Only a Yankee. Derek Jeter summarizes his legacy in this way. Fans know that Derek Jeter was more than just a great shortstop. He is about to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Jeter and fellow inductees Ted Simmons, Larry Walker met with media on Thursday ahead of Wednesday's Hall of Fame ceremony at Cooperstown, New York. This is the first since July 2019, when the 2020 celebrations were overthrown by the coronavirus pandemic.
It will be 21 months since Simmons was informed he was tabbed by the veterans' committee, and 20 months since Jeter's and Walker's selections in the annual round of Baseball Writers' Association of America balloting.
It takes a lot of time to create a speech. Jeter stated that his speech is far from over.
Jeter stated, "Still going through this process right now." "So, I am not done. Jon [Hall of Fame vice-president of communications] Shisakofsky is likely upset about me now because they told me that I had to have it in by a month. It's something that I tried to take my own time with.
It's not unusual for Jeter to appear out of sorts in the face of a large crowd at the Clark Sports Center on the outskirts Cooperstown. He was able to thrive during his 20-year career in the most prominent spotlight of baseball.
Jeter stated, "I look forward to getting up there to go to the museum and meeting all the Hall of Famers and spending time with them as well as the ceremony and speech." "Those are things I try to keep out of mind because I want to go into there without any preconceived notions about what might happen.
Although his legacy as CEO and owner of the Miami Marlins is still a work in process, Jeter was determined to be remembered as a New York Yankee.
He was certainly able to do that. He spent his entire professional career with the Yankees and recorded 3,465 hits, which is sixth in all of history.
Jeter stated that the most important thing in my career was people asking me what I want to be remembered for. "I want to be remembered for being a Yankee. That was it. For as long as I can recall, that was the only team I wanted to play for. This is what I wanted to leave as my legacy.
"But when I began actually playing my profession, it was much more than what I do on the field." It's what you leave behind on the field.
The most recent round in BBWAA balloting did not select any candidates, and the veterans committee, which would have met at the canceled 2020 Winter Meetings, was unable to meet. Simmons, Jeter, and Walker will be inducted into the Hall at a 2021 ceremony.
"I look forward to going up to the museum, meeting all the Hall of Famers, and spending time with them as well as the ceremony and speech. Those are the things I try to keep out of mind. I want to go into that museum with no preconceived ideas of what might happen.
Three of them were asked about the long wait to be inducted after last year's cancellation.
Simmons stated that it was both good and bad. It's bad that you have to wait another year, but it's good that it's been extended an additional year. Jeter stated that there was so much happening in the world that he didn't really think about it. Walker was elected as his last year of eligibility on BBWAA's ballot. He simply stated, "No worries." "I've waited 10 years. What's the next?"
Simmons stated that he "got right after" the election, contrary to Jeter's lengthy speech composition. Walker stated that he slept through the speech-writing process, and finally fell asleep when the date for induction arrived.
Walker stated that there are nights when I don't sleep. Walker added, "And there are nights when I don't go to bed for very long because it's too short and I wake up with everything going through my head." Believe me, there are a lot of butterflies right now.
Walker can relax by thinking about Jeter, who is likely to take the majority of the attention next week, as Yankees fans pour in from all over the state and beyond. Three days before 9/11's 20th anniversary, the ceremony will be held. This is a time in American and baseball history when the Yankees, along with Jeter, played a prominent role during the recovery process.
These sentiments will be very prominent when Cooperstown welcomes its largest crowd in more than two years next week.
Jeter stated, "We gave people something to cheer about, even if it was only for a brief period of time." It was as if we were doing something for someone else than ourselves. We played for New York. My view is that sports plays an important role in the healing process of many communities during certain times.
