Legendary New York Yankee Derek Jeter was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday as part of the class of 2020.
The MLB was forced to put off the ceremony amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The four-person class would have been joined by the 2021 inductees, but none were elected this year.
Alongside Jeter, Colorado Rockies outfielder Larry Walker, St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ted Simmons, and MLB Players Association executive director Marvin Miller were inducted at the ceremony in Cooperstown, New York.
“There’s a huge responsibility from wearing a Yankee uniform. Just because you have it on doesn’t guarantee you earned it. You demanded I earn it every single day,” Jeter said to the tough New York fans. And earn it, he did.
Jeter is a five-time champion and a 14-time All-Star. His lifetime batting average was .310, and he had 3,465 hits during his career. During his time with the Yankees, he served as the team captain for 12 seasons. Jeter was crucial in the Yankees’ success in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The former Yankees shortstop thanked his family and the Steinbrenner family during his 16-minute speech. Several of his teammates attended the ceremony, and NBA superstars Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing were also in attendance.
