ROTISSERIE: The perils of league formatting

"What's in a league format? A first-place finish in another format would still smell as sweet." -- William "Three True Outcomes" Shakespeare [edited].

We're going to share a recent league experience here. Don't worry, it's not self-indulgent; it's instructive. It's about an old-school Rotisserie league now entering its 34th season. It's a basic 4x4, NL-only league whose roster and scoring format are the same now as the spring day in 1985 when the league was first conceived.

In recent years, league owners have observed some trends. First, closers tend to go for ridiculous prices, and middle-reliever prices have little to do with expected production and much to do with how close they are to the ninth-inning role. The league drafts about...

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