The One’s Still The One – Later
Jeter’s Celebration
Lives, Only In 2021,
Hall President Says
By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com
COOPERSTOWN – Just because Derek Jeter’s induction has been postponed for a year doesn’t mean that we’ve missed out on the big one.
“His induction will still be the one,” said Tim Mead, president, Baseball Hall of Fame. “Instead of focusing on it for five years, we’ll have to focus for six. But it will still be a celebratory event, and we’ll all be glad to have it back.”
The Baseball Hall of Fame announced earlier that they would be cancelling the 2020 Induction, which was anticipated to bring as many as 100,000 fans to Cooperstown for the weekend of July 24-26, citing precautions around COVID-19. “Our biggest focal point is the health and safety of our fans, the residents of Cooperstown, our employees and the Hall of Famers,” he said. “It’s our responsibility to guarantee that for everyone.”
All options were on the table as the board weighed what to do. “Induction isn’t an event you can put a floating date on,” he said. “There is housing, transportation, so many things to consider. And because we don’t have an end date to this pandemic, we realized it just wasn’t practical to try and pick another date this year.”
But they knew one thing – the event would be held in Cooperstown. “Early on, there was discussion of having a ‘Virtual’ induction,” he said. “But that wouldn’t be fair to the village, the visitors, the players or their families. Induction is such a special occasion, so that was a very quick ‘no’.”
The 2021 induction is scheduled for Sunday July 25.
“We’ll celebrate the class of 2020 and 2021 together,” he said.