Advertisement

Derek Jeter Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame with One Vote Short of Unanimous Pick

Derek Jeter Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame with One Vote Short of Unanimous Pick

Derek Jeter has achieved another history-making milestone.

On Tuesday, the famed former Yankees player was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame, just one vote short of becoming the second player in history to be voted in unanimously.

Only a vote shy of receiving all 397 ballots from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, Jeter now stands as the player with the second-highest voting percentage (99.75 percent) in Hall of Fame history while in his first year of eligibility, ESPN reported.

Former New York Yankees player Mariano Rivera — who was inducted last year — remains the only player to score a 100 percent vote.

It has not been revealed which writer kept Jeter off their ballot.

Jeter, along with Larry Walker, who was in his 10th and final year of eligibility, was announced as this year’s newest inductees during an MLB Network broadcast.

 

“Well, I look at all the votes that I got,” Jeter told ESPN after the vote. “Trying to get that many people to agree on something is pretty difficult to do. So that’s not something that’s on [my] mind.”

The 45-year-old — who hung up his Yankees uniform in 2014 — admitted that “there was a lot of anxiety” while he was waiting to hear the decision.

RELATED: Derek Jeter Talks Raising Daughters in Miami in Rare Parenting Interview: ‘We’re Enjoying Life’

“Everyone told me it was a foregone conclusion. I didn’t buy it. So it was not a relaxing day,” he said. ”I was nervous — sitting around, waiting for a phone call is something that is completely out of your control.”

Al Bello/Getty Images
Al Bello/Getty Images

According to ESPN, Jeter and Walker will be formally inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 26 in Cooperstown, New York.

“Every accolade that has been bestowed on Derek throughout his career has been earned and deserved,” Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement, according to CBS Sports. “He was a captain and champion in every sense of the word, a man who embodied our traditions and expectations with an unmistakable grace and dignified resolve.”

RELATED: Derek Jeter Thanks Fans as He Is Honored by Yankees

The statement continued: “Derek’s legacy as one of the most beloved and charitable players in the last quarter-century cements his place in baseball history. As he is immortalized in Cooperstown this summer, we proudly reflect on the honor he brought the Yankees franchise, the New York community, and the great game of baseball.”

Elsa/Getty Images
Elsa/Getty Images

Jeter began his career at the age of 21 and played shortstop for the Yankees across 20 seasons in the MLB.

He took his team to win five World Series games, notably leading the Yankees to their first championship since 1978, Fox News reported.

The professional athlete is a 14-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove winner and was named Rookie of the Year in 1996. Jeter rounded out his career accomplishments with 3,465 hits, 260 home runs, 544 doubles, 358 stolen bases and earning a total of $266 million from the Yankees, according to ESPN.