Manager Whitey Herzog and umpire Doug Harvey got the call yesterday, elected to the baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.

Herzog and Harvey missed by one vote in their previous tries. This time, they easily drew enough support to reach Cooperstown.

"I don't think I would've had my heart broken if I'd missed by another vote or two. But I'm damn happy it's over," Herzog said at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

"It was just in the last few years when I was only missing by a few votes that I thought, maybe I do deserve it," he said.

Candidates needed 12 votes (75 percent) to make it, and Herzog got 14 in voting yesterday at the baseball winter meetings in Indianapolis. Harvey was picked on 15 of 16 ballots.

Herzog was a fixture in major league dugouts for two decades. He won the 1982 World Series and three NL pennants with the Cardinals and three division titles with Kansas City. He became the 19th manager to make the hall.

Herzog started managing in 1973 with Texas and compiled a .532 career winning percentage.

Harvey umpired in the National League for 31 seasons before retiring in 1992. He worked five World Series and six All-Star games, and handled more than 4,600 games overall.

The 79-year-old Harvey became the ninth umpire in the Hall.

"Ten years into my career, my late father said to me that one day I would realize what I have achieved. When I woke up this morning and I received the call from Cooperstown, I realized for the first time exactly what that means," Harvey said in a statement.

Roberto Alomar, Edgar Martinez and Barry Larkin are eligible for the first time in hall voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Results will be announced Jan. 6.

YANKEES-NATIONALS

WASHINGTON ACQUIRES RELIEVER BRUNEY

New York Yankees reliever Brian Bruney was dealt yesterday to the Washington Nationals for a player to be named in the first trade of the winter meetings in Indianapolis.

The 27-year-old right-hander was 5-0 with a 3.92 ERA in 44 regular-season appearances but pitched just once for the Yankees from mid-April until mid-June because of a strained right elbow.

"I've heard a lot of good things about him, kind of a power arm to go toward the end of our bullpen, and we just feel like we needed a little help out there," Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said.

Bruney had a $1.25 million salary this year and is eligible for arbitration.

New York thinks it has several right-handed setup options for closer Mariano Rivera. By the postseason, Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain took up what had been Bruney's role at the start of the season.

ELSEWHERE

Tigers: Smooth-fielding shortstop Adam Everett decided to stay with Detroit, agreeing to a $1.55 million, one-year contract. Everett hit .238 with three homers and 44 RBIs for Detroit this year, his ninth season in the majors. He has a .976 fielding percentage at shortstop during his career.

Cardinals: St. Louis and right-hander Brad Penny reached a tentative agreement on a $7.5 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the talks said. Penny went a combined 11-9 with a 4.88 ERA in 30 starts for Boston and San Francisco last season.

More Yankees: The Yankees said left-hander Andy Pettitte's representatives told them he wants to return for 2010. New York was prepared to make him an offer upward of $10 million, a baseball official familiar with the talks said.