Scrye 13 - 60 - Donruss: Top of the Order - Tournament Rules and Deck Construction Tips
One constant in baseball is that pitchers can play only
so many innings before their arms get tired (and relief
pitchers can only play so many outs). Because pitchers
will need to rest in between games, charts have been
provided to help players determine when and if a pitcher
is ready to pitch.
The number in the box represents the number of days
off that the pitcher must take before he can pitch again. If
your league does not use a schedule with days between
games, then the number represents the number of games
the pitcher has to miss before he can pitch again.
Relief pitchers are given a number of fatigue points
equal to 5 + their pitcher rating. The number in the previous
box represents the number of fatigue points that the pitcher
accumulates during that outing. After an appearance, if the
pitcher has fatigue points in excess of his fatigue rating, he
must take a day off before he can pitch again. If your league
does not use a schedule with days between games, then he
must miss the next game. When a player takes a day off, his
fatigue points drop to zero.
TOURNAMENT RULES
1. All matches are set randomly.
2. Players draft their team as nor-
mal. The team must include a des-
ignated hitter to bat in place of
the pitcher.
3. Players only play three innings.
4. On the first inning each player
starts with a runner with the Run
(+) skill on second base. The sec-
ond inning starts with Run (+)
runners on first and second. The
third inning starts with bases
loaded with Run (+) runners. The
team with the most runs wins. If
the score is tied at the end of
three innings, each player plays an
extra inning. Play continues until
both teams have played an equal
number of extra innings and one team has more runs.
This tournament style of play is used until four final-
ists have been determined, at which point the games are
played out normally. Each player will be randomly paired
off in single elimination games until one ultimate winner
is determined.
DECK CONSTRUCTION
4. On the first inning each player
starts with a runner with the Run
(+) skill on second base. The sec-
ond inning starts with Run (+)
runners on first and second. The
third inning starts with bases
loaded with Run (+) runners. The
team with the most runs wins. If
the score is tied at the end of
three innings, each player plays an
extra inning. Play continues until
both teams have played an equal
number of extra innings and one team has more runs.
This tournament style of play is used until four final-
ists have been determined, at which point the games are
played out normally. Each player will be randomly paired
off in single elimination games until one ultimate winner
is determined.
DECK CONSTRUCTION
After you have mas-
tered the rules for Top Of
The Order, your next step
is deck design. A well-
designed deck can beat
any team, no matter how
good its players are.
Here's how to make a
deck that will win the
World Series. (Note that
the following suggestions
are meant for expert
players. Novice and inter-
mediate players may want
to skip this section as it
reflects a deep under-
standing of the rules and
is not necessary to play and enjoy the game.)
1. Draft a team with players that will work well together.
If you draft a player with Run (+), remember that once he
gets on base he will still need heavy hitters to bring him
home. If you plan to take a pitcher who throws a number
of inside fastballs to right-hand hitters, then you should
draft a good defensive third baseman. In short, plan
ahead for what may occur as a result of the pitches you
intend to use and plug any holes that may exist in your
defense with skilled players.
2. Stack your deck effectively. If you look at the pitch/swing
results in the lower left-hand corner of a card, you will find
