NEW YORK — Derek Jeter came within one vote of being a unanimous pick for the Hall of Fame while Larry Walker also earned baseball’s highest honor on Tuesday.
The longtime New York Yankees captain appeared on 396 of 397 ballots cast by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, falling just shy of the standard set when longtime Yankees teammate Mariano Rivera became the first unanimous selection last year. Jeter’s 99.7% moved above Ken Griffey Jr. (99.3%) for the second-highest.
It was not immediately known which voter didn’t choose Jeter, who was listed on all 219 ballots made public before the announcement. The BBWAA will release additional ballots on Feb. 4 of writers who chose a public listing.
Walker appeared on 304 ballots, six above the 75% needed, in his 10th and final appearance on the BBWAA ballot, up from 54.6% last year.
Pitcher Curt Schilling was third with 278 votes (70%) in his eighth ballot appearance, an increase from 60.9% but still 20 votes shy. The steroids-tainted pair of Roger Clemens (61%) and Barry Bonds (60.7%) both showed slight increases. Bonds rose from 59.1% last year and Clemens from 59.5%. Among those who saw sizable gains in their percentages were long-time shortstop Omar Vizquel (42.8% to 52.6%) and third baseman Scott Rolen (17.2% to 35.3%).
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Tim Kurkjian reacts to Larry Walker’s induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, which took 10 years.
Jeter and Walker will be inducted on July 26 at the Hall in Cooperstown along with catcher Ted Simmons and former players’ association head Marvin Miller, who were voted in last month by the Hall’s Modern Era Committee.
Jeter played all 20 of his seasons for the Yankees after being drafted with the sixth pick of the 1992 amateur draft as a high school player out of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Jeter broke in with the Yankees in 1995 and the next season took over for Tony Fernandez as New York’s regular shortstop. It was a position he held down for two decades, never logging a single defensive inning at another position. While doing so, he became one of the most celebrated players in the Yankees’ storied existence and one of the most popular players in sports.
A 14-time All-Star, Jeter was named American League Rookie of the Year in 1996 and finished in the top 10 of AL MVP balloting eight times, topping out at second in 2006. He scored 100 or more runs 13 times, hit .310 for his career, and ranks sixth all-time with 3,465 career hits. While leading the Yankees to five World Series crowns during his career, Jeter played in a record 158 playoff games — 33 more than any other player. His postseason OPS (.838) was 21 points better than his regular-season mark (.817).
Jeter now is a part-owner of the Miami Marlins and heads up that franchise’s baseball operations department. He becomes the 28th member of the Hall of Fame to represent the Yankees.
Walker spent his 17-year career with the Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals, winning the 1997 National League MVP for Colorado. He hit .366 that season with a career-high 49 homers, 130 RBIs and a .720 slugging percentage. Walker won NL batting crowns in 1998 (.363) and 1999 (.372). Known for his athleticism and strong arm, Walker won seven Gold Gloves during his career. Walker’s .965 career OPS ranks 15th all-time.
Walker was born in Maple Ridge, Canada, where he also attended high school. His 72.7 career WAR, per baseball-reference.com, is easily the most among Canadian-born position players. Among pitchers from that country, only Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins had more WAR (82.2). Walker joins Jenkins as the only two Canadian-born members of the Hall. Walker’s Hall support grew in recent years, going from 34.1 percent of ballots in 2018 to 54.6 percent last season.
“I know I speak for the whole Rocky Mountain region in congratulating Larry for his election into the Hall of Fame,” Rockies owner Dick Monfort said in a statement. “Larry blessed our region for parts of 10 seasons and we feel extremely fortunate to be a part of his incredible career. Congrats, Larry.”
Schilling won 20 or more games three times during his career for the Orioles, Astros, Phillies, Diamondbacks and Red Sox. He finished second in the Cy Young balloting three times and twice finished in the top 10 of MVP voting. He was also known for his postseason prowess while winning titles with the Diamondbacks (2001) and Red Sox (2004, 2007).
While Schilling’s on-field Hall resume is comparable to other pitchers to have been admitted to Cooperstown, such as 2019 inductee Mike Mussina, his controversial off-the-field stances have likely stirred the ire of some voters.
Newcomers to the ballot next year include pitchers Mark Buehrle and Tim Hudson, as well as outfielder Torii Hunter. None appear to be slam-dunk selections, which could provide an opening for Schilling, Bonds, Clemens and others to finally get over the threshold.
Information from ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle and The Associated Press was used in this report.