Bonds, Clemens on Hall of Fame Contemporary Era ballot for Dec 7 vote

The National Baseball Hall of Fame on Monday placed Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Gary Sheffield and the late Fernando Valenzuela on the Contemporary Baseball Era players ballot that will be considered by a 16‑member Era Committee at the Winter Meetings in Orlando on Dec. 7. Candidates must receive 12 of 16 votes, or 75 percent, to be elected; any successful selections will be enshrined next July and join the players chosen by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

The Contemporary Baseball Era ballot covers players whose primary contributions came since 1980. The list was assembled by an 11‑member historical overview panel and will be voted on by a committee made up of Hall of Famers, executives and veteran media figures. Committee members may vote for up to three candidates. Under a rule change announced earlier this year, any candidate who receives fewer than five votes will be ineligible for that committee’s ballot during the next three‑year cycle, and repeat low support can bar future appearances.

Several of the ballot members previously appeared on writers’ ballots but fell short of election. Bonds and Clemens,...