What do you think of the VC changing their voting process AGAIN?

Here's the link:

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100726&c...

Anyway, if I understand it correctly (and, really, why wouldn't I?), the players won't be voting en masse for players who debuted after 1943 (?) anymore. Instead, there will be a panel, like those already voting on managers, etc, consisting of players, historians, etc. There will be three 'Eras', Pre-Integration, Golden Age, and Expansion, and each will be voted on every three years, with one being voted on every year (Expansion this year, Golden Era next year, Pre-Integration in 2012, then back to Expansion). However, instead of just voting for players, ALL candidates from an era will be voted upon (managers, umpires, executives, etc).

Personally, I think this will make it easier for some ignored players (RON SANTO, RON SANTO, RON SANTO!!!!) to FINALLY be elected. Unfortunately, said players (SANTO, SANTO, SANTO!) will have to wait another year, as he's a 'Golden Age' player, by my calculations (retired 1974; Expansion, which is next, starts in 1979...).

So, your thoughts?

Each era contains 10 names, except the Expansion, which has 12; I see no evidence that there will be a set number of players, umpires, managers, executives on each ballot, so I suppose it could be 12 players, or 10 players and two managers, or 12 umpires- I don't know.

So who will likely be on the ballot this year? The guidelines are 'based on dominance' to determine what era a player will be considered to be in. So, my thoughts:

Players on the last 'Modern Players' VC ballot-

Ron Santo- retired 1974, ineligible

Jim Kaat- retired 1983, but was already 40 in 1979, so likely won't be on ballot, either

Tony Oliva- retired 1976, ineligible

Gil Hodges- retired 1963, heck, died 1972, so won't be eligible, even as a manager

Joe Torre- retired 1977, still active as manager, ineligible on both counts

Maury Wills- retired 1972, ineligible

Luis Tiant- retired 1982, probably in Golden Age

Vada Pinson- retired 1975, ineligble. Are ANY of these guys eligible before next year?!

Al Oliver- retired 1985, played since 1968. Had four AS games and four MVP placings after 1979, so COULD be slated in Expansion Era...

Dick Allen- retired 1977, ineligible.

Alright, so of the 10 players on the 2009 VC ballot, only ONE 'could' be on this year's new ballot. Which stinks, I think they should've started with the Golden Age.

Other candidates (maybe):

Steve Garvey?

Vida Blue?

Bobby Grich?

Dave Concepcion?

Ron Guidry (definitely)

Ted Simmons

Don Baylor

Tommy John?

Buddy Bell

Graig Nettles?

Darrell Evans?

Ron Cey

Cecil Cooper

Bill Madlock

And that's about it. Players who retired after 1989 (and would thus, technically, be on the Writers' ballot) are not eligible, even if they got robbed (Lou Whitaker, for instance). No offense, but... kind of a lousy ballot. But it should help Ted Simmons get elected, at least. Honestly, he and Ron Guidry are the only 'definites' who I think should be elected ('definites' being, definitely not going on the Golden Era ballot).

If someone smart with great baseball resources (Chipmaker, Utter Chaos, etc) could see who would likely be on via Managerial, Executive, Umpirial, etc, that would be great...

Anyway, thoughts?