NEW YORK: Pitchers who won a combined nine Cy Young Awards and position players who earned three batting titles are among 17 new candidates on the 2015 Hall of Fame ballot, it was announced yesterday.
Pitchers Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz; infielder Nomar Garciaparra and outfielder Gary Sheffield join 17 holdovers from the 2014 balloting.
Holdovers who remain on the ballot include Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mike Piazza and Jeff Bagwell.
Meanwhile, after 11 seasons, outfielder Josh Willingham told ESPN that he is retiring from the game.
The 35-year-old hit 253 with 195 home runs during a career that included stops with the Florida Marlins, Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals.AGENCIES
