Before the end of 2011, there will be an important Hall of Fame vote, as the Hall’s Veterans Committee selects candidates for enshrinement who have been retired 21 years or more.

So, VetComm members, what about players such as Ron Santo, Vada Pinson, Tommy John, Jim Kaat  and Bobby Richardson? Once again, will these and other great 1960s stars be denied baseball immortality?

Here's one theory as to why Santo and the others have been blocked from Hall of Fame inclusion, and are likely to be denied that honor again. It seems that Hall of Fame voters may have a prejudice against 1960s players.

There are already 50 Hall of Famers who played at some time during the 1960s. Maybe the voters think that’s enough, even to the exclusion of great players such as Santo, Kaat, John, Pinson and Richardson. Their absence demonstrates the Hall’s reluctance to honor any more stars from the 1960s, despite the fact that their careers were Hall of Fame worthy.

These were great players whose performance on and off the field deserved more than obscurity. It wasn't their fault that there were so many outstanding players during the 1960s.

These guys belong in the Hall of Fame. And if 1960s prejudice isn't keeping them out, what is?