NEW YORK — Hall of Fame voters made up for last year’s empty slate, electing Greg Maddux, Frank Thomas and Tom Glavine — three stars who’ve never been connected to performance-enhancing drugs.

On a day that turned out to be a celebration of first-timers on the ballot, Craig Biggio missed out on baseball’s highest honor by two votes. Mike Piazza gained a bit of ground in his second year of eligibility, too, but nearly everyone else saw their percentage of votes drop — 75 percent is needed for admittance.

Award winners from the Steroids Era struck out again, and big-game ace Jack Morris missed on his 15th and final chance in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Next year, chances don’t improve for returnees with another crowded class of achievers.

“Kids dream about playing pro sports, but to go into the Baseball Hall of Fame, it’s a gigantic moment for me,” Thomas said.

The induction ceremony July 27 will be an Atlanta Braves reunion with Glavine and Maddux joined by their former manager Bobby Cox, who along with fellow skippers Joe Torre and Tony La Russa were selected by the expansion era committee last month.

Another rough ballot for stars suspected of steroids use. Home run king Barry Bonds and seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens were among several who saw their support drop. In their second year on the ballot, the BBWAA gave Clemens 35.4 percent of the vote and Bonds 34.7. Mark McGwire (11 percent) and Sammy Sosa (7.2 percent) fell as well. Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 hits and 569 homers, received the ultimate rebuke: He got only 25 votes (4.4 percent), which is below the 5 percent threshold to remain on the ballot.

If Hall newcomer Thomas has his way, it won’t get any easier for those with sullied reputations.

“Over the last year, doing a couple of charity events with Hall of Famers that are in, they’ve got a strong stance against anyone who’s taken steroids. They do not want them in,” he said. “I’ve got to take the right stance, too. No, they shouldn’t get in.”

Biggio, the Houston Astros second baseman with over 3,000 hits, a Hall benchmark, received 427 votes (74.8 percent) after getting 388 last year.