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Wolverine League 2026 Official Rules |
The Wolverine League is a face-to-face boardgame league using the Dynasty League Baseball (DLB) game from Design Depot. The 2026 Wolverine League shall use DLB player cards from the 2025 Major League Baseball season. Each owner in the league is reccommended to purchase and own their own set of player cards as well as the Dynasty League Baseball 40th Anniversary Charts. If an owner loses or damages cards or charts for his team, it shall be the responsibility of that owner to obtain replacement cards or charts from Design Depot.
The Wolverine League will use the standard rules as published by Design Depot as much as possible. Any changes to standard DLB rules will be noted in these official Wolverine League rules. It is hoped these standardized rules will help to eliminate disputes. When an owner picks a home stadium, the real life team that plays in that stadium will be added to the draft pool of available players.
Franchises shall be awarded to owners in order of entry into the league. Each owner will pick a current (as of 2025) Major League stadium to use as their home stadium.
All owners 18 and above are welcome in the Wolverine League; however, exceptions may be made to admit younger owners who exhibit maturity and have available transportation to games at other owners' sites.
There are four teams in the 2026 Wolverine League.
The Wolverine league does not charge fees other than the cost of owning the game components. Owners will be responsible for submitting their scoresheets to the league statistician. The league statistician will post league statistics on the Wolverine League web site where owners can download and print statistics on their own computers.
Owners who are consistently unavailable for playing games or who fall too far behind in playing scheduled games may be required to post a "performance" bond of $20 or less in order to be allowed to continue in the league. The performance bond shall be refunded to the owner upon the owner's completing playing his team's scheduled games.
Although the desire of the Wolverine League is to play games face-to-face with two owners present, owners may make arrangements to use the computer version of DLB for their games, provided they are using the players for the current season (i.e., 2025 Major League players for the 2026 Wolverine League season).
Team owners may name their team other than the real Major League team's nickname for that city. All team names are subject to approval by the league Commissioner (needless to say, the team name must be "family friendly"!
The "player pool" is the group of Major League baseball players that are eligible to be in the Wolverine League.
With four owners in the league, each of them selectws a franchise its respective ball park. The franchises are in Chicago (Cubs, Wrigley Field), Cincinnati (Reds, Great American Ball Park), Minnesota (Twins, Target Field), and Pittsburgh (Pirates, PNC Park). Two additional teams, the Detroit Tigers and the Los Angelese Dodgers, were added to the draft pool. Any player (who had a 2025 DLB player card) who was on the Spring Training 40-man roster or was an Invitee of these six teams is available to be drafted.
Teams: Owners may choose from any American or National League team. Additional team(s) noted above are selected by a vote of all franchises. Ties are broken by the Commissioner.
Players available in the draft: Consists of the players who are on the current 40-man official roster of the franchises owned in the Wolverine League, including Spring Training invitees listed at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Baseball_team_rosters that was saved on March 1, 2026. Players on these teams comprise the player pool. Keeping the talent in the player pool at a realistic level is very important.
Player pool size limit and ratios: It's important to limit the player pool size for several reasons. Anyone can draft a team of All-Stars, but not everyone can determine who are the better second and third line players, upcoming rookies and where to place emphasis when drafting scarce talent. Owners will find results and statistics will be much more realistic if they can avoid the platooning of All-Stars and throw in a few Luis Salazars. If the league expands, new teams will be added into the player pool for each expansion team, giving expansion teams a fair chance to compete rather than having all of the talent locked away. Trying to build a winning team is much more challenging and realistic using these ratios.
Teams added to the player pool:
3, 4, 5 and 6 franchises, add two additional teams.
8, 9, 10, 11, 12 franchises, add three additional teams.
16 franchises, add five additional teams.
20, 24 franchises, add six additional teams
The draft is a bidding style draft with a continuous ownership system. Each owner receives $300 of fictional money to spend on his team. A total of 38 players are drafted by each team, with a 26 man active roster. The draft consists of the following two phases:
Salary Cap: $300
Type of draft: Bidding style
Number of players selected in this phase: 26 per team
The Regular phase consists of open bidding for the first 26 active players on each team's roster with each team's salary cap at $300. Owners take turns announcing a player up for bid until all teams have 26 players on their active roster. Players are announced by owners starting with the franchise owner with the worst won-lost percentage from the previous year. Note that since everyone has the opportunity to bid on each player in the draft, there is no advantage in acquiring a player by announcing his name. Each owner must have at least $1 allocated to bid on each of the 25 players for his active roster. All bids must be in at least $1 increments.
Franchises are allowed to exceed the $300 salary limit after the draft and during the season when new players are acquired via trades, but must get below the $300 salary cap with at least $1 available to bid per player needed to fill out their 26 man roster before the regular phase of the next year's draft. Each player drafted in this round is signed to a three year contract, with the fourth year being an option year for the franchise at the same salary. At no time may any team have more than $330 in team salaries; this will especially apply after any trades.
Type of draft: Paired picks.
Number of players selected in this phase: 12 per team
The Minor League draft consists of paired picks (1 and 12, 2 and 11, etc.) which are determined on a "draw from the hat" basis from players who were not selected in the Regular phase of the draft.
These players have a different type of contract and salary than the players selected in the Regular phase of the draft. A player selected in the Minor League draft has a salary of $0 his first year. The franchise owner has the option of inviting the player back to the team the second year for a salary of $10 or releasing him back into the draft. The third year, the player must reenter the Regular phase of the draft.
Once a player has been drafted in the Regular phase, he must be kept on the owning Wolverine League team for a minimum of three years unless one of the following occurs, which automatically releases the player from the owning team prior to the draft:
1) He is traded to a real life team outside the Wolverine League player pool.
2) He becomes a real life free agent and signs with a real life team outside of the Wolverine League player pool.
3) He retires from baseball.
4) He is released and is not picked up by a real life team in the Wolverine League player pool.
5) For any reason other than injury, suspension or hold out, he is not on one of the 40-man rosters or a Spring Training invitee of one of the teams in the player pool prior to draft day.
When any one of the above occurs. the player leaves the team just before the next year draft and the salary paid to him goes back to the franchise owner, who now can use that money for next year's draft to acquire new players.
NOTE: The five conditions for automatically releasing a player listed above also apply to players signed to guaranteed contracts.
Buying Out Contracts:
Franchise owners may choose to buy out a player's contract for an amount equal to half the player's salary (rounded up to the nearest dollar) for each year remaining on the contract.
Ex: If Robin Yount was signed to a $40 contract during the regular phase of the draft (3 year contract plus option year) in 1990 and before the 1991 draft you wanted to get rid of him or had to get rid of him to get under the salary cap before the draft, it would cost you $20 (($40 x 1/2) = $20). The buy out amount would be subtracted from the $300 of available money for drafting players in both 1991 and 1992 since those years are still remaining on his contract. So in the above example, your salary cap before the draft in 1991 would be reduced by $20 ($300-$20=$280) to bring you to $280 available for the new draft. This would be the only situation where the salary cap would be below the $300 mark. Salary caps can never be increased above $300. Released players then re-enter the Regular phase draft.
Prior to the each year's draft each franchise must submit their current roster to the commissioner and provide a list of players who they choose to release (if any). This is done in order to provide a listing of players available for the draft. Once releases and buyouts are submitted to the Commissioner, no further releases or buyouts can take place prior to the draft.
A player's contract lasts three years with the fourth year being an option year for the franchise. This means that upon entering the fourth year of a player's contract:
1) The franchise owner has the choice of picking up the option on the contract for a fourth year at the same salary, after which the player will automatically re-enter the Regular phase of the draft.
2) The franchise owner has the choice of not picking up the option for a fourth year of the contract making that player a free agent. The player will then re-enter the Regular phase of the draft.
3) The franchise owner has the option of guaranteeing the contract for additional years. Once the guaranteed contract expires the player automatically re-enters the Regular phase of the draft. The player's salary is increased by $5 for each year the length of the contract is extended starting with the option year.
Ex: If you signed Don Mattingly originally for $30, and upon entering the 4th year of his contract, you decided to give him a 3 year guaranteed contract. His salary would be $45 ($30 + (3 yrs. x $5)) for years 4, 5 and 6.
Trading can occur at anytime except for the following exceptions:
1) Between the trade deadline and the end of the season. Trading deadline is July 31, 12 Midnight (between July 31 and August 1).
2) Starting 48 hours prior to the draft and continuing through the end of the draft.
Remember to report all trades to the Commissioner and League Statistician.
Whenever a new owner takes over a team he has the choice of taking the team "as is" or releasing his entire team into the free agent draft. The new owner will have $300 to use to bid on free agents in the Regular phase of the draft should he decide to release his entire team.
Teams shall not move to a different stadium during a season. Teams are also discouraged from moving to a new stadium between seasons. Returning owners may only move to a new stadium upon a 75% (or above) approval vote by all other returning owners. If an existing team is taken over by a new owner, that new owner may move to a different stadium between seasons without having to obtain approval from other owners. All players under contract in the league that were on the team in the city being moved away from will be "grandfathered" and may be retained by their current owners until the end of that player's contract even though those players' cards are not in the new draft pool. Players of the team in the city being moved to will be added to the draft pool.
The most important attributes of a Commissioner are the ability to get along with people, flexibility and patience, yet be able to earn the respect of the league members.
Responsibilities of a Commissioner:
1) League schedule
2) Recruitment of members
3) Creation and distribution of league reports (1 per month)
4) Settling disputes
5) Overseeing the operation of the league
The WL Commissioner for 2026 is Garry Kaluzny.
Responsibilities of a Co-Commissioner:
1) Rosters
2) First in line of succession for Commissioner
3) Draft day duties:
The WL Co-Commissioner for 2026 is currently vacant.
League Secretary responsibilities:
1) Draft day
2) Award ceremony
3) Second in line of succession for Commissioner
The league all-star game will occur after (about) the 24th game of the season, and may be hosted by the team with the best record at the time of all-star voting after (about) the 20th game of the season. All owners from both division may vote on both divisions' starters. The two division-leading owners at the time of voting shall manage in the all-star game and will pick extra players to fill out 26 man rosters for the all-star game. All teams must have at least one player on its division's all-star team. In future years, the all-star game site will be rotated to other teams' stadiums, with the team with the best record hosting the game in that year unless they have previously hosted an all-star game before all other teams have hosted it once.
League championship playoffs will take place during the month of October. The team with the best record plays at home for games 1-2 (and 6-7 if necessary). One off day is included after the end of the Regular season and after the first round of the Playoffs (if applicable) prior to the League Championship Series. Each series also includes an off day for travel after games 2 and 5. Assume a 7 game season to determine game availability and usage.
If both teams have the same record, the team that won the season series shall have games 1-2 at their stadium. If the teams involved split their season series, games 1-2 of the playoff shall be held at the home stadium of the team that outscored its opponent during the season, or if that is tied then highest run differential versus the rest of the league hosts games 1-2. If the above criteria fail to determine the host team for games 1-2, a coin flip shall be used to decide.
If necessary, a one game playoff (using the above criteria to determine the host team) will decide playoff seeding if teams are tied for playoff positions. This game will probably take place on the off day between the end of the regular season and the start of normal post-season play, which means the teams in the one-game playoff will not have the benefit of the off day.
The Wolverine League is registered with Design Depot, and Design Depot will provide the league champion with a free award certificate. It is hoped that owners will also contribute a small amount for the purchase of a small trophy or wall plaque for the league champion.
Win or lose, all owners should keep things in perspective and be a good sport. The Wolverine League shall not play for money because it only encourages cheating and arguments. Owners instead play for the Official Wolverine League award certificate. One of the worst things an owner can do as a league member is to fail to call his opponent well in advance if he can't make a game session. If owners have a dispute, try to settle it using the fairest and most realistic solution to actual baseball.
On September 1 and for the remainder of the regular season teams can expand their roster to 30 players. Note that "% limit" limitations do not apply to the September roster expansion.
Each team in the Wolverine League will play a 40 game schedule. Divided over six months from April to September will require owners to play about six or seven games per month to keep up with the schedule. Owners should allow 60 to 90 minutes per game to account for setting up, playing, and putting the game away. Statistical needs should account for another 15 to 30 minutes per game.
Games will not occur on a set day of the week. It is up to individual owners to make arrangements to play their scheduled games at a time convenient for both of them. It is the responsibility of the scheduled visiting owner to travel to the home owner's location. Owners may agree to make other arrangements, however, such as meeting at a neutral site.
Games must be played in order of the schedule. Players may not "skip ahead" to play a future series until all previously scheduled games have been played. This is to ensure that pitchers needing rest and players missing games due to injuries will be handled properly.
Can occur before each new series and will be in effect for the entire series. Players requiring rest can't be sent down to the minors. (i.e., you can't send down a pitcher who pitched the last game of your last series because you know he must rest and won't pitch in the next three game series). One player must be sent to the minors for each player called up in order to maintain the active roster at 26 players, except that no players need be sent to the minors after the September roster expansion. Note that any players sent to the minors cannot be called back for the next 10 days.
Scrub players are used for emergency purposes to replace players who have been injured for four games or more. Teams are able to place players from the scrub pile on their roster (players from the player pool who were not drafted) for the length of the injury. The scrub player may not be called up until just before the next day's game (i.e., scrubs can't be called up between games of a double-header). The scrub player selected must be able to play the same position as the player who was injured. Scrub players must be released back into the scrub pile when the player who was injured is eligible to return. Notify the Commissioner of all use of scrubs, including any limitations used by the scrub. Under certain conditions (i.e., between series), owners have the option of using a scrub or calling up a player from the minors to replace an injured player.
The entire league should use the same rule, Designated Hitter or no Designated Hitter, as determined by simple majority of owners. Ties are resolved by the Commissioner. The 2026 league is using the Designated Hitter rules.
Official up-to-date league statistics will be posted on the Wolverine League web site. League statistics will include: individual and team batting, pitching, and fielding stats; team standings; team rosters and contract status; team minor league assignments; injury reports; history of trades; schedules; and player limitations used and remaining.
Keeping of statistics is mandatory for all team owners. The home owner of each series shall be responsible for reporting game stats for that series to the Commissioner or League Statistician. At the very least, the home owner must turn in legible copies of line score sheets. Even better would be for the owner to make out an official Game Report Form for each game of the series.
Accurate statistics are a necessity. Besides allowing team owners to compare the performance of their players to the players' real-life counterparts, statistics are needed to ensure players are used in a realistic manner and that players with limitations are not over-used. It is also necessary to ensure that pitchers have adequate rest between game appearances.
Although it is recommended that owners use the Project Scoresheet system for recording game stats, owners may use any scoring method they are comfortable with.
STANDINGS AL W L Pct. GB Minnesota 19 13 .594 - Milwaukee 17 13 .567 1 Boston 16 13 .552 1.5 Detroit 11 19 .367 7 Chicago 7 20 .259 9.5 NL W L Pct. GB New York 26 9 .743 - Chicago 23 8 .742 1 St. Louis 19 13 .594 5.5 Cincinnati 13 17 .433 10.5 San Diego 6 30 .167 20.5
TRANSACTIONS:
MINNESOTA traded Cesar Tovar and Jim Perry to DETROIT for Bill Freehan and Mickey Stanley
June 28 Cin 5 at Bos 10 Det 5 at NY 7 Chi A 5 at SD 4 (14) Cin 2 at Bos 1 Det 0 at NY 7 Chi A 7 at SD 3 StL 4 at Chi A 2 Chi N 0 at Mil 7 StL 6 at Chi A 0 Chi N 3 at Mil 4 July 12 Bos 2 at NY 11 StL 6 at Det 5 Cin 7 at Min 15 Bos 3 at NY 4 StL 3 at Det 5 Cin 6 at Min 5
LEAGUE ROSTERS
Total $ spent: $291 Team: St. Louis
PITCHERS $ Contract Year
Gibson, Bob 46 2-4
Carlton, Steve 37 2-4
Osteen, Claude 29 3-4
Hoerner, Joe 10 4-4
Raymond, Claude 1 4-4
Grant, Mudcat 1 1-4
Arrigo, Jerry 1 1-4
Singer, Bill 8 1-4
Abernathy, Bill 1 1-4
Thigpen, Bobby 1 1-4
CATCHERS
McCarver, Tim 2 1-4
Bocabella, John 1 1-4
Didier, Bob 1 1-4
Dyer, Duffy 1 1-4
INFIELDERS
McCovey, Willie 32 3-4
Torre, Joe 20 4-4
Beckert, Glenn 17 3-4
Maxvill, Dal 3 3-4
Ruiz, Chico 1 3-4
Lefebvre, Jim 1 1-4
OUTFIELDERS
Aaron, Hank 31 3-4
Brock, Lou 26 4 AR 5 (guaranteed contract with
automatic release in 5th year)
Johnson, Alex 10 3-4
Tolan, Bobby 8 3-4
Gaston, Cito 2 1-4
MINORS
P Bouton, Jim 0 1-2
P Mikkelson, Pete 0 1-2
C Torborg, Jeff 0 1-2
IF Davanon, Jerry 0 1-2
P Robertson, Rich 0 1-2
PROSPECTS Minor League System
C Simmons, Ted St.L
SS Tyson, Mike St.L
P Hrabowsky, Al St.L
BUYOUTS
None
This report is required to be with you during all games. Owners must list AB used up on USE requirements and injuries as they occur during the game on reports. Also remember to always number your games on your scoresheet in the order you played them to determine injury length and pitcher rest. Opposing players and the Commissioner and Co-Commissioner may wish to view this report on request. It is also important to bring all of your scoresheets to games to check for pitcher availability due to rest requirements.
If a series of games is not played when scheduled, it is rescheduled and made up at a later time as soon as possible. For weather conditions, use the month (of the schedule) the games are actually played in. See official Major League rules 7.01 and 7.02. If a game is postponed due to weather (in game terms) or any other event resulting from the DLB game system, that game should be made up as part of a double-header the next day the two teams are scheduled to play, or as a single game if the next available day on the schedule is an open date for both teams. Report all postponements and suspended games to the Commissioner.
Rain outs are treated as an off day and count towards pitcher rest and injury duration. No more than two games can be played on any particular day of the season (although a suspended game may be completed before a double header). Pitchers do not receive any rest between games of a double header. A pitcher is only eligible to pitch in the 2nd game of a double-header if he would be eligible to pitch the following day. Use a pitcher's total use in both games of the double-header to determine rest requirements for the following day.
Note that if a game is begun but is then postponed due to weather before it is a regulation game, pitchers used may have to rest on the following day(s), depending on how many innings each pitcher actually pitched before the game was called off. Any players that were injured before the rainout remain injured. However, any at-bats do not count, so if a limited player used one or more of his limited at-bats, erase those used at-bats. No statistics are saved from games that are postponed before they became regulation games.
Games that are missed must be made up as soon as possible. Always make sure to call your opponent and either the Commisioner or Co-Commisioner if you can not play your opponent during the scheduled date. For weather purposes, use the month of the schedule that you are actually playing the rescheduled game in.
Prior to any new series you must determine and record your 26 man roster. Minor leaguers may be called up prior to a series beginning. Changes to rosters between games of a series may only be made due to injuries, and only by calling up a "scrub" player.
If injuries or ejections leave you with no players who can play a position, the most logical player (players who have played the position before in their careers, infielders playing other infield positions, etc.) is used for the remainder of the game and is assigned the worst possible defensive ratings. This situation must be remedied after the game or series either by a call-up from a team's minor league, trade or acquiring a "scrub" player left over from the draft.
In extra innings, a pitcher may play the outfield or infield for one batter using the worst possible defensive ratings if the manager wants to make a double switch and bring in a new pitcher for one batter and keep the current pitcher in the game.
Players who can play left field (as listed on their card) may play right field using his left field ratings (unless the player has a different right field rating on his card in which case the printed rating is used). The reverse also applies (a listed right fielder may play left field even if the position isn't listed on his card). A player who can play center field (as listed on his card) may play any outfield position, using the most logical rating off his card. As an example, if a player can play CF and LF as listed on his card and is playing in RF, use the LF ratings on the card (assuming there is no RF rating on his card).
Report Key:
AB vs. LH, vs. RH = update running total after each game.
C (33) = Called up for his USE %. ( ) is game called up.
I#12 (15) = List all players who are injured with this code. This example would indicate that the player was injured in game # 12 and is out for 15 days.
PLAYER
List all players on roster with USE restrictions. List players with LH and RH AB limits on two lines, vs. LH and vs. RH)
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Players with a "%" limitation are only available to be on a team's roster for a pro-rated number of games during the entire season. It does not apply to how many games the player can actually appear in, although a player (obviously) can not play in more games than he is allowed to be on the roster for. Example: A player has a "50%" limitation. Pro-rated to a 40 game season, 50% is equal to 40 * 50% = 20 games, which means the player may be on the team's roster for a maximum of 20 games throughout the entire season, regardless of how many games the player actually appears in.
Players with limitations versus left-handed or right-handed pitchers may only accumulate official at-bats up to their pro-rated limit number. Example: If a player is listed as having "vs. LH 25, vs. RH 34," that player may have 25 / 162 * 40 = 6.17, rounded down to 6, at-bats vs. left-handed pitchers and 34 / 162 * 40 = 8.40, rounded down to 8, at-bats vs. right-handed pitchers in the entire season. If a player has no limitations left versus a particular handed pitcher, an owner may not bring that player into a game to bat. If a player has used up his limitations versus a particular handed pitcher and is in the lineup when the opposition switches pitchers to the handed pitcher that the player may not bat versus, the player must be replaced unless there is no other player available to bat except pitchers.
Players with "vs. LH" or "vs. RH" limitations can't pinch hit or start a game unless he has a platoon advantage (RH vs. LH or LH vs. RH) and at least 25 AB (listed on his card, not the pro-rated number) vs. the pitcher he has the advantage against.
Pitchers with a "spot" limitation may only start the pro-rated number of games allowed. Example: A pitcher has a "spot 9" limitation. The pitcher may only start 9 / 162 * 40 = 2.22, rounded down to 2, games during the season.
All player limitations will be recalculated for post-season play before each new playoff series based on a seven game season. If a team needs a one-game playoff to qualify for a best-of-seven playoff series, any limitations used in the single game playoff will count towards the first seven game limit.
Owners who overuse players risk forfeiture of all games won by their team in which an over-used player appears in!
Pitchers may not be used to pinch hit unless that pitcher has at least 60 offensive at bats on his card (even if he's just going to bunt).
All player injuries use the full number of days of the injury (i.e., it's not pro-rated like limitations). If a player is injured for one day he must leave the current game he's in and may not play any more on that day. He may return to the lineup on the next day. A player injured for two days must leave the current game he's in and may not play any more that day or the next day. Injuries for longer periods of time are handled in the same manner.
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Latest update: April 18, 2026