NEW YORK - Ken Griffey Jr. and Trevor Hoffman are among 15 newcomers on this year’s Hall of Fame ballot and will face a newly trimmed electorate along with steroid-tainted holdovers Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.
David Eckstein, Troy Glaus, Mike Hampton, Mike Lowell and Billy Wagner also are among the players eligible for the first time on the 32-man ballot announced Monday. A vote of at least 75 per cent from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America is needed for election. Results will be announced Jan. 6.
The Hall’s board of directors announced a change in July, cutting voters from about 600 to 450 by eliminating writers who had not been active in the game for more than 10 years.