Ichiro, Sabathia headline Baseball HOF ballot

(Cooperstown, NY) — The baseball Hall of Fame has released its ballot for this year. Outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and starting pitcher CC Sabathia headline a list of 14 newcomers on the ballot. Suzuki was one of the best contact hitters in Major League Baseball history, finishing with 3,089 hits and a .311 batting average in 19 MLB seasons with the Mariners, Yankees and Marlins. Sabathia pitched 19 seasons in the big leagues with Cleveland, Milwaukee and the New York Yankees. He was one of just 19 players in M-L-B history with 3,000 or more strikeouts. Closer Billy Wagner, infielder Alex Rodriguez and outfielder Manny Ramirez are the most notable names returning to the ballot. Rodriguez and Ramirez are two of the most prolific power hitters in league history but both served suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs.