Ex-Orioles on Game Era Hall of Fame ballot

Five former Orioles players and a longtime executive who grew up in Baltimore and started his career with the Orioles are on the 10-name Today’s Game Era Baseball Hall of Fame ballot that will be reviewed and voted upon Dec. 5 at the winter meetings in National Harbor. Outfielderdesignated hitter Harold Baines, outfielder Albert Belle and first baseman Will Clark are former Orioles being considered as players; former Orioles second baseman and manager Davey Johnson and former Orioles outfielder Lou Piniella are being considered as managers; and John Schuerholz, who attended City, Towson State and Loyola College before starting work with the Orioles in 1966, is being considered as an executive. The ballot also has pitcher Orel Hershiser, first baseman Mark McGwire, commissioner Bud Selig and owner George Steinbrenner. Any candidate who receives votes on 75 percent of the ballots cast by the 16-member Today’s Game Era Committee (1988 and on) will earn election and will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 30 along with any players who emerge from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America election, to be announced Jan. 18. The Today’s Game Era is one of four Eras Committees that provides an avenue for Hall of Fame consideration to managers, umpires and executives, as well as players retired for more than 15 seasons. The ballot is part of changes to the election process announced by the Hall’s board of directors in July. Finalists were selected by the Historical Overview Committee appointed by the BBWAA, made up of 11 veteran historians. the Week. MEN’S GOLF: McDaniel junior Brandon Vance was named Centennial Conference Athlete of the Week.