Former Yankees’ legend Derek Jeter is on the ballot for the upcoming class of 2020 Hall of Fame induction set for Sunday, July 26, in Cooperstown, New York. Jeter is one of 32 players who are eligible before results are announced on January 21 and has currently received 100% of the vote on the ballot.
The iconic shortstop spent 20 seasons with the Yankees before retiring in 2014 with a career .310 batting average, 260 home runs and 1311 RBIs. During his career, he was a 14-time All-Star, a five-time Silver Slugger and won five World Series titles while serving as the franchise’s 11th captain. He also compiled 3,465 hits, which is sixth best in MLB history and the most ever for a shortstop. He was a clutch player and still holds the record for most home runs in the postseason with 20. In 15 seasons he was had at least 179 hits, and scored at least 100 runs in 13 seasons.
In 2017, Jeter’s former manager from 1995-2007, Joe Torre, was asked who his favorite player he ever coached was. He told YES Network, “I think people get a kick out of asking me that. Derek Jeter is an easy choice and I can bet you probably every single other player I managed never resented that because of the player he was. He was a dream for a manager to manage, and a staple for the guys playing alongside of him. The one thing I had trouble doing when he was a young player was giving him a day off, but I finally got the formula: I asked him which day he wanted off, this one or that one, and forced him into an answer.”
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Jeter was a rolel model and exemplified a standard of professionalism on and off the field.The biggest question heading into Tuesday is whether or not he will be a unanimous selection. The last Yankee to accomplish that was former teammate Mariano Rivera who was inducted in 2019. Rivera told the New York Post in August, “If it was me, it would be 1000 percent. Forget about 100 percent. I played with Derek for so many years, and seeing him day in and day out, and seeing the way he played the game and respected the game, I don’t see why not. Obviously I don’t vote, but I don’t see why not.”
