How to Organize a Baseball Home Run Derby

Want another way to gamble? Don't have time for a fantasy baseball league? A Home Run Derby is easy to organize and gives you and your friends another outlet for smack talk. It's simply a draft format of 8 to 12 Major League Baseball Players. Whichever team hits the most homers at the end of the year wins.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Friends/Opponets
• Stat Sheets
• Timer
• Internet (optional)

1. Invite up to 20 people to join your Home Run Derby League. Inform them of the draft time and place to show up. If they are not in the area, put them on speaker phone.
2. Explain the rules. Determine what the buy-in is going to be. Every team picks one home run hitter per round in a draft format. They have two minutes for each of their selections. Everyone picks eight players. It's a snake draft, so the last person in the draft also starts the second round and the order is then reversed.
3. Select names out of a hat to determine draft order.
4. Provide a print out of the top 100 baseball home run hitters from the previous year. Players are encouraged to use whatever research they think will help them.
5. Keep the draft moving. If a player can't make a decision in under two minutes, autodraft for them. They would automatically get the next player on your top 100 list that hasn't already been selected.
6. Choose one alternate player only after everyone has drafted their eight man team. A person can insert their alternate player at any time into their lineup due to injury or poor performance. However, only one roster move is allowed, so make sure to inform them to use it wisely.
7. Collect the buy-in amount at the draft. If a team owner is not present, make sure you get them to send you a check right away. It is your job as organizer to make sure that everyone pays up.
8. Provide the stats for every team and league standings at the end of each month. This information can be shared through email in a spreadsheet. During the last month of the season provide an extra tally with two weeks left in the season.
9. Pay the winner.

Tips & Warnings

• Make a night of the draft. Get a couple pizzas and beverages.
• Note the date that a team owner places their alternate into their lineup. All home runs hit to that point for the player removed will still be counted. Also, all home runs hit by the replacement player prior to being inserted will not count.
• Don't let stragglers get away from you. There is always a person who doesn't want to pay. An organizer must assure quick and exact payment to the winner.