TOWER GROVE — Former Cardinal Joe Torre, a Hall of Fame manager by any stretch of the definition, is one of 10 former players announced this afternoon as finalists for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame through the new veterans’ selection process.

Cooperstown announced the list Tuesday, and the 10 finalists will be considered by the Veterans Committee for induction in July 2009. They will need to get 75 percent of the vote from a group that includes living Hall of Famers. The 10 finalists were culled by a committee — which includes our own Hall of Famer Rick Hummel – from a list of eligible players who began their careers after 1943. (The finalists from the batch of players who began their career in 1942 or before was announced earlier; it included Vern Stephens.)

The 10 announced Tuesday include four former Cardinals, none more decorated as a Cardinal than Torre. The LA Dodgers’ manager and Yankee icon played here from 1969 to 1974. He won the MVP in 1971, appeared in four All-Star Games, befriended Bob Gibson, help spread the gospel of George Kissell as one of the stars Kissell taught to play third base, and so on, and so on.

The 10 finalists:

• DICK ALLEN – Played 1970 in St. Louis, was an All-Star that year.
• GIL HODGES – Brooklyn great
• JIM KAAT – Pitcher won 16 Gold Gloves, pitched for the Cardinals from 1980 to 1983, went 19-16, finished 59 games and had 10 saves.
• TONY OLIVA – Minnesota great
• AL OLIVER – Lumber Co. member Hit the hardest line drives … ever. (That link is for Matthew Leach.)
• VADA PINSON — Hit 10 homers, drove in 70 runs as Cardinal in 1969.
• RON SANTO – Was, is, will be Cubs great.
• LUIS TIANT – Cuban great, pitched four consecutive shutouts in 1966 and was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame, in part for his role in winning the 1975 AL pennant.
• JOE TORRE — ‘Nuff said.
• MAURY WILLS – Had 586 steals, pestered the Cardinals and was part of the reason why Lou Brock got the green light to speed his way to the Hall of Fame. Won MVP and stole 104 bases in 1962.

According to the release, the Veterans Committee ballot was created from a list of 21 total players and distilled into the 10 finalists. The total list of 21 was: Allen, Ken Boyer, Bert Campaneris, Rocky Colavito, Mike Cuellar, Steve Garvey, Hodges, Kaat, Ted Kluszewski, Mickey Lolich, Roger Maris, Lee May, Minnie Minoso, Thurman Munson, Oliva, Oliver, Pinson, Santo, Tiant, Torre and Wills.

The results of the voting will be announced in December.

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