The Major League Market FAQ


Is this Fantasy Baseball?

No.

You can own players and teams. You can have a large stake in a stock, or just buy a few shares; in fact, you can bet against players and teams by shorting them. In addition, the game continues throughout the postseason.

You can own stock in as many players as you like, of any position and of any caliber, and if you're waiting for the price to drop, you don't have to buy them now. Investment strategies vary widely even among the Bosses.

And since the game is free, there are no real-world costs for trades, reports, and the like.

Can I have more than one account?

No. Multiple accounts are not allowed. The Bosses have been gracious enough to open the MLM to the public, but they're not that gracious. Traders who register multiple accounts will have their accounts deleted.

Where do I read about the stocks' delist values?

The delist value is the cash value paid for a stock at the end of the season. They're covered in the advanced features section of the rules. You can read the rules as a guest by taking Mickey's tour. To be brief, a batter is ultimately evaluated by his runs, hits, RBIs, and stolen bases. A pitcher is evaluated by his strikeouts, shutouts, wins, and saves.
The advanced features section will give you the exact payoffs for these stats.

Teams never delist, but the Bosses usually trade them for approximately the sum of all the team's player stocks (usually from 600 for lousy teams to 1000 for playoff teams). The real revenue from a team stock comes from the cash dividends it pays for every game won. Teams pay a $7 dividend for each win.

A player's stats are valued as follows:

Batters:

Pitchers: So a grand slam, for example, is actually worth $2.05 (one HR, one hit, and four RBIs). Home runs may appear to be undervalued, but as you can see, they're not.

What exactly causes the stock prices to fluctuate?

The stock prices will fluctuate solely due to demand. Remember, stocks will delist at the end of the season, but until the day of delist, the stock price is only based on how many people are buying and selling the stock. If McGwire is on pace to hit 65 homers, his projected delist value will be very high, but if for some reason (impending trade, maybe), nobody is buying his stock, the stock will remain low. It'll be a bargain, and market forces should eventually drive that stock up.

Do stocks stay active during the post season?

Yes. A player's stock will jump in value if he is on a team that is likely to make the playoffs. He'll be able to keep adding up stats during the playoffs and thus increasing the delist value of his stock. Teams earn much higher dividends for playoff wins, so if a team is in the running for the playoffs, its stocks will increase as well.

Am I required to hold a certain roster in my portfolio?

No. You can invest in whatever you like, manage your portfolio however you think is best. You can invest all your money in NL lefty relief pitchers and the Dodgers. You can stick to commodities or you can diversify if you think you are savvy enough to stay on top of everything. In fact, you don't have to own stock in any players if you feel that team stocks are the better bargain.

Do defensive stats count?

No. The best defense is a good offense. The stocks are valued only by stats that are produced, not stats that represent "missed opportunities" so to speak. The players are paid not for the frequency of hits, just for the hits themselves. Everytime a player gets a hit, the team pays him a certain amount of money. The more hits he makes, the more money he makes, and the higher his stock will rise (if the traders are following closely).

What this means is that many players who are considered to be the best in the league may not have stock prices that reflect their status. That's just part of the market. It's still profitable for a baseball fan to understand the players' stats and skills.

How'd you come up with the dollar values for each stat?

We calculated the values to reflect player performance with some accuracy. It was also important to ensure that teams' delist values corresponded roughly to their win-loss record. And we wanted the leaders in hitting, pitching, and relief pitching all to have comparable prices.

So, like New York Stock Exchange traders, there's money to be made even if you don't know how earnings are calculated, as long as you pick good stocks. But the number-crunchers who take the time to dive into the figures have an extra edge.

Can I sign up after the season has started?

Absolutely. Stocks are up for sale all the time. Monthly prizes are given to players with the best percentage growth in their portfolio, so everyone has the same chance at winning regardless of their previous profits or losses. The grand prize at the season's end is given to the player who achieved the greatest percentage gain in their portfolio's net worth since the start of the season.

So it's perfectly fine to start in mid season, or even during the playoffs. If you post the strongest gain for that month, you will win!

Are the Bosses for real?

Ok. We'll break form for a second here. The Bosses are a construction to give the game some flavor. There is no danger to you. You don't owe anybody two million dollars. You are not participating in anything even remotely resembling illegal racketeering. The Bosses are all in fun, but don't tell them we said that.

What's with the advanced order form?

Some of the trade functions in this game are fairly advanced. If you're not familiar with the operations of a full-fledged stock exchange, they may look overwhelming at first. However, the advanced rules clearly spell out all the features, and the advanced order form is there for those who are interested in maximizing the potential of the game.

Is there a stock for every MLB player?

Stocks have only been issued for the top few hundred players. Of course, there's also teams, options, and commodities. But no season passes without initial price offerings (IPOs) of various other players, depending on who performs well or becomes popular. Keep your eyes peeled for IPO's, they can provide big profit margins.

Are there any costs whatsoever?

None. Absolutely none. There is no cost to you to play the game. We support the growing industry of truly interactive multiplayer internet gaming, and we want to make it available to everyone. Because let's face it, when more people play, the game is more fun. The game will always be free, as it should be.

What are my computer system requirements?

Your browser must be javascript enabled (Netscape 2.0 or later or Explorer 3.0 or later). We do not place cookies on your computer, but the site utilizes javascript. The site is best viewed with Netscape 3.0 or later, but it is perfectly compatible with Explorer or Netscape 2.0. If the site doesn't appear to be working for you in Netscape, you may have your javascript option turned off. Simply go to OPTIONS > NETWORK PREFERENCES > LANGUAGES and click on the box titled "Enable Javascript".

Why doesn't my login work?

There are two common reasons for this. Either you have forgotten to remember the case sensitivity of your login, or that account has been deleted because you are operating multiple accounts. If neither of these apply to you, you should notify us from the contact page.

Can I create my own group of players to compete against?

Yes. You can form your own Investment Bank.




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