News

August 31, 2021

Inductions of Derek Jeter, Marvin Miller, Ted Simmons and Larry Walker Sept. 8 at Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

After more than 19 months of anticipation, the Class of 2020 is ready for its day in Cooperstown.

The four members of the Class of 2020 will be inducted on Wednesday, Sept. 8, in Cooperstown. Thirty-four Hall of Famers are scheduled to return to Central New York to honor Derek Jeter, Marvin Miller, Ted Simmons and Larry Walker at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s annual Induction Ceremony at 1:30 p.m. ET Sept. 8 on the grounds of Cooperstown’s Clark Sports Center – located one mile south of the Hall of Fame.

The election of Jeter and Walker by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in January of 2020, along with the election of Miller and Simmons by the Modern Baseball Era Committee in December 2019, brings the total number of elected Hall of Famers to 333.

The Induction Ceremony will be shown live exclusively on MLB Network, which has televised the event every year since its launch in 2009. Jeter, Simmons and Walker will speak at the Induction Ceremony, with former Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Don Fehr speaking about Miller.

The 2020 and 2021 award winners, Nick Cafardo (2020 BBWAA Career Excellence Award winner), Ken Harrelson (2020 Ford C. Frick Award winner), Dick Kaegel (2021 BBWAA Career Excellence Award winner), Al Michaels (2021 Ford C. Frick Award winner) and David Montgomery (2020 Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award winner) will also be recognized at the Induction Ceremony.

The ceremony will also include a special video presentation, produced by MLB Network and narrated by Hall of Famer Johnny Bench, honoring those Hall of Famers we’ve lost since the last Induction Ceremony.

The Wednesday, Sept. 8, Induction Ceremony, hosted by MLB Network’s Brian Kenny, will take place on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center, which is located on lower Susquehanna Avenue, unless severe weather cancels the event. Follow the Hall of Fame on Twitter @baseballhall for the latest updates.

Based on Otsego County, State of New York and CDC guidelines, unvaccinated individuals attending the Induction Ceremony are requested to wear masks.

Please note that professional interpreters will be provided for the hearing impaired. The event will be held outdoors rain or shine.

As of Aug. 30, 37 Hall of Famers, including living Class of 2020 members Derek Jeter, Ted Simmons and Larry Walker, are scheduled to be part of Hall of Fame Weekend festivities in Cooperstown:

Johnny Bench
Bert Blyleven
Wade Boggs
Rod Carew
Orlando Cepeda
D. Eckersley
Rollie Fingers
Pat Gillick
Goose Gossage
Ken Griffey Jr.
R. Henderson
Trevor Hoffman
Reggie Jackson
Fergie Jenkins
Barry Larkin
Edgar Martinez
Pedro Martínez
Paul Molitor
Jack Morris
Mike Mussina
Tony Pérez
Cal Ripken
Mariano Rivera
Iván Rodríguez
Ryne Sandberg
Bud Selig
John Schuerholz
Lee Smith
John Smoltz
Frank Thomas
Joe Torre
Alan Trammell
Dave Winfield
Robin Yount

 

 

The Ceremony is expected to last more than two hours. Seating for the event is unlimited and free of charge. A blanket or lawn chair is recommended for comfortable viewing. As the weather in Cooperstown can be quite warm in September, it is recommended that visitors bring a cap and sunscreen. Induction merchandise, ball caps, Induction Programs and Yearbooks are available for purchase at the Induction site and at shop.baseballhall.org. Refreshments are sold at the site.

The Museum will maintain its summer hours of 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Sept. 7, with special hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in effect on Sept. 8. Sept. 9 will mark the return to regular 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours. Museum tickets can be reserved in advance at basebalhall.org/tickets. Museum Members planning to visit should also reserve their complimentary admission tickets in advance at the same link, or calling 607-547-0397. As always, Hall of Fame Members receive free admission. Interested parties may enroll in the Membership program in advance or at the Museum.

Spectator Information for Sept. 7-8

Access to the Induction Site closes at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 7, and re-opens at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 8. Only chairs, blankets and pop-up tents with no sidewalls can be left at the site prior to 8 a.m. on Sept. 8. Coolers and backpacks will be confiscated if on site prior to 8 a.m. on Sept. 8.

Vehicular traffic on Susquehanna Avenue from Walnut Street to Bowerstown Bridge/County Route 52 and on Brooklyn Avenue will be limited to PERMIT/LOCAL TRAFFIC only beginning at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 7, until the end of the Induction Ceremony on Wednesday, Sept. 8.

Additionally, the use of drones is not permitted in the area of the Clark Sports Center and Induction Site. All packages are subject to search, and all items carried into the site should be in a clear, see-through style backpack/bag.

Parking will be extremely limited in Cooperstown during Hall of Fame Weekend. As is the case throughout the summer, the village will make parking and trolley service available at three trolley lots in Cooperstown. The Cooperstown Trolley will provide transit to the Baseball Hall of Fame and Doubleday Field from three different locations: the Red Lot on Route 28 (Glen Avenue) at Maple Street; the Blue Lot on Route 28 just south of Cooperstown; and the Yellow Lot on Route 80 at the upper parking lot of the Fenimore Art Museum. All-day passes are available for $5 per person, cash only. Two special paid parking lots will be available only on Wednesday, Sept. 8. These lots are located just beyond the Blue Trolley Lot at Cooperstown Central School (paid lot is Cy Young Lot) and on Route 33 just east of the Induction Site (paid lot is the Hank Aaron Lot).

The Hall of Fame will provide free shuttle buses from the corner of Main and Fair streets to the Induction site, with regular service from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then resuming at the conclusion of the Induction Ceremony. Shuttles will not run during the Induction Ceremony.