 42-13. Dallas didn’t lose ground on Los Diablos, remaining seven games back. Both Atlanta and Miami had 7-3 marks to end the month to stay in the playoff hunt while the rest of the division struggled. Tampa still has the worst record in the league, but only are 2.5 being San Antonio and three back on Nashville, hoping to avoid relegation.

On the other side of the Conference, the Hollywood Stars turned a half-game Western Division led into an 8.5 game one with a blistering 20-6 mark in May. A strong finish to the month put San Francisco into the playoff chase, although with five teams within five games of second place Denver, the postseason battle remained tense.

Philadelphia maintained their Eastern Division led but a roaring 12-2 finish to May for Toronto put the Blue Jays within 1.5 games of the lead. The New York Yankees and Montreal Royals both sit 3.5 back in the mix.

The Midwestern Division saw Minneapolis hold the lead at 35-20 with Cincinnati, Chicago, and Indianapolis all above .500. Kansas City at 20-36 has the unfortunate distinction of the worst record in the East-Midwest Conference. They need to climc out of a hole to avoid relegation, whereas the bottom spot in the East is a multi-team mix.

Other notes: Phoenix’s Richard Azim carried a 31-game hit streak, which ended on 5/23 at San Francisco.

In the Second League, the battle for the top spot in the Eastern Division was deadlocked between Richmond and Baltimore, while Newark and Hartford looked to climb out of the cellar to avoid relegation. In the Midwestern Division, the Chicago White Sox and Grand Rapids Ravens sat at the top with Omaha and Louisville still in the hunt, and Madison an abysmal last place.

In the Southern Division, Austin and Santo Domingo had largely turned it into a two team battle while it was similar in the Western Division between Calgary and Portland. Rough seasons for Memphis and Las Vegas put both in line for relegation, barring a rapid turnaround.

In the Third League, Wilmington and Windsor both ended May with 6.5 game division leads and a nice cushion to potential get promoted at years’ end. San Juan and Arlington were near even atop the Southern Division with Anchorage leading the West with a few teams close behind.

Meanwhile, here’s a look at the standings in the Fourth League.

The Fifth League:

Sixth League:

Seventh League:

Eighth League:

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 10-31-2022, 08:07 AM

Re: Continental Baseball Federation OOTP 22 8-tier promotion/relegation sim: 1950-onw

In the final 1950 Associated Press college baseball poll, Nebraska had the #1 overall ranking, followed by Ole Miss, Wichita State, Vanderbilt, and Cal. Rounding out the top 10 were Arkansas, Southern Cal, UConn, Wisconsin, and Central Michigan.

Conference champions are below:
Big 10: Wisconsin
Big 8: Nebraska
Southwest: Arkansas
Eastern Intercollegiate: Brown
Southeast: Ole Miss
Southern: Furman
Missouri Valley: Wichita State
Pac-10: California
Atlantic Coast: Duke
Yankee: New Hampshire
Mid American: Central Michigan
Skyline: Montana
Border: San Diego State
West Coast: San Jose State
Best Independent Record: Syracuse

League leaders statistically:

The 32-team postseason field is below:

The first two rounds are a modified double-elimination, with single-elimination for those who make it to the Sweet 16.

The biggest upsets in the first two rounds was the elimination of #4 Vanderbilt and #5 California. Cal went 0-fer, losing to #24 Georgia and then #12 Duke. Vandy won their first game in 13 innings over #18 Montana, but then lost to unranked SMU, who also upset #2 Ole Miss in their bracket. The Rebels beat the Commodores 3-1 to eliminate Vandy and give Ole Miss another shot at SMU. Although highly ranked, #7 USC wasn’t in the field as their eight-game win streak to close the year didn’t get them one of the at-large spots and #10 Central Michigan would lose to Iowa and Furman.

In the best-of-three Round of 16 in the East Region; #3 Wichita State won 2-0 over #17 Illinois; unranked Iowa defeated also unranked Citadel 2-1; #16 New Hampshire edged #9 Wisconsin; and #13 Syracuse defeated #11 Brown 2-1.

In the South-West Region; #1 Nebraska met unranked Mississippi State again, who upset the Huskers in the first round. Nebraska would get the better of them 2-1 in the Round of 16; rallying from a 4-1 hole in the bottom of the ninth to win a 5-4 walkoff. #24 Georgia topped unranked Oregon State 2-1. #21 Cal State Fullerton upset #6 Arkansas 2-1, taking game three 3-2 in 10 innings. And unranked Southern Methodist ousted #2 Ole Miss 2-0.

The NCAA East quarterfinal had #3 Wichita State sweep unranked Iowa 2-0 and #13 Syracuse swept #16 UNH 2-0. In the South-West Region, #21 Cal State Fullerton beat unranked SMU 2-0.

The big story though saw #24 Georgia pull off a huge 2-1 upset of #1 Nebraska. The Huskers won game one 3-2, then the Bulldogs took game two 3-2 after 13 innings on a walkoff home run by Ethan Rybolt. Georgia won game three 5-0 as three pitchers combined for a one-hitter and the Huskers gave up 10 walks.

In the South-West Region championship, Cal State Fullerton won 1-0 in 11 innings over Georgia in game one. In game two tied 2-2 after eight, the Titans scored three in the top of the ninth, allowing them to advance to the first College World Series. The NCAA East Regional went to #3 Wichita State, as the Shockers beat Syracuse 9-1, then took game two 6-2 in 10 innings.

The first CWS went the five-game distance. Cal State Fullerton scored three in the top of the ninth to take game one 5-3. Game two was a 16-inning battle, finally ended by Shocker sophomore second baseman’s Donaldo Cardona’s RBI single for a 5-4 win. WSU junior Keith Crowther threw a two-hit shutout to give the Shockers a 2-0 game three win.

Game four went 10 innings and the Titans kept the series alive with a 5-4 win. Senior centerfielder Randall Moore had the walkoff single to force game five. In the grand finale, Wichita State was 3-1 victors as four pitchers allowed one run and five hits. Crowther was named series MVP despite only pitching in game three. His postseason was excellent, winning all four stats with a 1.03 ERA and 35 innings.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 10-31-2022, 06:55 PM

Re: Continental Baseball Federation OOTP 22 8-tier promotion/relegation sim: 1950-onw

College awards were given out in early July ahead of the first amateur draft in the middle of the month. Nebraska junior third baseman Bobby Martin in addition to winning region MVP was rated the top hitting prospect, while Wichita State slugger Calvin Janssen was rated as only a 2.5 prospect despite his MVP. Illinois pitcher Cam Aguirre, the top pitcher in region, was also ranked as the top starting pitcher prospect. Arkansas’s Greyson Barron is in next year’s draft.

The Draft is set up five rounds with the first two regional based, with the order by league, bottom to top, then winning percentage. However, with the inaugural season and no past results or compensation picks; the order was largely random luck. Getting the first overall pick was the Second League’s Columbus Red Birds.

Columbus would pick middle infielder E.J. Shantz, a Missouri native who played for Cornell. Shantz is renowned for his ability to put balls in play, only striking out twice his senior year in 242 at-bats. The second pick was Hartford’s, which went to well-rounded Wichita State starting pitcher Grant Prater.

The third pick for Santo Domingo brought home the DR’s Aitor Alfaro, an excellent hitting outfielder and speedster who played college ball at Ohio State. The fourth pick was Indianapolis picking first baseman Aiden Van Bramer of UConn. Fifth pick to El Paso was Marshall’s Sebastian Morales.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 11-01-2022, 05:46 PM

Re: Continental Baseball Federation OOTP 22 8-tier promotion/relegation sim: 1950-onw

The first-ever First League All-Star game was July 18, 1950 in Los Angeles. The top vote-getter in the East-Midwest Conference was New York Yankees first baseman Steven Archambault, the league leader in home runs at 30. Atlanta’s leftfielder Wakefield O’Hara was the West-South Conference top vote-getter, second in the First League with 95 RBI. O’Hara would earn All-Star MVP honors as his two-run home run in the fifth inning helped his conference to a 4-2 win.

First League statistical leaders at the All-Star Break at below

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 11-02-2022, 06:41 PM

Re: Continental Baseball Federation OOTP 22 8-tier promotion/relegation sim: 1950-onw

At the All-Star break in the First League, Philadelphia had really solidified their hold on the top of the Eastern Division (and the conference as a whole). The Phillies went from having three teams within four games of their lead entering June to an eight game lead at the break with a 63-35 mark. Toronto at 54-42 is the next closest, but only 5.5 games separates them from eighth place Boston, meaning the two wild card spots are very much in play. A 9-1 mark for Brooklyn going into the break put the Dodgers in the mix, a team that was six games below .500 entering June.

Pittsburgh entered the break in the relegation spot in the East at 44-53, 3.5 behind the Red Sox who used a four-game win streak into the break to get separation. The Pirates still have the best record of the last place teams and plenty of games remain to shuffle things, especially with a more divisional-heavy latter part of the schedule.

Minneapolis remains atop the Midwestern Division at 57-39 at the all-star break, although an 8-2 close to the first half put Chicago (53-41) within striking distance. Cleveland (52-43) is 4.5 back with some distance to fourth place, so the top three have a decent grip on playoff spots at the break.

Kansas City is currently in the last game spot at 39-56, only half a game worse than Milwaukee. Detroit climbed out a bit with a 7-game win streak going into the break. The biggest drop went to Cincinnati, as the Reds went from six above .500 entering June to eight below .500 at the break. Indianapolis also finds themselves below .500 after being four above two months in.

Switching conferences, Mexico City remains the class of the Southern Division at 67-28, 9.5 ahead of next best Miami. At 59-39, the Makos and Dallas (56-40) both have a nice gap from their playoff spots to fourth place Atlanta at 50-46.

The South boasts the four worst records in the entire First League, with San Antonio in last at 32-64. But with Tampa (34-61), Nashville (35-62), and Houston (37-60) also stinking it up, each of those teams have time to prevent relegation with a decent finish.

Hollywood grew its lead in the Western Division up to 12.5 games with an impressive 66-29, only one game behind Los Diablos for the best record in the entire First League. It's currently a three-team race for the other two playoff spots with San Francisco (55-43), Denver (55-41), and a surging San Diego (50-45).

Oakland had an abysmal June and early July, going 14-27 to fall into last place. However, they're only 2.5 games from fifth place as Phoenix, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Vancouver aren't faring great either.

In First League firsts, Milwaukee's Derrick Williams became the first player to record six hits in one game, doing it on 6/7 against Oakland. Williams went 6-6 with six runs scored, four RBI, and two homers.

On June 23, Washington's Joe Paquin threw the first no-hitter in First League history, striking out 12 against Kansas City. A walk and one hit batsmen prevented him from perfection.

While there are wild cards in the First League, only the division champions advance to both the postseason and get promoted. In the Second League East, Richmond sits atop the division at 68-28, having gone 30-11 since the start of June. That run gave them a five game lead on Baltimore (63-33), the only team in striking distance.

Hartford sits in the last place spot in danger of relegation, but still is only 2.5 behind eighth place Newark and five back on Ottawa, so that demotion isn't locked up. It seems assured in both the Midwest and Western divisions with Madison (18-78) and Las Vegas (15-80) miles behind eighth place. Memphis (33-64) isn't in great shape in the South, but a collapse by Fort Worth or Jacksonville could still save their bacon.

The Midwestern Division in the Second League has Grand Rapids in the lead at 60-35, but they and the Chicago White Sox (1.5 back) have traded the lead. Omaha is five back and keeping pace, but not gaining ground. In the West, it's a four team race with Calgary first (61-35), but Portland (61-37), Juarez (58-38), and Edmonton (57-38) all right in the hunt. The Elephants in particular have climbed, going from three above .500 at the start of June to 19 above at the break. In the South, Austin at 68-28 has a 12.5 lead on Santo Domingo, meaning that the Anacondas are in position for promotion, barring a late collapse.

In the Third League East, a 31-11 run since the start of June has put Staten Island into the lead at 61-37, five games up on Lehigh Valley and 5.5 on Worcester. Wilmington went from a 6.5 game lead to eight back on first with a 16-25 skid. Norfolk holds the bottom spot at 36-60 and has to erase a 7.5 game hole to avoid relegation.

Windsor (61-33) grew its lead in the Midwest to nine games with Akron (52-42) the only team with much of a shot to catch them. Only eight wins since June started for Lincoln has put them in the hole, 5.5 games away from eighth place Saint Paul.

What was essentially a tie in the South entering June is now an eight-game San Juan lead after a 28-15 run for the Jaguars and a middling 21-20 mark for second place Arlington. Greensboro is in the danger zone at 35-62, 9.5 away from the next worst team. Tulsa impressively went from the last place spot entering June (21-35) to fifth at 46-49.

Meanwhile the Western Division is top heavy with six teams within 6.5 of the lead. Colorado Springs (58-38) and Sacramento (59-39) are at the top but Anchorage, Guadalajara, Salt Lake, and Long Beach are all very much in the mix. The bottom seems almost locked in with Fresno (34-63) down 10 games from eighth place El Paso.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 11-05-2022, 07:45 AM

Re: Continental Baseball Federation OOTP 22 8-tier promotion/relegation sim: 1950-onw

The Fourth League Eastern Division managed to have the top five records in the entire league at the All-Star Break. Stamford, Erie, New Haven, Albany, and Hamilton were the five teams in the mix to be promoted. The rest of the Fourth League also boasted a solid amount of parity with the teams being moved up and down not at all guaranteed in any division.

In the Fifth League, Irvine had been by far the best team in the league at 70-27 with only one other team even at 60 wins. Apart from the dominance from the Inferno, the Fifth League also had a lot of possible options for promotion and relegation.

The two top records in the Sixth League were in the Eastern Division as Manchester (65-50) and Paterson (66-31) battle for the top bill. Rochester held a nice six game lead in the Midwest, while the other top spots are more contested. Modesto (and to a lesser extent Youngstown) find themselves in the danger zone.

Kingston was running away with the Eastern Division title in the Seventh League, while the other divisions still each have a few teams in the mix.

Lastly in the Eighth League…

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 11-05-2022, 11:46 AM

Re: Continental Baseball Federation OOTP 22 8-tier promotion/relegation sim: 1950-onw

One of the things also established with the Continental Baseball Federation was the international free agent signing period. Outside of the United States, baseball has a varied amount of prominence, but promising young athletes and their circles worldwide saw the earning potential the sport could bring. The CBF hired representatives in each nation to recruit top teenage athletes and expedite the process of helping them immigrate to a new land.

Most of these prospects were incredibly raw; kids with very little actual experience in baseball, but with the physical tools and potential for greatness. The better players could negotiate for up to $50,000; not a small investment for teams. But the clubs would be able to lock the player up through their teenage years and provide very specialized training.

Naturally, the higher tiers had far better scouting and more money available to try to recruit internationally. First League teams had up to 50k to spend each year, 35k for the Second League, then 25k, 15k, 10k, 8k, 6k, and 4k down the line.

The top rated prospect in 1950 was outfielder Tria Balawan of Indonesia, rated as a four-star prospect. Balawan was signed by Boston for a $36,200 signing bonus. The highest paid player would be Hyun-Ho So of South Korea, as the three-star outfielder received $37,500 from Toronto. The top ranked players and their destinations are below:

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 11-05-2022, 01:46 PM

Re: Continental Baseball Federation OOTP 22 8-tier promotion/relegation sim: 1950-onw

Entering September in the First League, Philadelphia, Chicago, Mexico City, and Hollywood are the division leader. The Phillies eight-game lead in the East at the break has shrunk to 4.5 games with Toronto and Brooklyn (five back) nipping at their heels. Philadelphia has the best run differential in the East-Midwest Conference at +201. At 25-12, the Dodgers have had the best record in the Conference post all-state break.

With a seven-game gap from third to the fourth place Yankees, the three playoff teams in the East are in a fairly comfortable spot barring collapse. Pittsburgh at 59-75 has to erase an eight-game hole to avoid relegation. There are certainly worse teams in the First League, but with the other eight teams in the East at or above .500, the Pirates are in a rough spot.

The Cubs went from down three games at the break to leading the Midwestern division by 4.5 entering September. Chicago since the break is 25-14, while former division leader Minneapolis has gone 17-21. Interestingly enough, the Cubs have a +158 run differential for the season while Minneapolis is -14. The Millers still sit in second, 3.5 ahead of third place St. Louis and six better than fourth place Cleveland. Relegation danger is at this point largely limited to two teams with Milwaukee last at 50-84, but still able to leap Kansas City at 54-80.

In the West-South Conference, Hollywood has dominated and already guaranteed a playoff spot and essentially locked in the Western Division title. The Stars have gone 31-8 post break for the best record in baseball at 97-37 with a +304 run differential. It’s a 22 game gap to second place San Francisco at 75-59. The Seals are five ahead of San Diego (70-64), who currently holds the third place playoff spot. Phoenix at 65-68 still could make it into the postseason with a turnaround.

Last place in the West is Oakland at 54-81, but Los Angeles (56-77), Denver (60-75), Vancouver (61-74), and Seattle (61-73) aren’t safe yet. The Bears in particular have collapsed spectacularly. Denver was in third and six games above .500 at the all-star break, but has been the worst team in the First League post-break at 9-30.

In the Southern Division, Mexico City has stayed in first at 89-45 with Miami making slight ground down seven games at 82-52. Dallas is in third at 79-55 with Atlanta at 73-62 still in the fight for the third place wild card spot. 2.5 games separates sixth through ninth place so San Antonio (51-84), Tampa (51-82), Houston (53-81), and Nashville (53-81) all have to battle to avoid relegation.

Individually, Yankees first baseman Steven Archambault has a shot at the Triple Crown, leading the Conference in home runs (41) and RBI (120) while third in batting average (.333).

The best team post break in the Second League has been Baltimore, with the Orioles going 29-10 to get the best record in the SL at 92-43. This run has taken Baltimore from down five in the Eastern Division to up five on Richmond. The Raptors have gone around .500 since the break and now have to climb back to get promoted. Four teams are within 5.5 games of last place in the East with Hartford the team that would get demoted if the season ended after August.

The top three in the Midwest has stayed the same post break with Grand Rapids on top at 84-50, but the Chicago White Sox (80-53) and Omaha (79-55) still in striking distance. Madison’s relegation is inevitable with their awful 26-107, even worse in the West is Las Vegas at 19-115.

The Western Division is a four-team battle for the title and promotion with Portland (87-47) leading Calgary (86-49), Juarez (82-51), and Edmonton (82-52). In the South, Austin has the best record in the conference at 89-46 and the best run differential at +297. Santo Domingo is six back as the only team with a shot still. Memphis currently sits in the relegation spot at 50-84, but Oklahoma City (53-81), Jacksonville (56-78), and Fort Worth (58-76) aren’t out of the woods yet.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 11-05-2022, 03:34 PM

Re: Continental Baseball Federation OOTP 22 8-tier promotion/relegation sim: 1950-onw

In the Third League, San Juan has the best overall record at 91-44 and the best run differential at +223. Their 27-12 mark post break has essentially locked up the Southern Division with a 12.5 lead over Raleigh. On the other side of the conference, what was a five-team battle in the Western Division at the break has become a three-team one. Colorado Springs holds first now at 84-51, 4.5 over Sacramento and six over Guadalajara.

Staten Island (83-51) has kept hold of the Eastern Division with Worcester keeping an outside shot at 76-57. In the Midwest, Windsor has pulled away with their 88-47 record and +222 run differential, 13 games better than Akron.

There’s little drama in the last place battles in the Third League as each bottom team is in a 10+ game hole. The middling teams can rest a bit while Norfolk, Lincoln, Greensboro, and Fresno seem locked into relegation.

The five-team race in the Fourth League’s Eastern Division is at most a two team battle now as Stamford has gone on a 27-11 run since the break. That gives the Swarm the best 4L record at 89-44 with the best differential at +212. Erie (83-51) is the only team still in the race as New Haven and Albany have since played .500 baseball and Hamilton has fallen off. Halifax remains last, six games away from Bridgeport.

Peoria has pulled away in the Midwestern Division with a blistering 29-10 mark post break. Previous division leader Green Bay is now four back with no one else in the mix. South Bend holds the relegation spot at 59-75, but is within 3.5 games of sixth, so them, Springfield, Sioux Falls, or Joliet are all in the danger zone.

St. Petersburg built a bit on their Southern Division lead; sitting at 75-59 with a six game edge on Shreveport. Knoxville has fallen into last after previous last place Tallahassee has played .500 ball since the break. However, the Smokies are only 2.5 away from the Threshers and Winston-Salem, and 5.5 from Augusta, so those teams still need to fight hard to avoid demotion.

The best record in the WSC is Boise at 83-51 atop the Western Division. The Brown Bears have kept largely an equal pace with Bakersfield and Henderson, up 4.5 on the Blue Devils and 6.5 on the Heat. In last is Reno at 58-76, but Lubbock (59-74) and Stockton (64-71) aren’t yet safe.

Switching to the Fifth League, Irvine has the best record in all of the leagues at 102-33, nearly clinched already atop the Western Division. The leaders remain the same as they were entering the break, but still a lot of competition for each spot.

The biggest switch in the Sixth League is Boulder going from first with a two-game lead in the West to fourth down four. The best two 6L records remain locked in a battle for the Eastern Division title with Manchester and Paterson each 89-45 entering September.

The Seventh League’s swapped WSC division leaders with Ponce now ahead in the South and Santa Maria in the West, but those divisions are fiercely contested.

And over in the Eighth League…

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 11-10-2022, 08:08 PM

Re: Continental Baseball Federation OOTP 22 8-tier promotion/relegation sim: 1950-onw

The first ever regular season for the leagues of the Continental Baseball Federation concluded in early October of 1950. For the Second through Eighth Leagues, the division winners get promoted and play a four-team playoff, while the worst team in each division gets relegated. The relegation is the same in the First League, but the playoff structure is expanded.

The division champions get byes, while the second place finisher in each division plays the third place finisher from the adjacent division. The #2 seed hosts a "best of five," but gets a one-game handicap, essentially making it a four-game home series where the higher seed just needs to win twice, while the #3 seed must win three. The wild card round winners then play a best of five with all five games hosted by the Division champ. The winners move to a 2-3-2 best of seven Conference Championship, then the 2-3-2 World Series.

In the Eastern Division, Philadelphia kept the same pace as both Toronto and Brooklyn, allowing the Phillies to hold onto the division title at 100-62. Philly was also good for the best record and run differential in the conference. Toronto narrowly held onto second place at 96-66, one game better than third place Brooklyn at 95-67.

Both had to finish strong to advance as the New York Yankees went on a tear, going 23-5 in the final month. The Yankees went from behind seven of third place entering September to finishing only one game back of the Dodgers. Even with sweeps of Brooklyn, Toronto, and a 3-1 series win over Philadelphia to close the year, they finish on the outside. Pittsburgh (73-89) ends up getting relegated, in part the victim of a stacked division with the four best records in the conference and eight of nine teams at .500 or better.

In the Midwestern Division, the Chicago Cubs solidified their first place spot, finishing at 92-70 with a seven game advantage on second place Minneapolis. The Millers had fend off St. Louis for the second place spot, as the Cardinals went from back 3.5 to only back one in the final tally. Cleveland faded late, going from two games over .500 to two below. Milwaukee, who entered the month in last, couldn't climb out and were relegated at 62-100.

Switching conferences, Mexico City maintained the Southern Division title with a 106-56 record, but had to stay strong down the stretch. Miami ended the year on a 9-1 to also crack the century mark in second place at 102-60. Dallas was no slouch either down the stretch, taking third at 98-64. The top heavy division had five teams in the mix for last place entering the month. but an 8-21 finish marked doom for Tampa at 59-103, one game worse than San Antonio and four worse than Nashville.

The best record in the First League went to Western Division champion Hollywood, as the Stars finished 113-49 with a CBF best +375 run differential. They actually lost one game on their massive lead as second place San Francisco finished strong, taking second at 92-70.

The wildest chase was for third place between San Diego and Phoenix. The Padres entered September at 70-64, 4.5 better than the Firebirds. SD played a respectable 17-11 down the stretch, but Phoenix rose from the ashes, ending the season with a 12-game winning streak and forcing a tie for third at 87-75. In a one-game playoff for the final playoff spot, the Firebirds won 4-1 to keep the dream alive.

At the bottom of the West, Oakland saved themselves from relegation. The Oaks entered September in last with a 3.5 hole, but went 16-11 to close the season. The Los Angeles Angels were 2-8 in the final 10 and 8-21 for the final month, knocking them into last place and into the Second League next season.

In individual accolades, the Yankees' slugger Steven Archambault earned the EMC Triple Crown with 52 home runs, a .341 average, and 153 RBI. He did miss out of the Triple Clown overall between the leagues, as in the WSC, Denver's P.J. Stevenson bested him in RBI (160) and in batting average, Denver's Julian Hahn had the top spot at .360. That said, Archambault finished the easy favorite for East-Midwest Conference MVP.

The race in the West-South Conference Is a bit more up for grabs, with the favorites based on WAR San Diego centerfielder Cliff Dantschotter and Hollywood third baseman Tim Frost. The Belgian Dantschotter has the offensive and power edge compared to Frost with stronger defense. Denver’s Hahn and Stevenson are hurt by the perceived advantages of playing at elevation and the Bears’ late season collapse. San Francisco center fielder Hudson Baker is another in the mix, leading the CBF 1L in runs, as well as stolen bases by far (102) with above average defense.

Pitcher of the Year is a bit more of crap shoot with the top six in ERA all in the EMC. Philadelphia’s Vitalis Mintah was the ironman with league bests in complete games (22), innings pitched (336.1) and wins (28). Montreal’s Xavier Tevada was the WAR lord at 10.3, plus the most quality starts (30 of 39). B.J. Zaldivar of Cincnnati led in ERA (2.75, just ahead of Tevada’s 2.78) and Toronto’s Payton Nolan the only 300+ strikeout guy with 323. In the mix from the WSC are Hollywood’s Glenn Baker, Hudson Fink of Oakland, and P.J. Fernandez of Mexico City.

Continental Baseball Federation OOTP 22 8-tier promotion/relegation sim: 1950-onward

Recommended Videos

Continental Baseball Federation OOTP 22 8-tier promotion/relegation sim: 1950-onward

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment