Back in 2020, Derek Jeter received 99.7% of the votes for his induction into the Hall of Fame – falling one vote short of being unanimously selected. Naturally, there was always a lingering question about the identity of the single dissenter. Well, the legendary ex-captain of the New York Yankees put all rumors to bed recently as he finally opened up about the one vote that he missed out on.
During an interview on “SI Media With Jimmy Traina,” Derek Jeter tackled this long-standing question head-on, despite having politely deflected it for the last few years.
Firstly, the ex-shortstop discussed the irony of how players are expected to face the media after each game which he personally kept up with throughout his career. Further, Jeter argued that media members should also be held to a standard of accountability when it comes to casting votes on Hall of Fame selections.
Before wrapping up his answer, the five-time World Series champion clearly stated that he isn’t concerned about the missed vote but finds it frustrating to be questioned about it often.
“I don’t care that someone didn’t vote for me. I really don’t. Who am I to say everyone should have voted for me? That’s not the case. But I do think what becomes annoying is I have to constantly answer the question.”
He even mentioned a desire to have a conversation with the person who didn’t vote for him not out of anger but to understand their perspective.
Derek Jeters’ election into the Baseball Hall of Fame was truly impressive. In 2020, Jeter remarkably received 99.7% of the votes with 396 out of 397 votes in his favor. This means that one baseball writer did not include him on their ballot.
The only player to achieve a unanimous vote is Derek Jeter’s teammate, Mariano Rivera. In 2019. Rivera received 100% of the votes becoming the first and currently only player to be unanimously selected for the Hall of Fame.
On the flip side, the only person who didn’t vote for Jeter is a curious case because the Hall of Famer’s accomplishments speak volumes. With 14 All-Star appearances, five World Series championships, and numerous other accolades under his belt- he is an MLB legend.
Shifting focus from Derek Jeter’s concerns, another interesting Hall of Fame scenario involves his Yankees’ ex-teammate, Alex Rodriguez.
Will Derek Jeters’ ex-teammate Alex Rodriguez Ever Break Through the Hall of Fame’s Barriers?
Compared to Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez‘s foray into the Baseball Hall of Fame was way more uncertain.
A Rod’s impressive stats speak for themselves. With 696 home runs,3,115 hits, and a .295 lifetime batting average, he has certainly made his mark. Plus, he has earned three MVP awards, has been selected as an All-Star 14 times, and clinched a World Series title. Hence, if the numbers are anything to go by, he should easily be considered for the MLB Hall of Fame.
However, Rodriguez’s legacy is tarnished for using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) throughout his career. Consequently, this creates doubt in the voters’ minds as they believe that players who cheat with steroids shouldn’t be immortalized in Cooperstown.
Naturally, this was quite evident in his voting results. In the three years on the ballot (2022-2024), A-Rod has fallen short of the required 75% threshold for induction, receiving around 35% support. He even saw a decrease in votes compared to previous years.
The question remains whether A-Rod will eventually get inducted into the Hall of Fame. Perhaps attitudes towards PEDs among voters may change over time potentially leading to a breakthrough in A Rod’s situation.
However, the way things are going it seems like Rodriguez might not get votes to stay on the ballot for more than ten years. Still, it could be possible for him to go through the Veterans Committee, a group that looks at players who didn’t get support, from the BBWAA writers.
