Jan 01, 2007 10:00 PM EST

It's been a long time since Bret Saberhagen was a rookie, but he is again this year, at least in Hall of Fame terms. Saberhagen, who gained his greatest fame with the Kansas City Royals, is among 17 first-year former players on this year's ballot for enshrinement at Cooperstown.

"It's a great honor to be a part of the big picture," Saberhagen said from his home in Southern California. "I've always been a guy that never really took baseball for granted. It was something that I wanted to do, and I cherished it."

Via mlb.com