Derek Jeter was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame yesterday. He received the 2nd highest vote count in Hall of Fame history achieving 99.75% of all the votes.
In response to getting elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame Jeter said, “It probably means a little bit more to me than maybe some other people because I grew up a Yankee fan and it was the only organization I ever wanted to play for. I was fortunate to play 20 years in New York and a lot of thanks goes out to the Steinbrenner family, especially the Boss. He was big on, ‘If you guys win, we’ll bring you back.’ That’s the one thing I always wanted to be remembered as, to be remembered as a Yankee”.
Some of Jeter’s former teammates, players and coaches responded with praise:
- The New York Yankees said, “A Bronx legend. A baseball legend”.
- Joe Torre said, “A Derek Jeter comes along once in a generation. By August of 1996, his teammates started looking for him to set the tone and make things happen. Derek was comfortable in his own skin. On the biggest stage in sports, he was never afraid to fail and always kept the game fun. Derek respected the game, the fans, his teammates and his opponents. His character, determination, and confidence are a wonderful reflection of how he was raised by his parents. It was a true privilege to watch Derek and to be his manager for 12 years. To this day, he still calls me ‘Mr. Torre.’ Today, it is a pleasure to say, ‘Welcome to the Hall, Mr. Jeter!’ You did it with class and grace”.
- Mariano Rivera said, “To the best teammate a player can ever ask for…your hard work, respect for the game and selfless leadership have always served as an inspiration. Felicidades y gracias por las memorias”!
- Alex Rodriguez said,”To The Captain Derek Jeter – congratulations on taking your rightful place in the Baseball Hall of Fame where you will be, for eternity, as one of history’s greatest players, at any position, in any era”.
According to Baseball-Reference.com to be elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame a player must have:
- Competed in at least 10 seasons(Playing in one game is still considered as a season.
- Been retired from Baseball for at least 5 years.
- Been screened by a screening committee for eligibility.
- Not previously banned from Baseball.
- Receives at least 75% of all ballots cast.
- Received at least five percent of the votes for any given year.
Jeter played for the Yankees from 1995-2014 and won 5 World Series. Jeter will be inducted into the Hall Of Fame on July 26th in Cooperstown, New York.
