Derek Jeter inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame
Delayed more than a year by COVID-19 complications, the Baseball Hall of Fame held the induction ceremony Wednesday afternoon for its Class of 2020, headlined by Derek Jeter.
Jeter played parts of 20 seasons with the Yankees, winning five World Series championships (denied of a sixth by those pesky 2003 Marlins). He’s among the most impactful players in the franchise’s history and one of the best offensive shortstops of all time (3,465 career hits and 119 wRC+). Additionally, he was his generation’s most recognizable player, serving as the unofficial “face of baseball” throughout the 2000s and early 2010s.
In his first year of eligibility, Jeter received support from 396 of 397 Baseball Writers’ Association of America voters (99.7%).
The crowd in Cooperstown, New York was swarmed with Yankees fans and Jeter’s friends and family—his wife and daughter, his parents, his former teammates, etc. Jeter thanked each of them during his speech and also singled out Gary Denbo as one of the individuals who was most responsible for his development as a player (Denbo now works for Jeter as the Marlins’ vice president of player development and scouting).
Former catcher Ted Simmons, outfielder Larry Walker and MLBPA executive director Marvin Miller were inducted along with Jeter in the 2020 HOF class.
