Looking at the latest Hall of Fame ballot

The latest baseball Hall of Fame ballot is in the mail to eligible voters - and this time, there is a new twist.

The Hall of Fame cut the number of eligible voters from the Baseball Writers' Association of America, so how a smaller electorate will affect the voting is yet to be determined.

Last year, there were 549 ballots cast, meaning that 412 votes - 75 percent - were needed to make Cooperstown. This year, 475 writers are eligible for ballots. The ballots are due Dec. 21 and results will be announced Jan. 6.

The newest first-timers on the ballot with a chance to make it right away are outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., who had 630 home runs in a career with Seattle and Cincinnati, and closer Trevor Hoffman, who had 601 saves, mostly for San Diego.

Three other holdovers - Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell and Tim Raines - also have a chance to make it this time. Piazza, in his fourth year, was named on 59.9 percent of the ballots last year, while Bagwell made 55.7 percent and Raines 55 percent.

Piazza was 38 votes short last year, so the sleeker electorate might help him. Bagwell was 106 votes short and Raines 110.

Raines is eligible for this year and next.

Other percentages from that last year that could see an increase are Curt Schilling (39 percent) and Mike Mussina (25 percent). Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, two players tied to PED use, are mired in the mid-30 percent range.

Mark McGwire, who admitted using steroids when he played for St. Louis, is on the ballot for the final time.

Shortstop Alan Trammell, often thought of as one of the biggest snubs considering that his statistics are similar to that of Barry Larkin, is on the ballot for the final time.

Here's the entire ballot: Garret Anderson, Brad Ausmus, Jeff Bagwell, Barry Bonds, Luis Castillo, Roger Clemens, David Eckstein, Jim Edmonds, Nomar Garciaparra, Troy Glaus, Ken Griffey Jr., Mark Grudzielanek, Mike Hampton, Trevor Hoffman, Jason Kendall, Jeff Kent, Mike Lowell, Edgar Martinez, Fred McGriff, Mark McGwire, Mike Mussina, Mike Piazza, Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Gary Sheffield, Lee Smith, Sammy Sosa, Mike Sweeney, Alan Trammell, Billy Wagner, Larry Walker, Randy Winn.