Veterans Committee Ballot Finalized as Screening Committee Completes
Selections
Twenty-five former major league players comprise the 2005 Hall of
Fame Veterans Committee ballot, on which Veterans Committee members
will cast their votes in January. Results of the election will be
announced on March 2, 2005. The final ballot, to be voted upon by
all Hall of Fame members, as well as the Ford C. Frick and J.G.
Taylor Spink Award winners:

Dick Allen, Bobby Bonds, Ken Boyer, Rocky Colavito, Wes Ferrell,
Curt Flood, Joe Gordon, Gil Hodges, Elston Howard, Jim Kaat, Mickey
Lolich, Sparky Lyle, Marty Marion, Roger Maris, Carl Mays, Minnie
Minoso, Thurman Munson, Don Newcombe, Tony Oliva, Vada Pinson, Ron
Santo, Luis Tiant, Joe Torre, Maury Wills, Smoky Joe Wood

Brief biographies for all ballot candidates are available at
baseballhallofame.org, the on-line home of the National Baseball
Hall of Fame and Museum.

The final candidates were selected by a BBWAA-appointed screening
committee of 60 BBWAA members, two writers from each of the 22 major
league cities with one team, and four writers from Chicago, New
York, Los Angeles and the Bay Area, each of which has two major
league teams. Each writer was asked to select 25 individuals from a
list of 200 players.

Simultaneously, a six-member screening committee of Hall of Fame
members independently selected five players, each of whom were
already selected by the writers. The top 25 players, based on vote
totals, comprise the final ballot.

The entire Veterans Committee process will be repeated again for
eligible players prior to the next election, which will be held in
2007. Managers, umpires and executives will next have their
candidacy reviewed again in 2007, once every four years under the
new Veterans Committee format, while players are reviewed once every
two years.

The Veterans Committee electorate (currently at 85 members), is
comprised of the living Hall of Fame members (60), Ford C. Frick
Award recipients (14), J.G. Taylor Spink Award recipients (10) and
former Veterans Committee members whose terms have not yet expired
(1).

FAN SUPPORT: Fans wishing to voice their opinion in support of their
favorite candidates may do so in two ways: by sending a single
letter to:

Hall of Fame Veterans Committee
Post Office Box 590
Cooperstown, NY 13326

Or by logging on to baseballhalloffame.org and sending an e-mail.
The Hall of Fame does not forward petitions to the voting members,
but makes all correspondence known to any interested voting members,
as well as to the Screening Committee members and Historical
Overview Committee members.