One of the greatest legends in New York sports history will not be able to receive a legend’s greeting when he is enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
The Baseball Hall of Fame announced on Friday that its 2021 induction ceremony on July 25 will be held indoors without fans due to “continuing uncertainties created by COVID-19,” meaning Derek Jeter will go into Cooperstown without the embrace of thousands of fans at the Clark Sports Center.
“We had hoped to be in a position to welcome loyal baseball fans back to Cooperstown for Induction Weekend, but with the continuing uncertainties created by COVID-19, the Board of Directors has decided not to hold Induction Weekend ceremonies at the traditional Clark Sports Center location,” Hall of Fame chairman Jane Forbes Clark said in a statement. “We have prepared alternative plans to conduct our annual Awards Presentation and Induction Ceremony as television events taking place indoors and adhering to all of the required New York State guidelines.”
Jeter, along with fellow inductees Larry Walker, Marvin Miller and Ted Simmons, will still be honored, but when they make their induction speeches, it won’t be in front of a sea of fans on a July afternoon. With Jeter attached to this year’s class, the Hall of Fame would normally be preparing for one of its most lucrative weekends ever. Instead, the Hall of Fame has canceled all events that typically take place during induction weekend.
The last induction ceremony for the Hall of Fame came in July of 2019, when former Yankees Mariano Rivera and Mike Mussina were part of the class that brought in a record 55,000 fans. Rivera was the first unanimous Hall of Fame inductee. Jeter missed a unanimous selection by one vote.
Jeter was elected to the 2020 class, but it was canceled due to the coronavirus, marking the first time the Hall of Fame didn’t have an induction ceremony in Cooperstown since 1960.
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