Hall of Fame cancels 2020 induction ceremony, will be next year

Derek Jeter, Larry Walker and the rest of this year’s Baseball Hall of Fame class will have to wait another year for their big moment at Cooperstown.

The Hall of Fame announced Wednesday that it has canceled the July 26 induction ceremony because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Instead, the class will be included at next year’s induction festivities — along with any additional new choices — on July 25, 2021.

A record crowd of over 70,000 had been expected this summer in an outdoor field at the small town in upstate New York to honor Jeter, the former Yankees captain who came within one vote of unanimous election by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in January.

Jeter and Walker were to be inducted with catcher Ted Simmons and the late Marvin Miller, the pioneering players’ union head who negotiated free agency and transformed the sport.

“Being inducted into the Hall of Fame will be an incredible honor, but the health and safety of everyone involved are paramount,” Jeter said in a statement released by the Hall.

This will be the first year without an induction ceremony since 1960.

No ceremony was held in 1950, 1958 and 1960 after no one was elected.

Source: Rays plan furloughs

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. » The Tampa Bay Rays are the first Major League Baseball team known to plan furloughs of some full-time employees because of the coronavirus pandemic, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.

Temporary cost-cutting measures will take effect on Saturday, the person said.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday. The Rays declined to comment.

Staff was informed of the plan by principal owners Stuart Sternberg and team presidents Matt Silverman and Brian Auld earlier this week.

The Tampa Bay Times reported the furloughs are believed to involve less than half the club’s 400-to-500 full-time employees.

Teams offer ticket refunds, credit

The Cardinals and Red Sox announced ticket refund policies for games not played through May because of the virus outbreak, with some teams offering plans for cash returns and bonus credit.

A day after MLB told clubs they could decide their own ticket refund policies, several did. The Minnesota Twins will credit season ticket holders for missed games, plus give an additional 15% credit of that amount to be used for 2020 or 2021 purchases.