(BEFORE I GET STARTED, I WANTED TO SOLVE THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING GEOFF BAKER. NOTHING SINISTER IS GOING ON, SO YOU CAN STOP THE CONSPIRACY THEORIES. HE'S...DRUMROLL...ON VACATION!!! IN AN EXOTIC LOCALE, AS USUAL. BUT I'LL LET HIM TELL YOU ABOUT THAT WHEN HE RETURNS -- WITH PHOTOS, I'M SURE. HE'LL BE BACK MONDAY, I BELIEVE. UNTIL THEN, I'VE GOT THE RUN OF THE PLACE.)

The candidates to be voted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee were announced today. The results of a Dec. 6 vote will be announced Dec. 7 at baseball's Winter Meetings.

I'll explain the voting process at the end, but here are the candidates:

The 10 managers and umpires eligible for election consideration to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010: managers Charlie Grimm, Whitey Herzog, Davey Johnson, Tom Kelly, Billy Martin, Gene Mauch, Danny Murtaugh and Steve O'Neill; umpires Doug Harvey and Hank O'Day.

The 10 executives eligible for election consideration to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010: Gene Autry, Sam Breadon, John Fetzer, Bob Howsam, Ewing Kauffman, John McHale, Marvin Miller, Gabe Paul, Jacob Ruppert and Bill White.

My knee-jerk opinion: I'd put in Billy Martin, Doug Harvey and Marvin Miller without hesitation. Martin won a World Series title and two pennants with the Yankees, turned two 100-loss teams into winners the following year, and was a compelling figure in baseball for two decades. Harvey had one of the most distinguished umpiring careers in history; so respected was he that his nickname among the players was "God." And Miller simply revolutionized the game as the founding father of the players union.

(Edgar will be on the ballot of eligible players sent out in December to voting members of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Other first-timers this year include Barry Larkin and Roberto Alomar).

This is from the Hall of Fame press release:

The 16-member electorate charged with reviewing the Managers/Umpires ballot will include Hall of Famers Jim Bunning, Bob Gibson, Fergie Jenkins, Al Kaline, Tom Lasorda, Phil Niekro, Tony Perez, Billy Williams and Dick Williams; former executive Jim Frey; current executives Roland Hemond (Diamondbacks) and Bob Watson (Major League Baseball); and veteran media members Tim Kurkjian (ESPN), Jack O'Connell and Tom Verducci (Sports Illustrated), with one elector yet to be announced.

The 12-member electorate that will review the Executives/Pioneers ballot features Hall of Famers Robin Roberts and Tom Seaver; former executive John Harrington (Red Sox); current executives Jerry Bell (Twins), Bill DeWitt (Cardinals), Bill Giles (Phillies), David Glass (Royals), Andy MacPhail (Orioles) and John Schuerholz (Braves); and veteran media members Rick Hummel (St. Louis Post-Dispatch), Hal McCoy (Dayton Daily News) and Phil Pepe (New York Daily News).

The two Veterans Committees will meet on Sunday, Dec. 6 during baseball's Winter Meetings in Indianapolis to discuss the candidates and cast their ballots. Results will be announced on Monday, Dec. 7.

The final managers/umpires ballot was developed by a Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) appointed Historical Overview Committee, comprised of 11 veteran members: Dave Van Dyck (Chicago Tribune); Bob Elliott (Toronto Sun); Rick Hummel (St. Louis Post-Dispatch); Steve Hirdt (Elias Sports Bureau); Moss Klein (formerly Newark Star-Ledger); Bill Madden (New York Daily News); Ken Nigro, (formerly Baltimore Sun); Jack O'Connell (BBWAA secretary/treasurer); Nick Peters (Sacramento Bee); Tracy Ringolsby (FSN Rocky Mountain); and Mark Whicker (Orange County Register).

The final executives and pioneers ballot was screened by the Veterans Committee for Executives and Pioneers.

Any candidate receiving votes on 75 percent of all ballots cast will earn election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and will be inducted as part of the 2010 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, to be held July 25, 2010 in Cooperstown. Electors will be asked to vote for zero to four candidates on each ballot.