2007 Baseball Hall of Fame Veteran's Committee Ballot Released

Vote

With Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn assured of their place in the 2007 National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, the question now is, will they go it alone?

Now it is up to the Hall of Famers themselves as well as honored writers and broadcasters, who make up the Veterans Committee, to decide if other players are deserving of plaques in the venerated museum in Cooperstown, N.Y. The Veterans Committee elections are held every other year for players and every four years for the composite ballot. Candidates were selected by a BBWAA-appointed screening committee of 60 writers.

The list of 200 players and 60 managers, umpires and executives were chosen by the Historical Overview Committee, which consists of 10 writers and historians appointed by the BBWAA's secretary-treasurer and meets every other December in the Giamatti Research Center at the Hall of Fame. This list, narrowed down from the original, contained the names of more than 1,400 Major Leaguers who played in at least 10 seasons, up to and including 1985. The final list, narrowed to 25, was forwarded to Veterans Committee members on September 28. As in the BBWAA voting, a candidate must appear on 75 percent of the ballots cast to gain election and be inducted at ceremonies on July 29, 2007, at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown. Results of the voting will be announced on Tuesday, February 27, 2007.

Nine former Most Valuable Player Award winners are among the 27 players on the 2007 Veterans Committee ballot that was announced. In addition, 15 former managers, umpires and executives were named on a separate ballot that is part of the Veterans Committee election of Hall of Famers, Ford C. Frick Award winners for broadcasters and J.G. Taylor Spink Award winners for writers.

Along with two-time American League MVP Roger Maris (1960, '61), other former MVPs from that league on the ballot are Joe Gordon (1942), Dick Allen (1972) and Thurman Munson (1976). NL MVPs on the ballot are Marty Marion (1944), Don Newcombe (1956), Maury Wills (1962), Ken Boyer (1964) and Joe Torre (1971). Newcombe also won the first Cy Young Award in '56 and is the only player to have won MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year (1949) Awards. Another Cy Young Award winner, Sparky Lyle (AL, 1977) is also on the ballot. Additional players include former Dodgers first baseman Gil Hodges and Cubs third baseman Ron Santo, who tied for the most votes in the 2005 Veterans Committee election with 52 each (65 percent). Former pitchers Carl Mays (five-time 20-game winner), Luis Tiant (two-time ERA leader), Mickey Lolich (1968 World Series MVP), Jim Kaat (283 victories, 16 Gold Gloves) and Wes Ferrell (.601 winning percentage and slugger of 37 home runs); first basemen Al Oliver (.303 career hitter with 2,743 hits) and Mickey Vernon (two batting titles); outfielders Bobby Bonds (five 30-30 seasons in homers and stolen bases), Tony Oliva (three batting titles), Lefty O'Doul (two batting crowns), Vada Pinson (four 200-hit seasons), Rocky Colavito (home run and RBI leader), Minnie Minoso (three-time steals leader) and Curt Flood (seven-time Gold Glove winner) and shortstop Cecil Travis (.314 career average), who died last month.

Former umpire Doug Harvey, who was the leading vote-getter on the 2003 ballot with 48 votes (60.8 percent), leads the list of non-playing personnel. The 2007 ballot contains the same 15 names that were on it four years ago -- former managers Whitey Herzog, Billy Martin, Paul Richards and Dick Williams; former owners August Busch, Charles O. Finley, Walter O'Malley and Phil Wrigley; former general managers Buzzie Bavasi, Gabe Paul and Harry Dalton; former Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, former NL president Bill White, and former Major League Players Association executive director Marvin Miller.

Two notable players absent this year who were on the previous Veterans ballots are former AL MVP Elston Howard and Boston Red Sox Deadball era ace Smokey Joe Wood.