What Would MLB Do In The Event Of A Team Disaster?

[SammyBirdland]

Here is an interesting article in the wake of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl tragedy.

SBNation.com: What Would MLB Do In The Event Of A Team Disaster?

Under the N.L. arrangement, if an accident deprives one club of seven or more players, each of the other nine teams will make available a list of 12 players from their 25-man rosters. The stricken club may then pick its replacements from this group, with a limit of two players from one club. If an entire team should be lost, the remaining seven players would have to be obtained from the minors or by purchases. The cost of each player drafted under the disaster plan was set at $100,000. However, a $2,500,000 insurance fund was provided at a cost of $2,000 per club per year.

[Gurgi]

Is there any rules or guidelines developed? If not I would think they go with the minor league team. However maybe they come up with something on the spur of the moment that would be much like what you quoted.

[BaltimoreTerp]

There are rules (I'll dig them up tomorrow) that cover the situation. I've seen them, and they are freely available online.

[scOtt]

There are rules (I'll dig them up tomorrow) that cover the situation. I've seen them, and they are freely available online.

That's kind of morbid. But necessary, I guess...

[BaltimoreTerp]

http://bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4451:major-league-baseball-rules-2008&catid=7:selection-of-docs&Itemid=25

Rule 29MAJOR LEAGUE DISASTER PLAN(a) EVENT QUALIFYING AS A DISASTER. If a common accident, epidemic illness or other common event (referred to in this Rule 29 as an "occurrence") causes the death,dismemberment or permanent disability from playing professional baseball of    (1) at least five players on a Major League Club's Active, Disabled or Suspended Lists during the period beginning with the opening date of such Club's championshipseason through the conclusion of such Club's playing season (including any post-season series); or    (2) at least six players on a Major League Club's Major League Reserve List during the period beginning with the conclusion of such Club's playing season (including anypost-season series) up to the opening date of such Club's next championship seasonthen this Rule 29 shall apply and the affected Major League Club shall be a “Disabled Club.”(b) PROCEDURES. The following policies and procedures shall govern in the event that there is a Disabled Club or Clubs:    (1) Mourning Period. The Commissioner may, after consultation with the Major League Baseball Players Association (“Players Association”), establish a mourning periodfollowing the occurrence that leads to a Club becoming a Disabled Club, during which Major League games may be postponed or cancelled.    (2) Continuation of Disabled Club's Season. The Commissioner shall, after consultation with the Players Association, determine whether the Disabled Club is able tocontinue play until the conclusion of the championship season and post-season, taking into account the date of the occurrence, the standing of the Disabled Club at thetime of the occurrence, the Disabled Club’s wishes and the integrity of the game of Baseball. The Commissioner and the Players Association shall jointly resolve allscheduling issues that may arise from prolonged interruption or cancellation of the Disabled Club’s season.    (3) Restocking Draft. The Commissioner may, after consultation with the Players Association, conduct a selection meeting, at which a Disabled Club may claim thecontracts of players from other Major League Clubs. Such selection meeting shall be known as a Restocking Draft or Rule 29 draft. In the event the Commissioner decidesto conduct a Restocking Draft, the Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee shall fix the time of such Restocking Draft and the procedures described in Rules29(b)(3)(A) through 29(b)(3)© shall apply.         (A) Players Available.              (i) Number. Each Major League Club that is not a Disabled Club shall, on a date determined by the Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee, submit a list offive players who shall be made available for selection by the Disabled Club at a Restocking Draft. Such lists shall be submitted by each non-Disabled Club to theCommissioner or the Commissioner's designee, who promptly shall make such lists available to the Disabled Club. If the Restocking Draft is in response to an in-seasonoccurrence, as described in Rule 29(a)(1), then each non-Disabled Club shall choose the five players to make available from among such Club's Major League Active List asof the date of the Disabled Club's accident, or as of a date determined by the Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee in the event of an occurrence that is not acommon accident. If the Restocking Draft is in response to an off-season occurrence, as described in Rule 29(a)(2), then each non-Disabled Club shall choose the fiveplayers to make available from among such Club's Major League Reserve List as of the date of the Disabled Club's accident, or as of a date determined by the Commissioneror the Commissioner's designee in the event of an occurrence that is not a common accident.              (ii) Positions. Unless otherwise ordered by the Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee, after consultation with the Players Association, each Club's list ofavailable players for a Restocking Draft shall include one pitcher, one catcher, one outfielder, one infielder and a fifth player of any position. The Commissioner or theCommissioner's designee may, after consultation with the Players Association, modify the playing positions at which the Clubs must make players available for a RestockingDraft, depending upon the playing positions of the players lost by the Disabled Club. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Rule 29(b)(3)(A)(ii), no Club shall berequired to make available in a Restocking Draft any player who is primarily a catcher if such Club had, as of the date of the Disabled Club's accident (or as of the datedetermined by the Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee in the event of an occurrence that is not a common accident), fewer than three catchers who areotherwise eligible to be made available for selection.              (iii) Service. Subject to paragraph (b)(3)(A)(i) above, each Club that is not a Disabled Club shall include in its list of available players for a Restocking Draft atleast as many players who have accrued no less than 60 days of Major League service time as of August 31 of the season preceding such Restocking Draft as the DisabledClub lost.                   (bb) with a contractual provision that lists Clubs to which the player may be assigned and the Club that has become a Disabled Club is not on such list; or                   (cc) who has a right to consent to an assignment pursuant to Article XIX(A)(1) of the Basic Agreement (Consent to Assignment),may not be made available for selection at a Restocking Draft, unless such player has waived such rights in writing and in accordance with the provisions of ArticleXIX(A)(1) of the Basic Agreement, prior to the time the lists described in Rule 29(b)(3)(A) are required to be submitted. The Club shall provide a copy of the Player’sconsent to the Players Association contemporaneously upon the Club’s receipt of such consent.              (iv) No-Trade Rights. Any player with a right to consent to an assignment to another Major League Club, including a player                   (aa) with a contractual provision that prohibits an assignment to the Club that has become a Disabled Club;                   (bb) with a contractual provision that lists Clubs to which the player may be assigned and the Club that has become a Disabled Club is not on such list; or                   (cc) who has a right to consent to an assignment pursuant to Article XIX(A)(1) of the Basic Agreement (Consent to Assignment),may not be made available for selection at a Restocking Draft, unless such player has waived such rights in writing and in accordance with the provisions of ArticleXIX(A)(1) of the Basic Agreement, prior to the time the lists described in Rule 29(b)(3)(A) are required to be submitted. The Club shall provide a copy of the Player’sconsent to the Players Association contemporaneously upon the Club’s receipt of such consent.              (v) Availability. Each Club warrants that each player it makes available for selection at a Restocking Draft is physically fit, not on a Suspended, Restricted,Disqualified, or Ineligible List and capable of playing immediately upon selection by a Disabled Club.         (B) Conduct of Restocking Draft. The Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee shall fix the time and place of each Restocking Draft. A Restocking Draft may beconducted by telephone conference or other electronic means, as the Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee may announce in advance of such Restocking Draft.The Players Association shall have an opportunity to have a representative at any Restocking Draft. A Disabled Club shall be entitled to select as many players as it lost inthe occurrence, provided that the Disabled Club may select no more than one player from each of the other Major League Clubs.         © Effect of Selection. Each player selected in response to an in-season occurrence, as described in Rule 29(a)(1), shall be assigned to the Major League ActiveList of the selecting Disabled Club. Each player selected in response to an off-season occurrence, as described in Rule 29(a)(2), shall be assigned to the Major LeagueReserve List of the selecting Disabled Club. Within 48 hours of selection of a player in a Restocking Draft, the Disabled Club may, in its discretion, conduct a physicalexamination of such player. If the player is deemed by the Disabled Club’s physician not fit to play, the Disabled Club may return the player to the Club from which theplayer was selected and select, from among the lists submitted pursuant to Rule 29(b)(3)(A), a different player from that Club or from any other Major League Club fromwhich the Disabled Club has yet to make a selection. If a player is returned pursuant to this Rule 29(b)(3)©, the Club from which the player had been selected may befined and otherwise sanctioned by the Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee for having made available for selection a physically unfit player.         (D) Confidentiality. The Commissioner or the Commissioner’s designee shall make available only to the Disabled Club and the Players Association the names of theplayers whose contracts are available for selection in the Restocking Draft. The names of the players whose contracts are not thereafter selected shall be consideredprivileged material, and shall not be divulged by the Commissioner (or his designee), the Disabled Club or the Players Association at any time whatsoever.    (4) The Commissioner and the Players Association may agree that it is appropriate to provide other relief to a Disabled Club, including, for example, the awarding ofadditional selections in subsequent Rule 4 or Rule 5 drafts, priority on waiver claims for a set period of time and the modification of the deadline for naming a post-seasonroster.© INSURANCE. The Office of the Commissioner shall exercise best efforts to maintain appropriate insurance to assist in the financial rehabilitation of a Disabled Club andother Major League Clubs affected by the occurrence giving rise to the Disabled Club. The Commissioner shall have sole discretion over the allocation of any resultinginsurance proceeds and may elect to distribute such proceeds, in whole or in part, to a Disabled Club, to Clubs that lose a player in a Restocking Draft and to other Clubswhose operations may be affected by an interruption in a Disabled Club’s season.

I copied, since it is a freely-available file at the link above.

[Gurgi]

Very interesting. Glad they have a plan at least.