Wills and Hodges Step Closer to Hall

Maury Wills, Gil Hodges, Roger Maris and Tony Oliva were among 200 former players who made the first cut in voting for Hall of Fame Veterans Committee candidates.

Bobby Bonds, Dick Allen, Ron Santo and Rocky Colavito also were among the players who advanced from the original list of 1,400, who were no longer eligible to be voted into the Hall by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

An overview committee of 10 historians and veteran baseball writers made the selections and also picked 60 managers, umpires and executives.

In its next phase, a BBWAA-appointed screening committee will cut the eligible players to 25 and managers, executives and umpires to 15. The final ballots will be announced in the fall and a new Veterans Committee will vote in early 2003 with candidates requiring 75% of the vote to be elected.

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Yankee center fielder Bernie Williams will be out of the lineup for at least three games because of soreness in both shoulders. New York also got bad news regarding left-hander Andy Pettitte, who will miss his next start because of a tender pitching elbow.

The Oakland Athletics put left-handed starter Mark Mulder on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to April 12, because of a strain in his left forearm.

Mulder (2-1), who led the AL with 21 wins last season, left his start last Thursday at Texas after four innings because of tightness in the arm.