Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas are on Hall of Fame ballot

Four-time Cy Young Award winner Greg Maddux, two-time winner Tom Glavine and two-time AL most valuable player Frank Thomas are among 19 newcomers on this year’s Hall of Fame ballot, joining steroid-tainted holdovers Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.

Mike Mussina, Hideo Nomo, Kenny Rogers, Jeff Kent, Moises Alou and Luis Gonzalez also are among the players eligible to be voted on for the first time by the Baseball Writers’ Assn. of America.

The 36-player ballot will include Armando Benitez, Sean Casey, Ray Durham, Eric Gagne, Jacque Jones, Todd Jones, Paul Lo Duca, Richie Sexson, J.T. Snow and Mike Timlin, the Hall said Tuesday.

Voters are the approximately 600 writers who have been members of the BBWAA for 10 consecutive years at any point. Ballots are due by Dec. 31, and results will be announced Jan. 8.

Players elected along with choices announced Dec. 9 by the expansion era committee (1973 and later) will be inducted July 27 at Cooperstown. Among those on the committee ballot are retired managers Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa and Joe Torre, late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, and late players’ union head Marvin Miller.

Last year, the BBWAA failed for the first time since 1996 to produce any inductees. Craig Biggio came closest to receiving the necessary 75%, falling 39 votes shy with 388 (68.2%).

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Skip Schumaker, who played last season with the Dodgers, signed a $3-million, two-year contract with the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday that gives them a versatile player off the bench.

Schumaker gets a $2-million base salary next season and $2.5 million in 2015. The deal includes a club option for 2016 with a $2.5-million base and a $500,000 buyout.

The 33-year-old Schumaker was drafted by current Reds General Manager Walt Jocketty and played his first eight seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, batting .288 with 23 homers and 211 runs batted in. He batted .263 in 125 games with two homers and 30 RBIs as a Dodger last season.

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Outfielder Chris Young finalized a $7.25-million, one-year contract with the New York Mets.

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Commissioners of a suburban Atlanta county approved a deal to build a $672-million stadium for the Atlanta Braves that would move the Major League Baseball team out of downtown Atlanta.

The Cobb County Commission voted 4-1 to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the baseball team following more than an hour of public comment both for and against the deal, which would require millions of dollars in public funds. Under the plan, the new stadium would open in 2017.

ETC.

Timberwolves send Williams to Kings for Mbah a Moute

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ five starters have logged more minutes than any other starting group in the NBA this year, in part because former No. 2 overall draft pick Derrick Williams couldn’t gain the trust of Coach Rick Adelman.

New Timberwolves President Flip Saunders traded the former No. 2 overall pick to the Sacramento Kings for Luc Mbah a Moute in a deal that was completed on Tuesday morning.

“Luc is known as one of the premier defensive players in the league with an ability to guard multiple positions,” Saunders said in a statement. “He adds a lot of energy, grit and a high basketball IQ to our team.”

Williams was the highest draft pick in franchise history when Minnesota grabbed him in 2011. But his style of play didn’t mesh with Adelman’s system.

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Carolina Hurricanes forward Kevin Westgarth has been suspended for two games without pay by the NHL for a boarding hit.

Westgarth was suspended for his hit on Ottawa defenseman Mark Boroweicki on Sunday. Boroweicki was injured and did not return.

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The injured list keeps growing for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Forward Beau Bennett will sit out eight to 10 weeks after undergoing wrist surgery on Monday. Bennett was hurt Friday during the Penguins’ victory over the New York Islanders. Pittsburgh will also be without forward Tanner Glass for three to four weeks after Glass broke his hand in a loss to Montreal on Saturday.