Dec. 8 -- HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCEMENT

BY SCOTT LAUBER

LAS VEGAS -- Once again, for the fourth time, the Veterans Committee, comprised of the 64 living Hall of Famers, hasn't inducted any players into the Hall of Fame from its post-1943 ballot. Ron Santo got closest with 60.9 percent of the vote (75 percent is necessary for election). Former Phillies who got consideration were Jim Kaat (59.4 percent) and Dick Allen (10.9 percent). Candidates from the post-1943 ballot will be reconsidered at the winter meetings in 2010.

On the pre-1943 ballot, former Yankees second baseman Joe Gordon, the 1942 AL MVP and a five-time World Series champ, will be inducted after getting 83.3 percent of the vote. Mickey Vernon, the late Marcus Hook, Pa., native, got only 41.7 percent of the vote. Former Phillies outfielder Sherry Magee got only 25 percent of the vote.

Interestingly, the pre-1943 ballot is judged by a collection of different voters, including Hall of Famers Bobby Doerr, Ralph Kiner, Phil Niekro, Robin Roberts, Duke Snider, Don Sutton and Dick Williams and writers/historians Furman Bisher, Roland Hemond, Steve Hirdt, Bill Madden and Claire Smith.