Jim Kaat a finalist for Baseball Hall of Fame, along with Allen, Oliva, Miñoso

Jim Kaat is once again a finalist for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Zeeland native won 283 games during his career as a left-handed pitcher and 16 Gold Glove awards as the best fielder at his position.

Kaat is one of 10 finalists on the Hall of Fame's Golden Era Committee. He is joined by former teammates Tony Oliva and Dick Allen as well as Ken Boyer, Gil Hodges, Roger Maris, Minnie Miñoso, Billy Pierce, Maury Wills and manager Danny Murtaugh.

The era committees rotate with the Golden Era every five years. The vote, which is in-person at the winter meetings, was postponed last year because of the pandemic.

In 2014, Kaat's teammates Allen and Oliva each missed by a single vote, getting 11 of the 12 needed. Kaat received 10 to miss by two, while Wills received nine to miss by three and Miñoso got eight to miss by four.

The Early Baseball Era committee also will meet this year. That group meets every 10 years and focuses on baseball pre-1947, including the Negro Leagues. The Early Baseball Era ballot includes Bill Dahlen, John Donaldson, Bud Fowler, Vic Harris, Grant “Home Run” Johnson, Lefty O’Doul, Buck O’Neil, Dick “Cannonball” Redding, Allie Reynolds and George “Tubby” Scales.

The results of the Early Baseball Era Committee vote and the Golden Days Era Committee vote will be announced live on MLB Network’s “MLB Tonight” at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 5.

Kaat pitched 25 seasons with the Senators, Twins, White Sox, Phillies, Yankees and Cardinals, winning 283 games over the course of four different decades.

Kaat was named to three All-Star Games and helped the Cardinals win the 1982 World Series and led the Twins to the 1965 pennant, facing Sandy Koufax head-to-head three times, winning one of those games. He went on to a long broadcasting career after his playing days were over.

Kaat has long been advocates for his teammates Allen and Oliva making the Hall of Fame.

Allen played 15 seasons from 1963-77 for five teams, spending nine seasons with the Phillies, compiling 351 home runs, 1,119 RBI and a .292 career average. He was named the 1972 AL Most Valuable Player and the 1964 NL Rookie of the Year, with seven career All-Star selections. He is a player whose case has benefitted from analytics as well.

Oliva played his entire career with the Twins. He won three batting titles, led the league in hits five times and retired with a .304 career average. He was an eight-time all-star, won a Gold Glove award and was the 1964 Rookie of the Year. He was runner up for the MVP twice and finished in the top six in MVP voting four times.

Minnie Miñoso played 17 seasons with the Indians, White Sox, Cardinals and Senators, earning nine AL/NL All-Star Game selections and three Gold Glove Awards as an outfielder. A native of Cuba, he blazed a trail for Latin American players in the big leagues starting in the 1950s.

Maris broke Babe Ruth's single-season home run record when he hit 61 home runs in 1961. He won two MVP awards and was a seven-time all-star.

Hodges was an eight-time all-star and won the first three Gold Glove awards at first base playing mostly for Brooklyn. He hit 370 home runs, leading the Dodgers to seven pennants and two World Series titles before managing the Miracle Mets to the title in 1969.

Boyer was an oustanding third baseman for the Cardinals, winning the 1964 MVP and making 11 all-star teams.

Pierce complied a 211-169 record with a 3.27 ERA in 18 seasons, 13 with the Chicago White Sox. A seven-time All-Star, he led the league in complete games three straight seasons, totaling 193 overall. He posted the lowest ERA in the AL in 1955 (1.97).

Wills played 14 seasons from 1959-72, 12 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, with a .281 lifetime average and 586 career stolen bases. The 1962 NL MVP was a seven-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner at shortstop.

— Contact Sports Editor Dan D'Addona at Dan.D'Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanDAddona and Facebook @Holland Sentinel Sports.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Jim Kaat finalist for Baseball Hall of Fame with Allen, Oliva, Miñoso