What exactly does it mean when a team gives a player the "Franchise" tag?
94938
It means that a team can resign that player for the average of the top 10 player salaries at that position.1 year contract and the money is not guarenteed untill the 1st game of the regular season.
483846
If they are drafted by a team they do not want to join, they can either request a trade or sit out a full season and get drafted again next year.  They cannot play for another team that season.
739571
It means the player will get paid the same whether they're playing in the NHL or in the minor league.
1079915
It means the number of times a player has represented his country
68793
Back in the 80's the Canadian teams had the "Molson's Three Stars" where each time the player gets named one of the three stars they would accumulate points for a trophy that was sponsored by Molson. But that sponsorhip was all about recognition and so it continues today. Teams use this in many cases to have a name sponsor to the three stars so it is as much advertising as it is for recognition.
809608
mail it to the stadium or business address of the team he plays for, even if you have the home address it is bad form. most players do not sign autographs through the mail, too many people turn around and sell it. most players are pretty good about autographing a couple dozen or so balls or whatever before games but if they turn you down dont be upset they have to get on with the day like anyone else, and DO NOT ask if see them eating out alone or with family real bad form even if they are already autographing just dont do it, and after games is bad also. Well hope I did not confuse you too much
704454
no, not in fantasy sports...you have to either use the basic avatar character or the given jersey/helmet logos....nothing personalized can be used....\n-nny
139986
I hate how the NBA promotes the superstar of each team and not the whole team.  \n\nFor example, "Come see Kobe and the Lakers as they play the Shaq and the Heat!"  when they should be saying Lakers vs. Heat.  We all know who the superstar is.  It is a team sport.\n\nThere is no "I" in team.  Although Kobe could say "There is no team without "me".
121828
By professional baseball, we'll go as the real definition.  Someone who is paid to play, including minor leagues.\n\nThat would be Bud Fowler, who was a minor league pitcher in 1878.\nCatcher Fleet Walker was the first Major League player in 1883.\nCharlie Grant was signed by the Baltimore Orioles in 1902 and played in spring training, who claimed his was an Indian in order to get around the color barriers, but was released when the plan was revealed by another owner.\nThen there were all the Negro Leagues, which were considered Professional leagues.\nWhile deserving of praise, Jackie Robinson was the first black baseball player in Major League Baseball (MLB), but not the first professional black baseball player.\n\n(And his number has not been retired by the NY Yankees, since Marino Rivera is still actively wearing it, but will be retired upon Rivera's retirement).
1087583
No, it just means that the players that got the card will be replaced by another player in the next game. The punishment goes to the player not the team
121305
Nope, for some reason the developers decided not to let you do it in franchise mode or anything. No idea why either. I think you used to be able to, but madden 2004 was the last year I had seen a whole lot of things in franchise mode (including using your own created teams). Thank the lazy developers...
216464
I'm not sure but I can tell you how to figure it out.  Go to the team website and click on the roster link.  A biography should come up, with stats and history.
24856
generally speaking, a team owns the rights to a player for their first 6 years in the majors.  for the first 3 years, the team can pay him whatever they want (usually close to the minimum).  the next 3 years, the player is arbitration-eligible.  that means if the player and the team can't agree on a contract, they go to an arbitrator who will decide the amount of a *one-year* contract for the player.  basically the arbitrator will base this amount on arguments from both sides and salaries for comparable players.  alternatively, the team can "non-tender" the player, essentially making them a free agent.  after that 6-year period, the player can go into free agency (assuming the player and team didn't agree on a long-term deal that locked him up beyond that period).  this is why it is so important for teams without a ton of cash to draft well ... they have their young players basically locked up for 6 yrs, which in most cases will be their prime (say mid-20's to late-20's/early 30's)\n\nteams can offer their free agents arbitration.  if the player accepts, that means that again, an arbitrator would decide on the amount of a one-year contract, assuming the team and the player can't agree on a contract.  if the team doesn't offer their FA arbitration (like the astros this year with clemens), that means 2 things: 1) they can't sign that player until some time in may of next year and 2) if another team signs that free agent, the original team does *not* receive any extra draft picks from the new team as compensation.  generally it makes sense to offer a player arbitration unless the team feels the arbitrator would award a contract larger than the team is willing to pay, even for just one year.\n\nas far as trades, there aren't really any rules around that like there are in the NBA, where the traded players' salaries have to be within a certain % of each other.  i think the only big thing is you cannot trade draft picks in MLB.
1053634
If you are drafted by a pro baseball organization you are "theirs" for two years, regardless of whether you sign a contract or not.  If you don't sign a contract within those two years with that team, you are thrown back into the draft pool and can be picked in the draft again, hopefully by a different team.\n\nLetters of intent are primarily used in the college context.  If you could provide a bit about where you saw the reference, that would be helpful; often, high school players sign LOIs to play for colleges, but those are released when the high schooler gets drafted by a pro team and decides he'd rather start his pro career right away.
384609
Baseball draft - you get to pick a player between rounds. It's awarded to a team who has lost a player of a certain class.\n\n"So, a team losing a Class A gets a first-round draft choice from the team that signed him as well as a "sandwich pick" between the first and second round (rather than second and third...). If you lose a Class B, you get just the first-round pick, and if you lose a Class C, you just get the sandwich pick."
974616
you start a trade by like gathering up and make a choice of who your going to drop out and ofcourse you can drop someone out if you want without any penlty.yea you can pick up someone no one picked before as long as it's not in the middle of a game and you have to trade someone on your team to do that
570342
Someone who practices with the team but doesn't play. He'll get an extra year of eligability.