Results of the Baseball Writers' Association of America Election for the Hall of Fame Class of 2010 will be announced at 2 p.m. Wednesday here at baseballhall.org. Twenty-six candidates are being considered including 11 holdovers from the 2009 ballot and 15 first-time eligible players. To earn election, players must be named on at least 75% of ballots cast by BBWAA writers with 10 or more consecutive years’ experience.
Newcomers to the ballot include Roberto Alomar, an all-around threat in a 17-season career that included World Series championship years with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1992 and ’93. Alomar won 10 Gold Glove Awards for fielding and was a career .300 hitter with 2,724 hits, combining power (210 home runs) and speed (474 stolen bases). Alomar, part of a major-league family (father Sandy and brother Sandy Jr.), was the MVP of the American League Championship Series in 1992 and the All-Star Game in 1998.
The ballot: Roberto Alomar, Kevin Appier, Harold Baines, Bert Blyleven, Ellis Burks, Andre Dawson, Andres Galarraga, Pat Hentgen, Mike Jackson, Eric Karros, Ray Lankford, Barry Larkin, Edgar Martinez, Don Mattingly, Fred McGriff, Mark McGwire, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Tim Raines, Shane Reynolds, David Segui, Lee Smith, Alan Trammell, Robin Ventura, Todd Zeile.
A lock if there ever was one.