Jeter, rest of Class of 2020 to have induction ceremony in ’21
Derek Jeter will have to wait a year for his induction ceremony into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
The hall on Wednesday announced that its Class of 2020 induction weekend, originally set for July 2427, has been canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The four-person class, which includes Jeter, Larry Walker, Ted Simmons and Marvin Miller, will be honored with the 2021 class from July 23-26 in Cooperstown, New York.
This will be the first year without an induction ceremony since 1960.
“Induction Weekend is a celebration of our National Pastime and its greatest legends, and while we are disappointed to cancel this incredibly special event, the Board of Directors’ overriding concern is the health and wellbeing of our new inductees, our Hall of Fame members, our wonderful fans and the hundreds of staff it takes to present the weekend’s events in all of its many facets,” Jane Forbes Clark, chairwoman of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, said in a press release.
“We care deeply about
Jeter every single person who visits Cooperstown.”
Jeter, the former star shortstop for the New York Yankees and now the CEO of the Miami Marlins, was a near unanimous selection as a first-time candidate. All but one voter — 396 of 397 — had Jeter on their ballot.
“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.
“I respect and support the decision to postpone this year’s enshrinement and am looking forward to joining current Hall of Famers, fans, staff and my family and friends in Cooperstown in 2021.”