Veterans Committee

Francis Nash "Ike" Iglehart Jr., an Army veteran and attorney who dedicated much of his life to racial equality and environmental preservation, died Friday at his home in Monkton of complications from Parkinson's disease. He was 82. Mr. Iglehart graduated from St. Paul's School in New Hampshire in 1943. At age 18, he was drafted into the Army and was assigned to the now-defunct Army Specialized Training Program. In 1946, he was discharged from the military after being wounded in the Battle of the Bulge.

There is an interesting anecdote connected to Earl Weaver's nomination for the Baseball Hall of Fame.The Veterans Committee will have a few carry-over candidates when it holds its election in Tampa, Fla., March 17. Most prominent is Leo Durocher, who fell two votes short a year ago, and has been a controversial nominee for the past 10 years.One of Durocher's biggest admirers was Weaver."Not everybody liked Leo," said Weaver, who some say emulated Durocher, "but I followed him throughout his career.

SARASOTA -- Earl Weaver described himself as "thrilled" upon learning he had made the veterans committee's short list of candidates for nomination to baseball's Hall Of Fame.The ex-Oriole manager is one of 15 candidates who will be considered in the non-playing category, which also includes those who participated in the old Negro League. A like number of former players are also on the ballot submitted by the screening committee.A complete list of those who survived the nomination process nominated was unavailable, but it has been confirmed by a committee member than Weaver is included.

VERO BEACH, Fla. -- For perhaps the first time in his 52-year baseball career, Tom Lasorda was speechless.He held the telephone to his ear and tears welled in his eyes as Edward Stack of the National Baseball Hall of Fame relayed the news. Lasorda, the man who bled Dodger blue until his heart nearly gave out last season, will be enshrined in Cooperstown on Aug. 3, just months after health problems forced him to end his 20-year managerial career."I am deeply overwhelmed," Lasorda mumbled into the phone.

Chicago Cubs third baseman Ron Santo has been elected to the Hall of Fame, gaining 15 of 16 votes from the Hall's Golden Era Committee to gain induction after failing to get enough support on the Baseball Writers Association of America ballot or from the previous versions of the Veterans Committee. Santo, whose combination of power and defensive savvy made him one of the best all-around infielders of his generation, benefitted from the Hall's decision to switch from a straight vote of the living Hall of Famers to a set of three committees covering different eras of the sport.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- There isn't any question in the Orioles' camp that Earl Weaver should be elected to the Hall of Fame when the Veterans Committee votes this afternoon.The former Orioles manager is on the ballot's "short list" in his first year of eligibility after retiring following the 1986 season.The Veterans Committee, which oversees the election of all non-playing personnel as well as players who have been out of the game for more than 23 years, meets today in Tampa. It may elect as many as two new Hall of Fame members, but no more than one from each of the playing and non-playing categories.

Blair E. Cross Jr., a Korean War combat veteran and a founder of the Maryland Homeless Veterans Rehabilitation Center in Baltimore, died of a heart attack Sunday at his Port Deposit home. He was 72. Mr. Cross was born and raised in Cockeysville and attended Towson High School until 1949, when he dropped out during his senior year to work for Acme Markets. "He was impatient and just wanted to get out into the world and go to work," said his wife of 51 years, the former Jane Leeson, a retired secretary.

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Jim Palmer is already in the Hall of Fame. Cal Ripken is so accomplished, he's virtually guaranteed entry on the first ballot.Dwight Evans isn't in the same class as his two new teammates. He's a borderline candidate right now, but his chances could improve dramatically if he gives the Orioles a good year, and preferably two.No doubt, this last-minute push by Evans will be an intriguing subplot to the final season at Memorial Stadium, and possibly the first season in the new downtown ballpark at Camden Yards as well.

Gillick best choice Juan Carlos Rodriguez Sun Sentinel Neither Marvin Miller nor George Steinbrenner was a better choice for the Hall of Fame. Were they as deserving as Pat Gillick? Absolutely. This discussion is not about the merits of Gillick's candidacy as a longtime general manager. His record as one of the game's preeminent team architects is well founded. Why the Veterans Committee did not give Miller or Steinbrenner the necessary votes is the issue.

Since the news broke that baseball union pioneer Marvin Miller passed away this week, there has been a growing media chorus advocating his induction in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. It certainly is long overdue. Miller changed baseball for the better and made a sport full of enemies during the 1960s and '70s. He redistributed the wealth of a generation of stingy baseball owners, who were not forward-thinking enough to see the the avalanche of money that would bury everyone in the game after the reserve clause was overturned.