Rockies’ Larry Walker Also Picked

AS ANTICIPATED,

JETER GETS NOD

By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

COOPERSTOWN – It was the moment baseball fans have been waiting for – and expecting: Derek Jeter has been named to the 2020 Baseball Hall of Fame.

“Derek Jeter is one of the most respected ballplayers of his generation,” said Tim Mead, Hall of Fame president, on the MLB Network Tuesday evening, Jan. 21, in his first induction announcement since taking the helm last summer.

“He has defined consistency and leadership and joins a distinguished list of Yankee greats as he takes his rightful place in the Baseball Hall of Fame.”

Widely anticipated to be inducted in his first year of eligibility, Yankees shortstop Jeter received 396 of the 397 votes cast, just one vote shy of unanimous and second only to former Yankees teammate Mariano Rivera’s 100 percent in 2019.

Joining him in the Hall of Plaques is Colorado Rockies outfielder Larry Walker, the first Rockies player to enter the Hall of Fame and only the second Canadian player to do so. He received 304 votes (76.6 percent) on his tenth and final year on the ballot.

“Walker has always been respected for his instincts,” said Mead.

Both will be honored as part of the Hall’s Induction Weekend July 24-27 in Cooperstown, along with catcher Ted Simmons and the late Major League Players Association executive director Marvin Miller, who were elected in December by the Modern Baseball Era Committee.

Also being honored that weekend will be the Ford C. Frick Award winner for broadcasting, Ken Harrelson, and the J.G. Taylor Spink Award winner for writing, the late Nick Cafardo.

Jeter, 45, spent all 20 of his MLB seasons with the Yankees, 1995-2014, was a member of five World Series championship teams, captained the Yankees from 2003 through the end of his career and finished with 3,465 hits, the sixth highest total in history.

He was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1996, was the runner-up for the AL Most Valuable Player Award in 2006 and finished third in AL MVP voting twice, in 1998 and 2009, and won five Gold Glove Awards for fielding.

He also won the Hank Aaron Award for hitting in 2006 and ’09, the Roberto Clemente Award for community service in 2009 and the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award for philanthropy in 2011.

Born in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Walker, 53, batted .313 with 383 home runs over 17 seasons with Montreal, Colorado and St. Louis. A five-time All-Star, Walker was the National League MVP in 1997, won seven Gold Glove Awards for fielding and three Silver Slugger Awards as an outfielder.

With 70 percent of the vote, pitcher Curt Schilling once again failed to meet the 75 percent criteria. Roger Clemens received 61 percent of the vote Barry Bonds received 60.7 and shortstop Omar Vizquel received 52.6.