Digest: Plenty of former Orioles on Hall of Fame's Today's Game Era ballot

Five former Orioles players and a longtime executive who grew up in Baltimore and started his career with the Orioles are on the 10-name Today's Game Era Baseball Hall of Fame ballot that will be reviewed and voted upon Dec. 5 at the winter meetings in National Harbor.

Outfielder-designated hitter Harold Baines, outfielder Albert Belle and first baseman Will Clark are former Orioles being considered as players; former Orioles second baseman and manager Davey Johnson and former Orioles outfielder Lou Piniella are being considered as managers; and John Schuerholz, who attended City, Towson State and Loyola College before starting work with the Orioles in 1966, is being considered as an executive.

The ballot also has pitcher Orel Hershiser, first baseman Mark McGwire, commissioner Bud Selig and owner George Steinbrenner.

Any candidate who receives votes on 75 percent of the ballots cast by the 16-member Today's Game Era Committee (1988 and on) will earn election and will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 30 along with any players who emerge from the Baseball Writers' Association of America election, to be announced Jan. 18.

The Today's Game Era is one of four Eras Committees that provides an avenue for Hall of Fame consideration to managers, umpires and executives, as well as players retired for more than 15 seasons.

The ballot is part of changes to the election process announced by the Hall's board of directors in July.

Finalists were selected by the Historical Overview Committee appointed by the BBWAA, made up of 11 veteran historians.

Colleges

Navy loses co-captain Gonzales for rest of season

Navy senior inside linebacker Daniel Gonzales suffered a career-ending injury during Saturday's loss to Air Force, coach Ken Niumatalolo announced Tuesday. Gonzales, a co-captain and the team's second-leading tackler, went down in the first half with a foot injury and did not return. An MRI conducted Monday revealed a Lisfranc injury, which is either a fracture or dislocation of the metatarsal bones in the midfoot area. "Obviously, a very sad deal. We're losing a leader on and off the field, a great football player and a great person," Niumatalolo said after practice Tuesday. Gonzales started all 28 varsity games in which he played and concludes his career with 174 tackles and four interceptions.

For more from Bill Wagner on the injury, go to baltimoresun.com/collegefootball.

Men's soccer: No. 1 Maryland (8-0-2) extended its winning streak to five and shutout streak to three with a 2-0 victory over visiting San Diego (3-4-3) on Monday night. D.J. Reeves and Amar Sejdic scored; George Campbell (McDonogh) had an assist. Sejdic was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.

Men's basketball: St. Mary's named Silver Spring native Walter Booth Jr. the program's first full-time assistant coach. He will also be assistant director of game operations.

Baseball: Washington College named Pat Lemmo pitching coach.

Field hockey: The Big Ten named Maryland defender Grace Balsdon co-Defensive Player of the Week.

Men's golf: McDaniel junior Brandon Vance was named Centennial Conference Athlete of the Week.

Et cetera

Gaels forward Jackson to play basketball at Wagner

Mount Saint Joseph senior Nigel Jackson, a 6-foot-5 small forward, has committed to play basketball at Wagner. Set to become a starter for the Gaels this coming season, Jackson will enter his third varsity season. Last season, he came off the bench to average eight points and four rebounds. In a Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference quarterfinal against visiting St. Vincent Pallotti, Jackson hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds left for a 48-45 win. The Gaels finished the season with a 33-6 record, reaching the titles games in the MIAA and Baltimore Catholic League.

—Glenn Graham

Varsity football: St. Frances cracked the top five of the Maryland State Football High School Media Poll this week for the first time in program history, and Annapolis debuted at No. 25. St. Frances (5-1) jumped from No. 8 after defeating then-No. 14 Calvert Hall, 14-0, in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference opener Friday night. McDonogh (4-1), which did not play last week, remains the Baltimore area's highest-ranked team, at No. 4. Annapolis (5-0) earned the No. 25 spot after beating Arundel, 46-22.

—Katherine Dunn

Girls golf: Stella Woo of Timonium has been named a Transamerica Scholastic Junior All-American by the American Junior Golf Association. Woo attends Phillips Exeter Academy.

—From Sun staff and news services