And then there were 260.

Including a president.

A select committee narrowed the list of eligible candidates for the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s 2007 Veterans Committee election to 260, the Hall announced Monday. The Baseball Writers’ Association of America appointed a Historical Overview Committee that is independent of the Hall to complete the first step in the VC voting process.

Among the 60 candidates on the managers, umpires and executives list is President George W. Bush, who used to own the Texas Rangers. Ot[an error occurred while processing this directive]her notables on the managers, umpires and executive lists include former California/Anaheim Angels owner Gene Autry; former Yankees manager Billy Martin; former Mets manager Davey Johnson; former St. Louis Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog; and former Yankees bench coach Don Zimmer, who also managed the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs, the San Diego Padres and the Rangers.

Among the 200 eligible baseball players are former New York Yankees Roger Maris, Thurman Munson and Mel Stottlemyre; former Minnesota Twins outfielder Tony Oliva; and two-time All-Star catcher Tim McCarver. Minnie Minoso, who was overlooked for election to the Hall via a special Negro leagues ballot this year, is also on the players list.

Nine historians and veteran baseball writers made up the committee, which met in the Hall’s Library Research Center in December. The committee finalized its selections following further research over the last few months.

The original list of players, which includes all eligible major leaguers with at least 10 seasons of experience up to and including the 1985 season, encompassed more than 1,400 players. The Hall and Elias Sports Bureau provided data used by the committee to determine its choices.

A BBWAA-appointed committee of 60 members will cut the players list to 25 candidates and the other list to 15 this summer.

Simultaneously, a six-member screening committee of Hall of Famers will select five players to be added to the list of 25, should they not be included.

The final ballots will be announced this fall.

The VC electorate is comprised of the living Hall of Fame members (61), Ford C. Frick Award recipients (14), J.G. Taylor Spink Award recipients (8) and former VC members whose terms have not yet expired (1).

The VC will vote in January 2007. Those who earn votes on 75 percent of ballots cast will be inducted into the Hall during the summer of 2007.

The last two VC elections — in 2003 and 2005 — produced no Hall of Famers.

The next VC players election will run in 2009, followed by VC voting for managers, umpires and executives in 2011.