LEADING OFF HALL OF FAME BALLOT NEWCOMERS

Chipper Jones, Jim Thome, pictured left, and Omar Vizquel, pictured right, are among 19 first-time candidates on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot for baseball’s Hall of Fame. They are joined by Johan Santana and Chris Carpenter. Also among the newcomers to the 33-man ballot announced Monday are Jamie Moyer, Andruw Jones, Carlos Lee, Kevin Millwood, Carlos Zam- brano and Johnny Damon. Trevor Hoffman, who fell five votes short last year, leads holdovers that include Vladimir Guerrero, Edgar Martinez, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Mike Mussina and Curt Schilling. Roy Halladay will not appear on the ballot for another year. The retired Toronto Blue Jays pitcher died Nov. 7 at age 40 when a plane he was piloting crashed off Florida.