No Fans For Jeter At Cooperstown Ceremony
On July 25th you will have the opportunity to see Yankee legend Derek Jeter inducted into the National Baseball Hall Of Fame, you just won't be able to see it in person. On Friday the HOF announced that the 2021 Induction Ceremony will not be held at the traditional Clark Sports Center location in Cooperstown but you can watch it on television.
Jane Forbes Clark, Chairman of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum said, “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, 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.”
For decades, the Induction Ceremony has been held as an unticketed event, free and open to all fans with estimated crowds approaching and surpassing 50,000 at five of the last six ceremonies from 2014-2019. The second-largest crowd on record – an estimated 55,000 people – attended the Hall of Fame’s last Induction Ceremony, which took place on July 21, 2019. Last year’s cancelation marked the first time the Hall of Fame did not hold an Induction Ceremony in Cooperstown since 1960.
Jeter joins fellow Yankees Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson and his "Core 4" teammate Mariano Rivera, as 1st ballot hall of fame inductions. Also inducted this Summer will be Marvin Miller, Ted Simmons and Larry Walker. This is the second year in a row the Hall has canceled its regular ceremonies because of the pandemic. The Hall of Fame remains open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.