From Robb: I will be out of the country from it looks like April 20 to May 18 so we should prob. appoint an interim commissioner in my place for that time frame.
From Greg:
Below is a message Mike tried to send out a couple of weeks ago in which he says he is dropping out of the No Fehr League. Obviously, this is a big blow to the league since Mike was one of the core owners. It's also a blow to me personally since he and I basically started this league about 12 years ago when the San Diego contingent merged with the Davis contingent.
Who knew that after all these years, we would have owners in Japan, Canada, LA, Maryland, San Luis Obispo, Fresno, etc. It's amazing how far we've spread our wings.
Well, things change and I can't blame Mike for his reasons for leaving the league, so I guess we need to move forward and try to get another owner to take over Mike's team. Maybe Bill E. or Chris will want to take on a team of their own or maybe one of you may know of someone who might want to join the league.
However, as in the past, we would like to get someone who is knowledgeable and is ready to be involved. If we can't find anyone who suits those needs, then I would rather just go with the 11 guys we have now, especially since at least two teams will be eliminated by Buddy Selig next year. So, let's get those phones and e-mails going. If you have any ideas, let us know and we can move forward with this.
While we are on the topic of owners leaving, if anyone else is thinking of leaving or has already decided to leave, now's the time to make your feelings known so we can replace you. Let us know ASAP.
Now, while I have everyone's attention, I'll make an announcement of my own...no EJ and Enos, no kids yet On Draft Day, I'm going to step down from my commissioner's post.
The reasons for this are many, including I might be in the middle of a remodel on my house this summer, but the main reason is I've been the commish for two years now and I think it's time for someone else to take on the headache...errr, I mean job. Last year I asked if anyone would be interested in the job, and after no one stepped up, I stayed on by default. This year, I'm not going to do that. One of you will be the commish or we won't have a commish.
My hope is that someone will come forward and take over the position. There are a few people who have been around this league for almost as long as I have who would do a great job, but have been awfully quiet when it came time for volunteers. I think one of you guys should take the job...you guys know who you are. Let me know if anyone wants to take over the position.
I've made a rough draft of some changes to the rulebook I think need to be made. The overwhelming majority of these are "unwritten" rules we have been working under that I think should become official. I'll be sending a copy to everyone in the next couple weeks.
Tenatively, Draft Day 2002 will be Saturday, April 6th. Where we have it is up for debate. Personally I would love to have it at the same place we had it last year, but that's not my decision to make, but I'm up for suggestions for other venues.
Finally, if we do go with April 6th as Draft Day, that would mean, protected lists would be due March 23rd. Let me know how these dates work out for everyone and especially let me know if you aren't going to be in the league next year. It's hard to believe, but pitchers and catcher report this week, and we'll have spring baseball in just over two weeks.
From Mike:
I`ve decided not to play rotisserie this year. Whether it`s a 1 year hiatus or more permanent decision remains to be seen. Like most of us, I have alot of things on my plate, but living in Japan has not helped. I feel very far removed from America, not to mention the daily happenings @on the diamond. Last year went by in a blur and I never felt like I was a part of it. But more than that, I`ve lost most of my passion for baseball. I can`t even name half the Dodgers lineup. That`s a sure fire sign that I`m not really into it.
And all the trades and transactions that move players around so much have really robbed the game of the continuity and tradition that I used to enjoy. Hell, I`m still pissed about the Piazza trade. Baseball is not what it used to be for me. In my perfect baseball world, the league leaders hit 40 homeruns, knock in 120 runs, and hit around .330; the Dodgers win the Series, bulldog is MVP, and nobody with an ERA under 4.00 even deserves a sniff at starting a game in the majors. Oh well, times change.
I`ve had a lot of fun playing in our league and I`ll miss draft day big time. Good luck this year and keep me up to date with what`s going on. I may actually come home some day.
Mike Lloyd, BatBold