By CRAIG MUDER
Utica (N.Y.) Observer-Dispatch

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. - In the giddy world that is the 2004 baseball season, even the normally buttoned-up Hall of Fame ceremony had its share of laughs Sunday.

Lon Simmons, who was presented with the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcast excellence, kept the Cooperstown crowd in stitches while ribbing the Hall of Famers.

"I walked into the hotel, and I saw these fellas (the returning Hall of Famers) and I thought I made a mistake," Simmons said. "I thought I'd gone into the wax museum."

Simmons saved some of his sharpest comments for Dennis Eckersley, who Simmons worked with while both were employed by the Oakland A's.

"As I mentioned to Dennis, he can stop taking the ugly pills. They're not working."

Chafing Chass

Murray Chass, the New York Times writer who was presented with the J.G. Taylor Spink Award, had some harsh words for the new generation of baseball beat writers.

"Too many baseball writers of recent vintage don't want to cover the beat," said Chass, who covered the Yankees for the Times from 1970 to 1986. "They want to be columnists. Then when they write columns, instead of picking their spots to criticize, they often display their ignorance."

In the spotlight

The Hall introduced a new induction ceremony feature by spotlighting a former inductee - in this case Class of 1984 member Harmon Killebrew.

The former Senators, Twins and Royals slugger, who still holds the American League record for homers by a right-handed batter with 573, graciously stepped to the podium to accept the honor.

"I don't know where these 20 years went," said the 68-year-old Killebrew.

Looking ahead

Wade Boggs, make your reservations for Cooperstown today.

Boggs, the former Red Sox, Yankees and Devil Rays third baseman, could become just the 11th player to break the 95-percent barrier in the Baseball Writers Association of America voting. His 3,010 hits, .328 career batting average and five batting titles leave little doubt that he was among the game's greatest hitters.

Boggs, however, will likely be the only first-year player elected. Former Royals reliever Jeff Montgomery and former Cardinals outfielder Willie McGee are the other top candidates - and neither is likely to garner the 75 percent of the vote needed for election.

However, some holdover candidates from previous BBWAA elections could join Boggs in Cooperstown. Former Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg got the most votes - 309 - of any player who was not elected this year. Sandberg received 61.1 percent of the vote, and every player except Gil Hodges who received at least 60 percent of the BBWAA vote has eventually won enshrinement in Cooperstown.

Bruce Sutter, who revolutionized the game with his split-fingered fastball in the late 1970s, received 301 votes this year (59.5 percent) and appears to be building momentum. Sutter has only four more chances on the BBWAA ballot before his case is turned over to the Veterans Committee, which will vote on the players ballot next year.

The new Vets Committee did not elect anyone in 2003 despite voting on both the players and the composite (managers/umpires/executives) ballots. By rule, the committee votes on the players ballot every two years and the composite ballot every four years.

Hodges, Tony Oliva and Ron Santo will be among the leading candidates on the Veterans Committee ballot in February.

Sprucing Up

The Hall of Fame's ongoing capital improvement project is set for completion next summer, but visitors this weekend got a glimpse of the Hall's new timeline and entrance.

The picture window looking into the plaque gallery from the entrance has now been installed, flanked on either side by statues of Babe Ruth and Ted Williams. On the other side of the window - formerly an exhibit of recent Hall of Famers - hang portraits of Hall founder Stephen Clark and former baseball commissioner Ford Frick.

To the right of the portraits is a hall leading to the new Grand Staircase, which takes visitors up to the second and third floors. The staircase is still a work in progress, but has entered service for Hall visitors.

"After last night's visit to the Hall of Fame, we are all amazed (at the improvements)," said former Reds catcher Johnny Bench.

Scene and heard

Hall of Fame chief curator Ted Spencer mingled with the crowds in front of the Hall Sunday morning, on the lookout for a special visitor. "I have to find my boss," Spencer said. "He's somewhere around here with the commissioner." Bud Selig, however, kept a low profile until the induction ceremony. But for the first time in several years, no boos were heard when Selig was announced at the ceremony. ... Milwaukee Brewers jerseys - most emblazoned with Paul Molitor's No. 4 - outnumbered Oakland A's/Dennis Eckersley jerseys by a 4-to-1 ratio. ... Yogi Berra, Willie Mays, Rollie Fingers and Robin Yount all received especially warm welcomes from the induction ceremony crowd, but Sandy Koufax - who does not return every year - received the loudest ovation. ... Fergie Jenkins, a native Canadian, serenaded the crowd with his version of "O, Canada" before the ceremony. Jenkins asked to sing following last year's ceremony, when Johnny Bench performed the Canadian anthem. Not to be outdone, Bench sang "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" while imitating former Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray.

Hall scrawl

Cincinnati Reds broadcaster George Grande was the emcee for the induction ceremonies for the 25th year... A record 50 of a possible 58 Hall of Famers returned for Sunday's ceremony. Those not in attendance: Henry Aaron, Luis Aparicio, Al Lopez, Stan Musial, Frank Robinson, Nolan Ryan, Mike Schmidt and Carl Yastrzemski... ESPN's Rece Davis will host the Hall of Fame's Legends Series roundtable discussion with Dennis Eckersley, Paul Molitor, Johnny Bench and Lou Brock today at 10:30 a.m. at the Clark Sports Center. This event will air on ESPN2 Monday night at 7.