There is a new league in town, and we’re calling it Tout Wars X. The X is for Experimental.
One of the missions of Tout Wars has been not only to reflect the way fantasy baseball is played out in the wild, but also to push the wild to play fantasy baseball a better way. That was the impetus behind our recent move to replace Batting Average as a category with On Base Percentage. It was also the reason we were the first experts league to move from 4×4 to 5×5, and the reason we allow $0 bids and use the Vickrey auction system for our FAAB bidding. It’s the reason we adopted FAAB reclaims for players out for the season, and then liberalized the rule so that FAAB can be reclaimed for any player who goes on the DL. Each of these changes improves our game, we think, and while not everyone else agrees, many leagues have taken advantage of our innovations (or offered up their own) to improve the rules of the games we play.
But not all innovation and experimental ideas are suitable for leagues that are run to showcase expert talent playing classic fantasy baseball formats. That’s where Tout Wars X comes in.
Each year we’re going to introduce a new fantasy baseball game and invite Touts to play. Each year the game will be different. The goal is to try out different methods of drafting and auctioning, different transaction dates, different categories and different roster sizes. Sometimes we’ll change it all up at once. All of us have visceral reactions to these types of rules and game structures, but until we actual play by them, how will be ever know how they really work. Tout Wars X is for test drives.
This year we’re keeping it simple. Ron Shandler is introducing a yearlong version of his Shandler Park Monthly Games. Different categories, monthly rosters, no trades, one champion.
Ten teams will convene in New York City on Tout Weekend for a hybrid draft/auction in which they will draft players using the Shandler Park prices, staying under $280 salary cap for all 32 of their players. Then, every four weeks after, they will compile a Salary Capped team the way players at Shandler Park do. For the complete rules visit the Tout Wars X page.
Another reason we’re starting a new league is to create more slots for Touts. We have a long waiting list of Tout talent, and we hope Tout Wars is a fun way to open some more slots. This year 10 more fantasy baseball writers or broadcasters will be able to compete against one another. If you meet the Tout Wars eligibility criteria and want to give it a shot, get more details on the Tout Wars X page.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR TOUTS:
– Must have a minimum five years experience playing fantasy baseball.
– Must have a minimum three years experience contributing to a baseball or fantasy baseball publication, website or information service.
– Must promote the Tout Wars league in their information service via banners, links or original content. These links must be accessible from March through September, at minimum.
– Must be able to travel to travel to New York for draft weekend.
We have a new venue! The Tout Wars auctions (and Tout X draft) are being hosted at City Crab, a restaurant on the corner of 19th Street and Park Avenue South in New York City.
