There are a few differences. The main difference is that the major league is not split up into 2 distinct leagues, but rather 4 regionally aligned divisions.
Because of this, the playoff format is different; the best 3 teams in each division make the playoffs. Teams 2 and 3 will play a series while the #1 seeds have a bye. Then the winner will play their division's #1. You must make it through your division before you can face teams from other divisions in the playoffs.
The season is 156 game with 12 games against each member in your division and a 3 game series against every other team.
The league was founded in 1980 and has operated continuously up until now, 2017. We simmed 20 years and then the human GM's took over. We did this because it gives the league an identity right from the start. There are no 30 year old players with no history. Secondly, you can use the history to properly evaluate the league environment. Instead of waiting 5 seasons and several months real-time, you can immediately see how things stack up. Sometimes with new leagues, things don't play out the way you planned. This file has been perfected through trial and error and it's completely ready to go with no changes needed.
Loehring took over the Diamondbacks in 2009 and has since then taken the team to the playoffs once in 2015 and is usually always in the hunt. The league has also been waiting for years for issue #2 of the Skyline Report.
D-Rich joined Skyline at the start of season 2 and can talk SKY baseball with you all day long. The Braves are highly regarded around the league and seem to make the playoffs every single year. It's just a matter of time before the Braves win their first title. D-Rich is a regular on the Skyline Baseball Podcast.
JP is a Skyline powerhouse. He has managed the O's since 2003 and has taken home three Skyline titles along the way.
Everitt joined the league after the 2000 season and the Bo Sox have always been in great hands. Everitt owns a custom Strato-o-Matic 2001 Red Sox team set, and also sports an Esteban Bermeo Sox jersey around town.
Speller's Angels are always at the top of the standings. He loves to take on the bad-guy persona, and while everyone is bashing his trades, Speller is helping run the best league around. From #skytrivia to live streaming play by play during the playoffs, to hosting the Skyline Baseball Podcast, Speller is a very important member of the SKY community and is what sets us apart from the rest. He has won a single title in 2013.
Ryan took over the Cubbies in 2012 and had a lot of salary on the books. He's has kept the team competitive with not a lot of extra money. He has been biding his time until his youngsters are ready and the team has some money to spend. It should be coming together soon for the upstart Cubs.
Zach has been around since 2002 and has guided the Sox to 6 playoff appearance and one finals in 2005. Millers "Oh yeahs!" can be heard in the Slack frequently after a trade or a big free agent signing. He is a solid GM who always have the south side competing hard.
"Cincimatti" has been in charge of the Reds since the midle of the 2004 season. Parker usually goes out and buys a big bat in the offseason and is looking to win every season. He dreams of hoising the SKY Championship Trophy one day soon.
Grayson joined the league in 2001 and is one of the quieter GM's. Not a lot of trading. Not a lot of Slack chatter. About the only thing there is a lot of is playoff games, and the Indians are very familiar with those.
Kiefer came into the league in 2001 as the Yankees GM. That lasted a couple sims before he moved to Denver. It was the best decision the organization made, as the Rockies have been a Central Division powerhouse. The only thing missing from Kiefer's resume is that elusive SKY series title.
Erick is an original SKY GM, who originally ran the Diamondbacks until 2009 when he left for the Motor City. While his D-Backs were playoff contenders most seasons, the move to Detroit has been tough. Tough fans. Tough owner. The Tigers always feel very close to making noise and they just seem to fall a little short. The SKY will be a very happy place when they do finally make it to the promised land.
Sterling joined the SKY in 2002 as GM of the 'Stros and is known as a man who likes draft picks and playoff games. Houston's 2012 SKY Series trophy is the highlight of a very tough Houston side who is always there in October when the stakes are higher.
While there are many GM's who love to make trades, some would say that Matt Kramers livelyhood depends on it. Matt probably makes more trades in one season then most GM's do in their entire careers. While you are reading this, Matt has just made another trade. The Royals are always tough, and you never know what kind of lineup you'll be facing. Matt has a system and always sticks to it. Perform poorly, and you're gone. Perform well..... you are also gone.
Vegas Dan took over in 2011 and took a pretty bad Vegas side and turned them into a very good squad. They have built a solid young core and are looking to make some playoff noise in the near future. Dan can sometimes be seen in the booth during the playoffs along side Jake as they broadcast live on Twitch.
Kadis has led the Dodgers from the start of the human era in 2000. The Dodgers are playoff main-stay and won the Skyline Series in 2009. The team had a perfect 15-0 playoff record.
Jay has been at the helm of the Marlins since the beginning and is closely associated with the middle finger emoji in the Slack chat. All jokes aside, the Marlins are always a very tough team to face. Their crowning achievement was the 2003 SKY Series championship.
Simpsons Brewers are usually built on hitting for average, speed, and solid defense. These philosophies have produced many playoff games for the Brew Crew. Simpson is still looking for that title, but he is a great GM who always has his team in the mix at the end of the season.
Sky has been the GM of the Twins since 2001. He knows how to develop players and if it wasn't for some major injuries to some big time players, he may already have won his first title. The Twins future is bright and stable and the Minny faithful are very excited about the squad.
Jangles is a personality like no other. One thing is for certain though, he is a top GM who can turn around a team in a couple of seasons. The Expos are always competing in the North since Jangles took over in 2008. He is a SKY original GM who took a short break after controlling the Blue Jays for 3 seasons.
Brandon took control of the Mets towards the end of our first season and there was no looking back. The Mets are regarded as one of the most successful SKY teams around. 3 titles and a yearly contender, the Mets are always fighting for top spot in the North.
Higgs was the Cubs GM from 2002-2011. He won the SKY series with the Cubbies in 2011, and then prompty left for New York to take over his hometown Yankees. The Bronx Bombers were in tough shape and Higgins has had a blast rebuilding and taking them where every Yankee fan knows they belong; the playoffs.
Andy joined in the opening SKY season as the White Sox. He moved to Oakland in the 2002 season and he has had a tough chore building a squad with the smallest fan-base, budget, payroll, you name it, in the league. Everything has been coming together lately as the A's are looking to win their first Pacific Division title and make the playoff for the first time in team history.
Snider took over the Phillies late in the opening season and is the league's minor league expert. He is a regular on the Skyline Baseball Podcast, and also takes care of minor league relocation requests. In other words, Trent is a very important member of the SKY community. His Phils magical run to the SKY Series in 2011 was a highlight for Snider. #skyminors is awaiting the next report!!
Tarlo is a two-time SKY Champion. He joined the league early in the 2006 preseason and has had the Pirates in contention for most of his tenure. Tarlo is occasionally heard on the Skyline Baseball Podcast.
"Bendiego" took over the toughest task in SKY in 2012 and that was the San Diego Padres. A team left for the ruins, Ben came in and has been patient and methodical in his apporoach to getting the Pads on the right track and the team is looking incredible for the first time in their history. Wozniak is an OOTP vet and it shows big time in his squad. Ben is an actual original SKY member and was the Brewers first GM for a very short period before taking a hiatus from the league.
SF Matt has been the Giants GM since the start of the 2002 season. The Giants have had their ups and downs, but they are always a tough squad to deal with. A tough Pacific Division has maybe limited their playoff appearances, but a new rebuild is underway there, and the Giants hope to emulate teams like the Padres and Athletics and take their turn representing the Pacific in the SKY Series.
Dustin was the original Angels GM for the first 2 months of the opening season, and jumped at the chance to take over the Mariners, his hometown team. Luckily for the M's, they got one of the best GM's in the game. Seattle is syonymous with greatness, and the M's find themselves in the postseason year after year. Two SKY titles live in Seattle and while Hulbrock takes a lot of heat in chat for constantly winning, everyone respects him as one of the best GM's around.
Treece joined the SKY in late 2008 as GM of the Knights. He moved to St. Louis at the end of the 2011 season and has turned the team into a Central division offensive juggernaut. The Cards are very close to taking home their first championship
Lenz is the long time Rangers GM taking over in 2002 and is known for putting together some interesting pitching rotations and strategies. The Rangers have been close to being great, but they have never taken that full leap to the next level. This latest Rangers team looks like they will be making a lot of noise for many years to come.
Amin joined the SKY in 2003 as the Orioles GM. The Jays opened up that same season and Liaghti bolted to take over his hometown team. He loves to stack picks and has his team in the playoffs yearly. The Jays have made one SKY Series, and are the odds on favourite to take home their first title pretty soon.
Alberto is an original, joining the league within two sims as the Tampa Bay Rays GM. He orchastrated a move to Richmond Virginia as the team struggled with a new stadium deal in the city of Tampa. The move has been great. Richmond has embraced the team and the Black Bears are looking very strong these days in a tough Atlantic Division.
Iggy took over the Nats in 2009 while the team was in a pretty bad place. He went into rebuild mode very quickly and got the team back to the playoffs in 2012 winning their opening series against the Pirates. Iggy is a solid GM who is still looking for his first SKY Series championship. He is here to see that out.
Join Jake Speller, D-Rich & Trent Snider for all of your SKY news, predictions and knowledge as the team is approaching 40 episodes.
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Find Us Now!The Skyline Leauge and most OOTP online leagues will follow the MLB ruleset as a baseline. Most will then tweak them to their liking. Our unique SKY rules are listed here.
