NEW YORK — Former Red Sox outfielder Ellis Burks is among 15 first-time
candidates of this year's Hall of Fame ballot, joining holdovers Mark McGwire,
Andre Dawson and Bert Blyleven.
Edgar Martinez, Barry Larkin and Fred McGriff also are
new to the ballot this year. There are 26 candidates, three more than last year
when Rickey Henderson was elected in his initial appearance and Jim Rice made it
on his 15th and final try. Dawson fell 44 votes shy of the 75 percent needed and
Blyleven was 67 short.
Also on the ballot for the first time are Kevin Appier, Roberto Alomar, Andres Galarraga, Pat Hentgen, Mike Jackson, Eric Karros, Ray
Lankford, Shane Reynolds, David Segui, Robin Ventura and Todd Zeile.
Other holdovers on the list announced Friday include
Harold Baines, Don Mattingly, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Tim Raines,
Lee Smith and Alan Trammell.
McGwire, hired last month as hitting coach of the St.
Louis Cardinals, is on the ballot for the fourth time. While he hit 583 homers,
eighth on the career list, he has been stigmatized since his 2005 congressional
testimony, when he evaded answering whether he had used steroids. He received
118 votes (22 percent) in last year's vote, down from 128 in each of his first
two tries.
Segui has admitted he used steroids.
Alomar, a 12-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove second
baseman, had a .300 batting average, 210 homers and 474 steals in 17 major
league seasons.
Martinez spent all 18 seasons with Seattle, winning two
AL batting titles and finishing with a .312 average and 309 homers. A seven-time
All-Star, he was a designated hitter in 1,412 of 2,055 career regular-season
games.
Larkin was a 12-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove
shortstop in 19 seasons, all with Cincinnati. He had a .295 career average with
198 homers and won the 1995 NL MVP award.
McGriff is tied with Lou Gehrig for 26th on the career
home run with 493 and had a .284 average in 19 seasons. He led the AL in homers
for Toronto in 1989 and the NL for San Diego in 1992.
Reporters who have been in the BBWAA for 10 or more
consecutive years are eligible to vote, and results will be announced Jan. 6.
Inductions, which will include anyone elected by the Veterans Committee, are
scheduled for July 25 at Cooperstown. The Veterans Committee vote will be
announced Dec. 7.