Gossage, Rice top Hall of Fame ballot

NEW YORK, Nov. 26 (UPI) -- Rich "Goose" Gossage, an overpowering closer for 22 seasons, tops the list of players considered for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008.

The list of players up for induction was released Monday.

Gossage, who retired in 1994 with a 124-107 record and 310 saves, was just 21 votes short of the number needed to win a place in the hall last year.

Also on this year's ballot is longtime Boston slugger Jim Rice, who was 63 votes short last year.

A player must be named on 75 percent of the ballots sent to 575 longtime members of the Baseball Writers Association of America to be elected to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

This year's list of 25 names, including 11 on the ballot for the first time, is one of the shortest in the history of the process. A player is eligible for inclusion five years after he retires from baseball.

In addition to Gossage and Rice, the players on the 2008 ballot are: Brady Anderson, Harold Baines, Rod Beck, Bert Blyleven, Dave Concepcion, Andre Dawson, Shawon Dunston, Chuck Finley, Travis Fryman, Tommy

John, David Justice, Chuck Knoblauch, Don Mattingly, Mark McGwire, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Robb Nen, Dave Parker, Tim Raines, Jose Rijo, Lee Smith, Todd Stottlemyre and Alan Trammell.

Hall of Fame voting results are to be announced Jan. 8.