The EMFBL
Frequently Asked Questions
What does EMFBL stand for?
EMFBL stands for Elite Managers Fantasy Baseball League. Don’t let the name scare you though. We’re just regular armchair quarterbacks that enjoy testing our managerial skills for fun.
Does it cost anything to join?
There is no fee for joining, participating in the EMFBL. It’s all for fun and bragging rights.
How much time does it require?
It’s up to you how active you want to be as you can make trades with other managers or revise your lineups if your team isn’t performing. The biggest requirements outside of that is to put four hours aside for the draft on the last Saturday of January and to make sure you have your opening day rosters in prior to the start of the regular season. You are also asked to be vigilant in checking the daily boxscores for injuries to your team so that you can replace those players and adjust your lineups if needed. It is also expected that you answer any emails you get from other managers proposing trades. There’s occasional polls and surveys you can participate in and if you’re creative, you can post writeups about your team on the message boards to keep everyone up to date and entertained.
How do the games work?
The game plays off the player ratings from their performances in the previous MLB season. Managers put together their rosters/lineups/rotations and the game does the rest. Each day, the commissioner will play the schedules games like a real baseball season and the results will be posted on the league webpage. You only have to watch for injuries so that you can make changes to your roster if needed. The regular schedule runs from March through September with playoffs in October.
How long has the EMFBL been going?
We started in 2000 and have had as many as 28 teams. We’re currently settled in at 20 teams and it was announced during the offseason that the 2029 season will be the league’s final season. About 75% of the managers in the league have been a part of things for over 15 seasons.
What game do you use?
We use the DiamondMind Baseball simulator. You do not have to purchase the game, but it can help make it easier for you to gather additional stats and information not posted on the league webpage.
How do you get the player salaries and why use them?
We have a system in place that bases the offensive players salaries off their OPS while pitcher’s salaries are based on WHIP. The pitcher salaries are slightly adjusted based on whether they are full time starting pitchers, or bullpen arms. The salary cap is used to keep the league competitive.
What makes the EMFBL different from other leagues?
Our schedule plays out very much like a real baseball season with off days and 3-game series’. We also have message boards to keep things interactive along with “The Clubhouse Report” which is our online video shows talking about the league. The shows provides analysis of the teams, the league, and other happenings. We also have the Wall of Fame honoring the accomplishments of past players and league builders.
Can I choose my own team’s name and ballpark?
Yes, provided that the ballpark is available. Each team plays in one of the MLB ballparks with a 5-year contract to stay in that stadium. A new manager taking over a team can choose to move the team right away to an available ballpark as the 5-year contract will be waived to allow them to do so. You can also pick your own team name based on a city, state, province, street, etc. We only ask that you keep the name clean, and not duplicate a location that is already been taken.
What are the rules for participating?
The rules are listed on the league main page. The rules are pretty straight forward, although we do have some quirky rules in place due to past managers actions. The Clubhouse Report will be doing a show this season about the rules and how some of them came to be. It should be entertaining.
How do I make trades?
You can discuss trades with other managers through email. We also have a chatroom open for the 24-hours ahead of the trade deadline in July where managers can go in to discuss potential deals with each other. Once you complete a trade, you just have to post and confirm you deals on the message boards and the commissioner will make the changes to your team in the game.
Do I have to participate on the message boards?
You don’t have to post team writeups, but it is required that you create a profile on the boards as you will need to post trades and roster changes here to make them official. You’ll also need to have a profile to have full access to what other managers are posting.
How do I create a team logo?
You can submit a logo for your team, or the commissioner will create one for you if needed.
Why are some players in red font?
These players didn't meet the required minimums in MLB last season and therefore are ineligible to be used on your game rosters. You can only keep them on your farm team. The players without stats are called "non-disk" players. These players cannot play or be traded as they didn't have any stats from the previous season. You can cut these players at any time.
Can you keep players from year to year?
Yes. Once a player is on your team, he is kept from year to year unless you trade or release him.
