Derek Jeter Falls 1 Vote Shy Of Being Unanimous Pick For Hall Of Fame
MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) — Marlins CEO Derek Jeter fell one vote shy of being a unanimous pick for the Hall of Fame.
The longtime New York Yankees captain appeared on 396 of 397 ballots cast by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
Marlins Principal Owner Bruce Sherman issued the following statement:
"On behalf of the entire Miami Marlins organization, I congratulate Derek on his election into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Humility, class, consistency, strong work ethic, a desire to win and a deep commitment to positively impact the community have made Derek a great role model for baseball fans throughout the world. The manner in which Derek carries himself both on and off the field has earned the respect of teammates, opponents, coaches, media and fans alike. We look forward to joining baseball fans from around the world this July when he takes his rightful place in the Hall of Fame."
Longtime Yankees teammate Mariano Rivera became the first unanimous selection last year.
Jeter's 99.7% moved above Ken Griffey Jr. (99.3%) for the second-highest.
It was not immediately known which voter didn't choose Jeter, who was listed on all 219 ballots made public before the announcement. The BBWAA will release additional ballots on Feb. 4 of writers who chose a public listing.
Jeter will be inducted on July 26 at the Hall in Cooperstown along with Larry Walker, Ted Simmons and former players' association head Marvin Miller, who were voted in last month by the Hall's Modern Era Committee.
A five-time World Series champion, Jeter became a face of baseball as he starred in the nation's largest media market from 1995-2014. He was the AL Rookie of the Year award in 1996 as the Yankees won the World Series for the first time since 1978, then led New York to three straight titles from 1998-2000, the only team to accomplish the feat since the 1972-74 Oakland Athletics. A rebuilt Yankees added their 27th title in 2009.
Jeter defined himself by moments more than numbers: his unexpected backhand flip from foul territory to throw out Oakland's Jeremy Giambi in the 2001 AL Division Series; his Mr. November home run in the 10th inning that won Game 4 of the 2001 World Series; his face-first leap into the stands after catching a 12th-inning popup by Boston's Trot Nixon in 2004; a home run into the left-field bleachers for his 3,000th hit as part of a career-best 5-for-5 game in 2011; a ninth-inning walkoff single in his final home game in 2014; a single in his last at-bat three days later that lifted his career average to .310.
Drafted sixth overall in 1992 after he was spotted by Yankees scout Dick Grouch as a high school junior a year earlier, Jeter was bypassed by Houston (Phil Nevin), Cleveland (Paul Shuey), (Montreal (B.J. Wallace), Baltimore (Jeffrey Hammonds) and Cincinnati (Chad Mottola). He debuted for the Yankees on May 29, 1995, and was installed at shortstop the folliowing spring training by new manager Joe Torre.
Jeter became a 14-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner despite defensive metrics that were maligned. He was appointed captain by owner George Steinbrenner in June 2003, filling a position that had been open since Don Mattingly's retirement after the 1995 season. He finished with 3,465 hits, 260 homers, 358 stolen bases and 1,311 RBIs, earning $266 million from the Yankees.
He was the ninth player elected to the Hall after playing exclusively for the Yankees, joining Lou Gehrig (1939), Bill Dickey (1954), Joe DiMaggio (1955), Earle Combs (1970), Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle (1974), Phil Rizzuto (1994) and Rivera.
Jeter used some of his savings to join the group purchasing the Miami Marlins in September 2017, becoming CEO. Jettisoning veterans and going with low-priced youth in a way the Yankees never did, Jeter endured a pair of last-place finishes and the lowest home attendance in the major leagues.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
