Winfield, Puckett Could Get Their Hall Passes Today

Dave Winfield got his 3,000th hit, a milestone almost assuring admission to the Hall of Fame, on a single that drove in Kirby Puckett.

Today, the former Minnesota Twins’ teammates could be headed toward a reunion in Cooperstown.

Winfield and Puckett lead the list of 17 rookie candidates on the ballot, with Don Mattingly, Kirk Gibson and Lou Whitaker also eligible for the first time.

Jim Rice, Gary Carter and Dale Murphy are among the 15 holdover hopefuls. So are Goose Gossage and Bruce Sutter, trying to open the Hall door for more closers.

“I’ve done everything I think I possibly can on the field and now I have to wait for people to vote on my destiny,” Puckett said.

Results will be announced today. Players must be picked on at least 75% of ballots in voting by 10-year members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

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In an annual rite that infuriates many owners, 102 players filed for salary arbitration, with nearly all likely to get big raises.

New York Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter is expected to get the largest contract among those who filed and Oakland’s newest outfielder, Johnny Damon, will get a large raise.

Players and teams exchange proposed figures Thursday, with hearings scheduled for the first three weeks of February.

Four players agreed to deals just before the filing deadline: Florida right-hander Manny Aybar ($665,000), St. Louis catcher Eli Marrero ($375,000), Tampa Bay right-hander Paul Wilson ($350,000) and Colorado right-hander John Thomson ($300,000).

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Backup catcher Eddie Perez and the Atlanta Braves agreed to a $650,000, one-year contract. . . . Right-handed reliever John Frascatore and outfielder Chad Mottola were designated for assignment by the Toronto Blue Jays.