(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-11-27 17:01

NEW YORK - Only 11 players were added to baseball's 2008 Hall of Fame ballot on Monday, giving new hope to former relief ace Rich "Goose" Gossage that this may be his year to win election to Cooperstown.

First-timers, who must be retired for five years, include former batting champion and leading base stealer Tim Raines and former Rookie of the Year winners David Justice and Chuck Knoblauch.

The ballot goes to more than 575 voting members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. A candidate must be named on 75 percent of the ballots to win election to the Hall.

Gossage, who pitched in the 1978 and 1981 World Series for the Yankees and in the 1984 Series for San Diego, fell 21 votes shy last year when Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn were elected in their first year of eligibility.

There will be 25 names in all on this year's ballot, one of the smallest fields ever. Players named on five percent of ballots are carried over until they have exhausted their 15-year eligibility.

Besides Gossage, who is in his ninth year on the ballot, other serious long-time contenders include Jim Rice, Andre Dawson, Bert Blyleven and Tommy John.

Other first-timers approved for the ballot by the BBWAA screening committee include former World Series MVP pitcher Jose Rijo of the 1990 Cincinnati Reds and two leading closers of their time in Robb Nen and Rod Beck.

The former starting pitcher, plagued by injuries during his career, burst on to the scene for the Cubs in 1998 when he struck out 20 batters in his fifth big league start and went on to win Rookie of the Year honours.