The problems that you have experienced with ESPN Fantasy Baseball to begin this season have been unacceptable, and we are genuinely sorry.
Fixing these problems and restoring your ability to play fantasy baseball, as well as illustrating our appreciation of you - our players - is our responsibility. We will take important steps in the next 24 hours to meet that responsibility.
We have explored and tested every possible solution and it is clear that the nature of the issues leave us with a single, necessary action to get the game back on track and ensure the integrity of the season.
Late on Wednesday night the ESPN Fantasy team will:
1) Revert all teams to their opening day rosters (Sunday, April 1).
2) Set the starting lineup of each team's opening day roster as the active roster for all games played to date (April 1 - April 11).
3) Retroactively apply scoring for the entire season to date based on that roster.
4) Void all transactions to date (trades, waiver pickups, roster moves, etc.).
Following these changes, all players not on a roster will be placed on waivers for 24 hours, and the waiver order for each league will be restored to where it was on Opening Day.
Through extensive testing, this solution - while extreme - has repeatedly shown to restore the game to full and normal operation.
We are sorry to have to make such an aggressive change, and fully recognize the impact this will have. This action was our only option because of the nature of the issues and their potential to compound if not addressed on a fundamental level. Ensuring the integrity of the season ahead for ALL players is tremendously important to us and this solution ensures that all players will be treated equally.
We anticipate that by Thursday morning when you log in, the game will be operating as it should. We will provide another update to you on Thursday morning.
For those with customized leagues, your League Manager will be able to adjust current rosters as they see fit.
This should not have happened and there is no excuse. We will work hard to regain your confidence in our games, and in appreciation for the patience you've already shown we are giving you: - Free ESPN Fantasy Insider, for the entire baseball season. By Friday, you each will have complete access to all of our most in-depth, award-winning fantasy sports content through September. (Current ESPN Insider subscribers will have six months added to their subscription at no charge)
- A full refund for the cost of the 2007 season to any player that has paid for a premium ESPN Fantasy Baseball league.
We also know that many of you play other ESPN Fantasy Games, and are giving you a premium, prize-eligible ESPN Fantasy Football league this fall, at no charge. We hope you'll give us the opportunity to serve you.
Like you, we are also fantasy baseball players at ESPN, and this has been a truly humbling week. Thank you for hanging in there with us while we addressed these issues.
You - the player - are our priority. We will continue to work day and night to deliver the game experience you deserve.
Sincerely,
John Kosner, senior vice president, ESPN.com & the entire ESPN.com Fantasy Team
