Though he will join Mariano Rivera in the Baseball Hall of Fame, Derek Jeter did not make it into Cooperstown as a unanimous selection like his former Yankee teammate.
In a somewhat surprising turn of events, Jeter came up one vote short of being a unanimous selection for the Cooperstown class of 2020 as he was named on 396 of 397 HOF ballots (99.7 percent).
As of now, it is unknown which member of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America failed to cash a vote for the longtime Yankees shortstop and captain.
“Every accolade that has been bestowed on Derek throughout his career has been earned and deserved,” Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement. “He was a captain and champion in every sense of the word, a man who embodied our traditions and expectations with an unmistakable grace and dignified resolve. Derek’s legacy as one of the most beloved and charitable players in the last quarter-century cements his place in baseball history. As he is immortalized in Cooperstown this summer, we proudly reflect on the honor he brought the Yankees franchise, the New York community, and the great game of baseball.”
Joining Jeter in Cooperstown will be Larry Walker, a longtime Colorado Rockie who was in his 10th, and final, year of Hall of Fame eligibility. Walker made it onto 304 ballots, six above the 75 percent he needed in order to be inducted.
Pitcher Curt Schilling was third in polling with 278 votes (70 percent) in his eighth ballot appearance while neither Roger Clemens nor Barry Bonds got more than 61 percent of the vote.
Rivera was the first-ever unanimous selection to the Hall of Fame last year, surpassing the previous high vote-getter in Ken Griffey Jr. (99.3 percent of the vote).
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