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• LONDON (AP) -- Space thriller "Gravity," unflinching slavery saga "12 Years a Slave" and crime caper "American Hustle" gained awards-season momentum Wednesday with stacks of nominations for the British Academy Film Awards, Britain's equivalent of the Oscars.
• "Gravity" received nominations in 11 categories, including best picture and lead actress, for Sandra Bullock.
• "12 Years" had 10 nominations, including nods for star Chiwetel Ejiofor, supporting performers Lupita Nyong'o and Michael Fassbender and director Steve McQueen.
• "I continue to be immensely proud of the recognition this film is getting around the world," said British actor Ejiofor, who plays a free black man kidnapped into slavery in the 19th-century United States.
• "There is, of course, something particularly special about receiving a BAFTA nomination from home," he said.
• ___

• NEW YORK (AP) -- Baseball writers could elect a quartet of players to the Hall of Fame for the first time in more than a half-century.
• Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas appeared to be on track to gain election from the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Wednesday, and Craig Biggio could join them. The last time four players received the required 75 percent was in 1955, when Joe DiMaggio, Gabby Hartnett, Ted Lyons and Dazzy Vance all got in. Surprisingly, it was the third ballot appearance for DiMaggio, who fell 81 votes short in 1953 and 14 shy the following year.
• When he announced his retirement in December 2008, Maddux wouldn't talk about the Hall.
• "I think there's a lot of good players in there," he said. "Don't really have any thoughts on it."
• Maddux could break the mark for highest percentage (98.84), set when in 1992 when Tom Seaver topped the record Ty Cobb set in 1936.

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