Derek Jeter is officially a part of the Baseball Hall of Fame. The New York Yankees legend had his induction ceremony today, being honored alongside the rest of the 2020 class that included ex-Colorado Rockies right fielder Larry Walker, ex-St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ted Simmons, and late MLBPA executive Marvin Miller.
Enshrinement of Jeter, Walker, Simmons, and Miller was postponed several times before taking place today. The original ceremony was canceled due to a coronavirus pandemic, after which the induction of the 2020 class was scheduled for early 2021 as a television-only event. However, the Baseball Hall of Fame later decided to move the date once again in hopes of having fans present, which ended up happening.
There will be no class of 2021 as the Baseball Writers’ Association of America failed to vote in any of the eligible candidates this year.
Derek Jeter played in the MLB for 20 years while spending his entire professional career with the New York Yankees. He earned 15 All-Star nods during that period while leading the team to five World Series wins. Jeter is currently serving as CEO and part-owner of MLB franchise the Miami Marlins.
“I had one goal in my career, and that was to win more than everyone else, and we did that, which brings me to the Yankee fans,” said Jeter during his induction speech. “Without question, you helped me get here today as much as any individual I’ve mentioned.”
Larry Walker received the honor on the back of five All-Star appearances, three batting titles, and an NL MVP Award during his 17 years in MLB. Walker became only the second player from Canada to make it to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Ted Simmons got in thanks to Modern Baseball Era Committee voting. Simmons has eight All-Star nods from his stints with Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers and is considered one of the best hitting catchers in the history of the game.
