COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Wait ’til next year. The National Baseball Hall of Fame announced Wednesday that Derek Jeter and his fellow class of 2020 won’t be inducted this summer.
Instead, the New York Yankees’ Hall of Fame shortstop will be inducted with his fellow electees, along with any class of 2021 electees, the following summer, on July 25, 2021. The postponement (in the case were unaware and you’ve been living under a rock) is due to public health concerns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Cooperstown is always packed but as you saw last summer with Mariano Rivera, it would’ve been packed for Jeter.
“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,” Jeter added.
Speaking of which, it’s unfortunate that if this had to happen that it wasn’t a year earlier, so Jeter and Rivera could’ve gone in together. Oh well, I’m sure 2021 will be fine when the writers elect Curt Schilling. Gross.
Our Board of Directors has voted unanimously to cancel 2020 Induction Weekend, due to health and safety concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Class of 2020 will be inducted in 2021, alongside any Class of 2021 electees, on July 25, 2021 https://t.co/iecNYeoH95 pic.twitter.com/O99EIXWpqm
— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) April 29, 2020
