COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (1010 WINS) -- The Captain has finally become part of baseball immortality.
After a delay of over a year, former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday along with fellow class of 2020 members Ted Simmons, Larry Walker and the late Marvin Miller.
Last year’s ceremony was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Nobody was selected from this year’s writers’ ballot.
Jeter was as cool and collected as he was throughout his career during his induction speech, thanking a wide array of those who he met along the way during his iconic playing career.
He mentioned by name meetings with Hank Aaron, the scouts who saw his talent early on, manager Joe Torre and the fellow players he shared the field with, from Jorge Posada to C.C. Sabathia.
Jeter's plaque had his long list of accomplishments, like five World Series titles and 14 All-Star selections. But it also called him the "heartbeat of a Yankees dynasty."
The 47-year-old also told stories of his appreciation to his parents, wife and kids for their support over the years, and said he only wished his young daughters could have seen him on the field.
When talking about "The Boss" George Steinbrenner, he spoke on their shared desire to win more than anyone else. "We did," Jeter said.
The 2000 World Series MVP also joked about his brush with history in the Hall of Fame voting. He earned 99.7% of the vote, meaning just a single writer left him off their ballot. Only fellow Yankee legend Mariano Rivera has been a unanimous inductee.
“Thanks to all of the baseball writers, all but one of you, who voted for me," he joked.
The ceremony, held in Cooperstown, New York, brought plenty of star power -- including all-time NBA great Michael Jordan, Knicks legend Patrick Ewing and a long list of ex-Yankees.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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