This new league, like my Random World Series Teams and Random Playoff Teams League, is intended to be a multi-season league where current owners will have a 48 hour window of preference to return before the league is opened up to the public.

Dead Man's Hand is, of course, a reference to the poker hand which Wild Bill Hickok is alleged to have been holding when he was shot, consisting of two pair, Aces and Eights. The applicability of the phrase to the league will be apparent in the rules below.

The idea for the league was conceived by shysters3, who asked me to be the Commissioner-thanks, shysters3 it's an interesting idea !!

After 24 owners have signed up there will be an 8 round snake draft (ABBA, ABBA) where each owner will draft 8 exclusive teams (i.e. 1927 Yankees, 1975 Reds etc.). Teams are exclusive-once drafted they cannot be used by another owner.  This is part of the Eights portion of the Aces and Eights in the league title.

After the draft is completed, owners will draft exactly 3 players from each of their 8 exclusive teams as follows:
1. One starting position player (must be one of the 8 highest salaried position players on that exclusive team)
2. One pitcher (must be one of the 8 highest salaried pitchers on that exclusive team).
3. One bench player (may NOT be one of the 8 highest position players or 8 highest salaried pitchers on that exclusive team)
The 25th player is a wild card who must be from the same year as one of your eight teams but may be from any team.He may be a pitcher  His maximum salary is $8 million.

Players on the exclusive teams may not be used by any other owners, including for their wildcard player. If the 1968 Cardinals are drafted as an exclusive team, no player on the 1968 Cardinals may be used by any other owner. That does not preclude a player on the 1968 Cardinals from being used in another season, i.e 1967, 1969 etc.

The Eights are used by the 8 exclusive teams, one of the 8 highest salaried players and 8 highest salaried pitchers and the $8 salary cap for your wild card player.
The Aces portion of the title is the use of the best player at each position from your 8 teams as well as Ace pitchers from at least some of your teams

Part of the challenge is that if you want to take a particular pitcher, for example Sandy Koufax from the 1966 Dodgers, you have to also take a starting position player from a relatively weak hitting team. Similarly, if you want to take Babe Ruth from the 1927 Yankees, you have to take a pitcher from that team, and also cope with the salary limitation shown below.

WIS Rules:
Players from 1920-2012
No DH, no WW, no AAA
Salary Cap $120 million

The key will be finding a good balance between hitting and pitching. Strategy in the draft will be the secret to a successful team. If your strategy doesn't work in season 1, you can try something different is season 2, as there will be a new draft of exclusive teams !

If interested, please sign up below.

1. dspahlinger
2. shysters3
3. bmbigdog44
4  rmarsh915.
5 calhoops.
6. schwarze
7. bigmc
8. nikospade
9. dvorr80
10. reddtrain
11. cholatse
12. marlowe
13. gbakker
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
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23.
24.

site mail list: dspahlinger;shysters3;bmbigdog44;rmarsh915;calhoops;schwarze;bigmc;nikospade;dvorr80;reddtrain;cholatse;marlowe;gbakker;

 

I'll give it a go. However, a clarifying question. The 25th player has a maximum salary of $8 million, but he CAN NOT be one of the highest 8 paid position players or one of the 8 highest pitchers. Those must come from the 8 teams drafted. Is this correct? Thx.

No, he can (and probably will be) one of the highest paid players. You must also draft one of the 8 highest paid position players and one of the 8 highest  paid pitchers from each of your 8 teams.

When I was researching, in some cases I wound up looking at a position player with a slary of $4 or $5 million because I wanted a pitcher from that team or conversely was taking a relief pitcher with a salary of $2 or $3 million because I wanted a position player form that team.

Posted by bmbigdog44 on 1/6/2013 3:41:00 PM (view original):
Ah! I think my confusion was thinking that the player had to be one of the 8 highest paid on my "final 25 man team". But you're saying that he has to be one of the 8 highest paid on team I'm drafting from. For example if one of my teams was the '60 Yankees, I have to take a position player from one of the highest paid on that team.

Do I have it now? Thx.

Posted by schwarze on 1/7/2013 8:44:00 AM (view original):
You should probably clarify this in the description.  When I read this, I assumed that the "highest 8 salaried" meant highest salaried on my team.  So, if I understand this correctly, I could theoretically platoon...

... if I was able to find position players who had enough PA but weren't among the top 8 salaried position players on his team.

I'm in

Posted by bigmc on 1/7/2013 11:07:00 AM (view original):
I would like to participate.

Have a question....can the 25th player be from a team that was drafted by someone else?  In other words, if I pick the '85 Cards and schwarze picks the '85 Mets, can I draft '85 Gary Carter (from the Mets) as my 25th player and schwarze drafts '85 Tommy Herr (from the Cards) as his 25th player as long as they are under $8 mil?  I suggest clarifying in the rules prior to the start of the draft.....unless it is already clear and I am just missing something.