The two biggest stories coming out of Wednesday's Hall of Fame election were Ken Griffey Jr. missing a unanimous selection by three votes and the ramifications of Mike Piazza opening the door for Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, two players that have been tied to performance-enhancing drugs. The hunt is on for the three voters who didn't select Griffey. It is within the voters' rights to use a ballot for political statements. Maybe the voters were protesting the Steroids Era. Maybe they...

He didn't get $100 million. He didn't get an opt-out clause. He did get a contract that includes some deferred money. But outfielder Alex Gordon is no longer on the board. He signed a four-year deal worth $72 million to stay with the Kansas City Royals. His combination of a career .348 OBP (it was .377 last year) and his defensive excellence would have looked real good in the Orioles outfield. But despite a recent report that Kansas City had "no chance" to re-sign Gordon, he no doubt had a...

Ken Griffey Jr., whose strong and fluid play on defense was equaled by his smooth and powerful left-handed swing, is headed to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. He is joined by catcher Mike Piazza in a two-man class that will be inducted July 24. Griffey was not the first unanimous selection, as some had speculated he might be, but Griffey was named on 437 of 440 ballots cast, a record of 99.32 percent. The previous mark was 98.84 percent set by pitcher Tom Seaver in 1992....

Hall of Fame ballots for the Baseball Writers' Association of America are in, and so the burning question between now and Jan. 6, when the results will be announced, is whether outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. will be the first player to be elected unanimously. Griffey, who played primarily for Seattle and Cincinnati, is in his first year of eligibility. There is no legitimate argument for not voting for Griffey. He's one of the best centerfielders of all-time. He was born in Denora, Pa., same...

NASHVILLE - If you think new Nationals manager Dusty Baker has spent the last month poring over videotape to dissect swings, checking in by phone with all of his new players and communicating daily with the brass on South Capitol Street about how things will be run under his tenure, think again. Since Baker had pretty detached himself from the day-to-day baseball grind until the Nationals came calling, he's been immersed in other business interests and has spent much of the time since being...