Derek Jeter falls one vote short from a unanimous vote into the Hall of Fame

By JP Hefft | Sports Editor

January 23, 2020

On Tuesday, January 21, 2020, Derek Jeter and Larry Walker were inducted in the MLB Hall of Fame. Jeter, after retiring in 2014, was accepted into the Hall of Fame on his first attempt. On the other hand, Walker had not been accepted in the past nine years, but he was finally let into the Hall of Fame on his tenth and final attempt. 

The controversy that follows this year’s Hall of Fame inductees is whether or not Derek Jeter should have been a unanimous Hall of Famer. He fell only one vote short from this rare title, and without surprise, he is not bothered by it. 

”I focus on the ones who did,” Jeter said, “It takes a lot of people to all agree to get you to this point. So, I’m not thinking about that.” Jeter, nicknamed “the Captain” for his poise and humility, displayed those character traits when asked about missing out on a unanimous vote. 

Most people throughout the sports world believe that because of Jeter’s persona, he deserved to be in the same company of his longtime teammate Mariano Rivera. Rivera was the first player ever to be voted into the Hall of Fame with a unanimous vote and it was a shock to the sports world that Jeter did not join Rivera in this prestigious club. 

“It is hard to believe honestly,” San Clemente High School senior Spencer Normandin said. “He has done so much for this game and it is a shame that one person stopped him from getting the recognition that he deserves.” This is a common opinion throughout many people’s minds, but there is nothing that can be done now.

“Derek Jeter was and always will be a role model to young baseball players,” senior Kolby Schiffer said.”I really thought that he was going to be recognized with a unanimous vote.”

Larry Walker, although less talked about, is a very deserving candidate for the Hall of Fame and he ended up being inducted in his last attempt. He played for three different teams during his seventeen year career, and finished his career with 383 home runs. His play and contributions to the game are not spoken about often, but he is definitely deserving of this achievement.

Whether the general public agrees or not on the voting of this years Hall of Fame inductees, these two talented players will now have their name and statistics forever in Cooperstown.