A former World Series Most Valuable Player and other contributors to world championships are among 11 first-year candidates on the 2008 Hall of Fame ballot that will be mailed later this week to more than 575 voting members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Jose Rijo, who was the World Series MVP in 1990 for the Cincinnati Reds, is in the company of other World Series ring wearers Tim Raines, David Justice, Chuck Knoblauch, Todd Stottlemyre and Robb Nen.

They join 14 holdovers from the 2007 balloting in which Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn were elected. Rich “Goose” Gossage, the closing reliever for the New York Yankees’ 1978 World Series title team, was 21 votes shy of the total required in the previous election.

Candidates must be named on 75 percent of the ballots cast to gain entry into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Gossage was on 71.2 percent of the record 545 ballots cast. For election, 409 votes were necessary. Gossage had 388. Ripken was on 537 ballots (98.5 percent) and Gwynn 532 (97.6), the two highest point totals in the history of BBWAA balloting, which began in 1936.

The other players named on at least half the ballots were former American League Most Valuable Player Jim Rice with 346 (63.5) and one-time National League MVP Andre Dawson with 309 (56.7).

Rijo compiled a 116-91 record over a 14-season career, the highlight of which was his 2-0 mark and 0.59 ERA in the Reds’ sweep of the Oakland Athletics in the 1990 World Series. Rijo previously appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2001 after having not pitched since 1995. But he returned to the majors that year and pitched again in 2002. Although Rijo received only one vote in 2001, the rules of the voting allow him another opportunity on the ballot because of his return to the game.

Raines was part of two Yankees’ championships in 1996 and ‘98. His prime seasons were with the Montreal Expos, now the Washington Nationals, and he holds franchise records for runs (947), triples (82) and stolen bases (635). Raines, who spent time with the Chicago White Sox, A’s, Baltimore Orioles and Florida Marlins, was a career .294 hitter with 2,605 hits and 808 stolen bases, the fifth highest career total. He won the NL batting title in 1986 and was the MVP of the 1987 All-Star Game at Oakland.

Justice, the NL Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award winner in 1990, made it into post-season play in 10 of a possible 13 seasons during his 14-year career (the playoffs were canceled in 1994) and won World Series titles with the Atlanta Braves in 1995 and the Yankees in 2000. He was the MVP of the Yankees’ ALCS victory that year over the Seattle Mariners. Justice had 14 home runs and 63 RBI combined in 21 post-season series and 112 games.

Knoblauch, the AL Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award winner in 1991, opposed Justice in that year’s World Series won by the Minnesota Twins, the first of four rings earned by the Gold Glove second baseman. Knoblauch, a .289 career hitter with 407 stolen bases, was part of the Yankees’ three consecutive Series triumphs of 1998, 1999 and 2000.

Stottlemyre, who won 138 games over 14 seasons, was in Toronto’s rotation when the Blue Jays won back-to-back Series in 1992 and ‘93. Nen was the closer for the Marlins’ title team in 1997.

The other first-year candidates are pitchers Rod Beck and Chuck Finley, infielder Travis Fryman, shortstop-outfielder Shawon Dunston and outfielder Brady Anderson. The five-year waiting rule was waived in the case of Beck, who died June 23.

Writers with 10 or more consecutive years’ experience make up the electorate, which must return ballots by a Dec. 31 postmark. Votes are counted jointly by the BBWAA’s Jack O’Connell and Ernst & Young partner Michael DiLecce. Results will be announced Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2008, on the Websites of the Hall of Fame — www.baseballhalloffame.org — and the BBWAA — www.baseballwriters.org.

The ballot: Brady Anderson, Harold Baines, Rod Beck, Bert Blyleven, Dave Concepcion, Andre Dawson, Shawon Dunston, Chuck Finley, Travis Fryman, Rich “Goose” Gossage, Tommy John, David Justice, Chuck Knoblauch, Don Mattingly, Mark McGwire, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Robb Nen, Dave Parker, Tim Raines, Jim Rice, Jose Rijo, Lee Smith, Todd Stottlemyre, Alan Trammell.