New York Yankees great Derek Jeter was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday, a piece of news that made many MLB fans happy. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, however, was frustrated. He couldn’t believe that Jeter was not a unanimous selection.
“How is Derek Jeter not unanimous???? #BaseballHallofFame” Mahomes wrote on Twitter Tuesday evening. Jeter was chosen on 396 of 397 ballots submitted by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, falling just shy of 100 percent acceptance.
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The only player to ever be unanimously selected to the hall in Cooperstown, New York is Mariano Rivera, a longtime teammate of Jeter. He was given the historic honor in 2019.
The moment Derek Jeter received his call to The Hall #RE2PECT pic.twitter.com/23ZUL1W5CP
— Bronx Pinstripes (@BronxPinstripes) January 22, 2020
“Same guy that didn’t vote for Ken Griffey Jr?” one user asked in response to Mahomes. There were several individuals who showed outrage about Jeter not being selected on all 397 ballots.
Interestingly enough, this was not an overwhelming response on Twitter. There were many that voiced the opinion that Jeter shouldn’t have been worthy due to playing on the Yankees. These users felt that he was overrated after playing on a stacked team.
Given everything that he achieved in his career, it was viewed as inevitable that Jeter would be inducted in his first year of eligibility. The man who wore No. 2 throughout his 20-year stint with the Yankees has five World Series Rings to his name, 14 All-Star selections, and 3,465 hits. He was also named a five-time Gold Glove Award winner and was the 2000 World Series MVP.
In addition, the Yankees retired Jeter’s jersey following a career in which he appeared in 33 postseason series. This is the most appearances by any player in MLB history. His 158 postseason games are an MLB record.
There was no question about his worthiness of being selected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but there were some that doubted whether he would be selected on 100 percent of the ballots. Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron weren’t unanimously selected, which many fans viewed as an explanation for why Jeter didn’t join Rivera in the history books.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Sunday, July 26 in Cooperstown, New York. Jeter will be a main draw for baseball fans as he caps off what is viewed as a legendary career.
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