The Beginning:
Formed in 2017 by Heath Crocker and Zack Timmermeyer, the MLS Draft League is Auburn's first draft league for recreational softball. In its first inaugural season, the Draft League's orginal 8 consisted of the Cubs, Expos, Marlins, Giants, A's, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and White Sox. The league's foundation is based off of the MLB concept, with MLB team names, replica sublimated jerseys, website, official scorebook, stats, pictures, league leaders, and season/playoff format. The season also includes an end of the season All-Star Game and Home Run Derby, showcasing and rewarding the talents of players of each position of the regular season for NL and AL. Each team makes playoffs, competing in their own divisional series, hoping to ultimately win the pennant and compete in the MLS Draft League World Series. The Draft League has a rulebook which follows ASA official rules, as well as customized rules pertaining to just this league. A board of officials, consisting of Crocker, Timmermeyer, scorekeeper and legend Christopher White, Scott Corriveau, and Dan Brannigan was put together to handle all league matters and develop the best league in the state of Maine. Currently the Draft League has 12 teams, consisting of 144 players from all over the state of Maine. American League plays on Mondays, National League on Thursdays, and Senior League (40+ of age) are on Sundays, and newly added and very popular "A League of Their Own" Women's league plays on Wednesday evenings. American and National League has crossovers, where each team will play on the other's night if the other league is the home team.
The Idea:
With softball numbers diminisioning in local softball, something needed to be done to bring back the life and fun of softball to the local Lewiston/Auburn community. In the regular leagues, a team can join with legal/approved players to compete for the league title. Some teams are stacked, some teams are just a bunch of guys looking to have fun. Problem was, over the years, the stacked teams continued to win and the average joes teams were fading off. It became leagues of the Elites and leagues of the Averages. With the Draft League, each player pays their individual entry fee and are entered into a draft pool. Each player is ranked Elite, A, B, or C depending on their skill level and level of competition. Each year, volunteer managers hold a live draft and select each player in a snake-style draft. This way, each team has the same opportunity to draft a balanced, competitive team. Each team will have their top players, their mid-players, and average joes that just love the game. It all comes down to how the managers draft and how well the players gel as a team with chemistry. It's like fantasy baseball, managers must build and develop a team based on what they have. Strategy, lineups, positions, and chemistry are what will define the good teams from the bad. You could start off cold and then come together as a team and just click when it matters most.
The Draft:
After each player and manager has been ranked, the managers are voted on by fellow managers and league board as to where they would presumably be drafted had they not been a manager. This allows for players of all skill level to be a manager, and also give each team an equal opportunity. If you are a 1st round pick player/manager, you forgo your first pick and select yourself, while a 10th round player manager gets a 1st round pick but selected him/herself as the 10th round pick. The draft order is randomized 1 hour prior to draft, and draft is held live at an off-site location. In 2018, the draft was streamed via a website where players could watch the draft live from their own homes. In 2020 and again in 2021, the draft is held at the Senior Community Center next to the Auburn Rec Department. No one knows what team they will be on, or who they will be playing with. Once the draft is complete, players will be contacted by the team manager, and jerseys and hats will be ordered with that player's name, size, and number.
Any questions, visit our Facebook page: MLS DRAFT LEAGUE
or message: Zack Timmermeyer or Heath Crocker.
