By C. Trent Rosecrans

Former Cubs third baseman Ron Santo is among eight former players and two former executives will be voted upon by the 16-member Golden Era Committee at the Winter Meetings and announced on Dec. 5.

On the list are Buzzie Bavasi, Ken Boyer, Charlie Finley, Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Minnie Minoso, Tony Oliva, Allie Reynolds and Luis Tiant.

The finalists are voted on by a 16-member board -- they are Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Al Kaline, Ralph Kiner, Tommy Lasorda, Juan Marichal, Brooks Robinson, Don Sutton and Billy Williams; major league executives Paul Beeston (Blue Jays), Bill DeWitt (Cardinals), Rolan Hemond (Diamondbacks), Gene Michael (Yankees) and Al Rosen (retired); as well as media members Dick Kaegel (MLB.com), Jack O'Connell (BBWAA) and Dave Van Dyck (Chicago Tribune).

The Golden Era Committee currently uses a three-year cycle of consideration for managers, umpires, executives and long-retired players by era.

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Hank Aaron, the man who clubbed a then-record 755 major league home runs, visited CBS' Late Show With David Letterman Wednesday night and sat down for a chat with the show's host.

At age 77, the legend is just as well-spoken as ever, dishing on the length of the game, among other things. Aaron said he wasn't a fan of multiple pitching changes in the late innings because it makes the game way too long. He didn't explicitly say it, but here's guessing he's not a fan of watching Tony La Russa manage.

Another interesting nugget was Aaron's playing weight was between 170 and 180 pounds for "about ten years." This isn't really a secret, nor is it a secret that today's sluggers are much more bulky and strong. But Aaron lightening things with his sense of humor, saying his low weight was likely due to malnutrition -- a dig at how little money baseball players made back then as compared to today.

He also discussed his friendship with Willie Mays, the two guys running on the field for Hank's 715th home run and more.

Watch the full version of the interview below.



-- Matt Snyder

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Bud Selig is hardly a popular man among baseball fans, but he had plenty of his own fans on hand Tuesday for the unveiling of his statue in front of Miller Park.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a list of some of the attendees for the ceremony:
Sen. Herb Kohl
Political columnist George Will
Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez
Joe and Frank Torre
Hall of Famers Al Kaline, Frank Robinson, Ernie Banks
Representatives of too many clubs to name, including Yankees president Randy Levine and wife Mindy, a Milwaukee native
Rachel Robinson, widow of Jackie Robinson
Dick Ebersol, President of NBC Sports and Entertainment
Former Packers president Bob Harlan and GM Ron Wolf
Dozens of former and current Brewers employees
Many former and current Brewers, including Robin Yount and Hank Aaron, who also have statues outside of Miller Park as well as Gorman Thomas, Sal Bando, Cecil Cooper, Ben Oglivie, Audrey Kuenn, widow of former manager Harvey Kuenn, Don Money, Don August, Bill Schroeder, Jerry Augustine, Ken Sanders, Larry Hisle, Teddy Higuera, Dale Sveum, Ted Simmons, Pete Vuckovich, Rollie Fingers, Trevor Hoffman, Craig Counsell, Jim Gantner and Paul Molitor.
Brewers owner Mark Attanasio and wife Debbie, who donated the statue.
All of Selig's family, including wife Sue and daughters Wendy and Sari
There were at least two more current Brewers at the event than current Yankees attended George Steinbrenner's funeral (although it was at the ballpark on a game day, so it was a little easier to make.)

In addition to the roll call, Selig was lavished with praise. Here's a sampling:
"Bud Selig is my hero." -- Hank Aaron (from MLB.com ) "I honestly believe the first statue that should have gone up outside this stadium is Bud Selig's. I'm not sure we have any of this without him." -- Robin Yount (from MLB.com ) "This man right here was stronger than any other thing involved in staying here. If not for this man, I might have left." -- Yount, who stayed with the Brewers as a free agent in 1990 instead of going to the Angels. (from the Journal Sentinel ) Selig is often a punchline -- and with some very valid reasons -- but he's also the biggest reason baseball not only returned to Milwaukee, but also that it remained in Wisconsin.

-- C. Trent Rosecrans

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In anticipation of the 2010 All-Star Game in Anaheim on Tuesday, July 13, the CBS Sports MLB Facts and Rumors blog looks back at some of the more memorable editions of the All-Star Game. Today looks at the 1999 All-Star Game.

I sat slack-jawed with a tape recorder rolling and no questions in my head, just a desire for the answers to never stop coming.

It was a hotel ballroom in Boston, and Warren Spahn and I were among four or five stragglers in there. He was telling the story of his epic 16-inning, complete-game performance against Juan Marichal and the Giants at Candlestick Park in 1963. It was at least the second time Spahn had told it that day and likely the 10th, and I'd even heard it once before, but I listened again. Just as he mentioned Willie Mays' homer, someone walked into the room and said it was time for Spahn to go.

He apologized, said he could go on for hours and I told him I could listen for more. An hour before, the room had been full of the greatest major-league players in history. Mays was there, so was Marichal, not to mention Hank Aaron, Johnny Bench, Bob Gibson, Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson -- pretty much everywhere I turned, I bumped into a Hall of Famer.

While All-Star Games are naturally filled with All-Stars, the 1999 game was different. It was filled with bigger stars than just the usual names, even in this, the summer following the Mark McGwire-Sammy Sosa slugfest before it lost its luster. They were there, as was Ken Griffey Jr. at the height of his popularity. Pedro Martinez was making hometown fans think the curse may be bunk. But still, among all the All-Star Games in the history of the exhibition, this was less about the game and the current players than any other.

The 1999 game was not only at one of the country's most historic ballparks, Fenway Park, it was also coming at the time of an endless stream of best-of-the-century lists. But baseball's list, its Team of the Century, was kicked off in a different fashion than any other.

While other places talked of history, it was on display in Boston. Most people didn't see this part, because it was before MLB had 24 hours a day to fill with TV programming, but baseball announced its 100 greatest players of the 20th century in a news conference with the vast majority of the living members of that club in attendance in a hotel ballroom in Boston.

It was an amazing display of the game's greats, and after an entertaining hour-or-so, the players were brought into another room for one-on-one interviews. It was an hour of baseball geek bliss. At 23, I was slightly intimidated and more than happy to listen in on the conversations of the likes of Willie McCovey, Robin Yount, Mike Schmidt and Yogi Berra, among others.

Ted Williams, Pete Rose and Sandy Koufax weren't there, but it was hard to complain about their absence -- or the two from the dais that skipped the one-on-ones, Stan Musial and George Brett, although with Missouri roots, those were the two I'd hoped to interview more than the others.

By the time the all-time greats were introduced on the field the night of the game, I thought I was goose-bumped out. Until, right in front of my seat in the right field auxiliary press box, came Williams in on a golf cart. He did a lap and ultimately was the center of attention as he prepared to throw the first pitch.

It was a moment. A moment for baseball, a moment for baseball fans across the country to share their memories with another generation of fans -- to share their own stories of seeing Mays or Mantle play. In short, it was the rare moment when the ceremonial first pitch outshines the real first pitch. Even future Hall of Famers like Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn seemed to grasp the special nature of the moment. We all did -- those at Fenway and even those watching at home.

Martinez went on to become the first All-Star pitcher to strike out the side in the first inning, fanning Barry Larkin, Larry Walker and Sosa to start the game. He then struck out McGwire to lead off the second, bringing to mind Carl Hubbell's 1934 feat of getting Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmy Foxx, Al Simmons and Joe Cronin consecutively. It was an impressive display, even after Matt Williams broke Martinez's strikeout streak, reaching on an error. Martinez would win the game and the MVP, but even before he faced Larkin, the game had earned its spot in history.

-- C. Trent Rosecrans

More All-Star memories -- 2002: The Tie ; 1949: First integrated edition ; 1941: Teddy Ballagame's walk-off homer

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