Hodges, Santo head Veterans Committee's Hall of Fame ballot

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- Gil Hodges, Ron Santo, Tony Oliva and Jim Kaat are among the 27 players on next year's Veterans Committee ballot for the Hall of Fame announced Thursday.

Umpire Doug Harvey, former Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley and former union head Marvin Miller are among 15 managers, executives and umpires on the 15-man "composite" ballot.

No one received the required 75 percent in the first two votes by the new Veterans Committee, in 2003 and 2005. In the last vote, Hodges and Santo received 65 percent, falling eight votes shy.

Oliva and Jim Kaat were the only other players to be picked on more than half of the ballots.

In the composite vote, held every four years, Harvey received 48 votes in 2003, falling 12 short. O'Malley was next with 38 and Miller had 35.

The 84 eligible voters on the Veterans Committee include 61 living Hall of Famers, 14 members of the broadcast wing, eight members of the writers wing and one holdover from the previous Veterans Committee. Voting results will be announced Feb. 27.

Four players were added to the ballot: Lefty O'Doul, Al Oliver, Cecil Travis and Mickey Vernon. Two were dropped: Elston Howard and Smoky Joe Wood.

Holdovers include Dick Allen, Bobby Bonds, Ken Boyer, Rocky Colavito, Wes Ferrell, Curt Flood, Joe Gordon, Mickey Lolich, Sparky Lyle, Roger Maris, Marty Marion, Carl Mays, Minnie Minoso, Thurman Munson, Don Newcombe, Vada Pinson, Luis Tiant, Joe Torre and Maury Wills.

The composite ballot remained the same. It also includes Buzzie Bavasi, August Busch Jr., Harry Dalton, Charles O. Finley, Whitey Herzog, Bowie Kuhn, Billy Martin, Gabe Paul, Paul Richards, Bill White, Dick Williams and Phil Wrigley.