SnakePit Fantasy Baseball opens for business!

I re-opened the Premier League last night, and invitations have been sent to the top 12 managers in the standings from last season to return. I also need the winners of the two feeder leagues to make themselves known to me in the comments, because they qualify for promotion to the top tier. Please ensure you have an email address on file for your account, and that it's accurate, because that is where the invitation to the league will be sent [This has been an issue before, especially since SB Nation now allows people to join with their Facebook IDs, which don't have an associated email]

Entries are also being solicited for the feeder leagues, which are open to anyone. In previous years, we typically have ended up with two leagues, of roughly equal numbers, which usually means in the 12-16 range. First come, first served, so the sooner you throw your hat in the ring, the more "guaranteed" you will be. Simply speak up in the comments, and we'll put you on the list - as above, please ensure you have an email address on file for your account, and that it's accurate. Am also soliciting reliable SnakePitters to act as commissioners of the (likely) two leagues, though that's mostly based around organizing the rules and initial set-up.

We typically run standard rotisseries categories, five hitting and five pitching, with daily line-ups and a head-to-head format (which seems to keep interest going longer, since you get a fresh start every week). Auction is generally online, snake order draft: I've scheduled the Premier League for 3pm on the Sunday before the MLB schedule starts (March 27), but am open to adjusting this if necessary. The Premiership sees six teams go into the post-season, with the top two getting a bye in the first round of playoffs. Lower leagues are at the whim of their commissioner!

If you've never played the game before, it's pretty simple. You get to assemble a roster of major-league players from all teams, with restrictions on positions, and each day assemble the ones you want into a line-up. The players in your line-up have their performance added up; in our head-to-head league, the total number of HR (say) is compared against the total HR by your opponent for the week, and whoever gets the most wins that category. So the same for the other nine areas, and you get a winner for that round. Rinse, repeat over the course of the season, and you get a winner! Of course, you get to add and drop players through, as injury and performance requires.

It's a fun way to learn about players and teams outside the Diamondbacks (yes, I was surprised to learn they exist, too!) and also makes a good reason to pay attention to and watch other games. Of course, there's the dark side of fantasy baseball, which is when your starting pitcher is going up against Arizona... Rule #1 of fantasy baseball is: you never admit to conflicted loyalties in this matter! Anyway, the feeder leagues are a good way to start, and if you enjoy the experience, maybe you'll be good enough to win elevation into the shark tank of the Premier League...