"Thank you to all of the baseball writers - all but one of you" - When Derek Jeter called out the one voter who did not choose him for HOF
New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter was inducted into MLB's Hall of Fame a year following the COVID-19 pandemic. He joined the likes of Larry Walker, Ted Simmons, and Marvin Miller who were also inducted.
Jeter was an easy first-ballot Hall of Famer, receiving 99.7% of the votes. Only one voter left the five-time World Series champion and 14-time All-Star off their list.
Being nearly a unanimous Hall of Famer would have been nice, as he would have joined his former teammate, Mariano Rivera. Rivera is the only player to receive 100% of the HOF votes. The near miss is something that Jeter held onto during his HOF speech in 2021.
"Thank you to the baseball writers - all but one of you" - said Jeter.
Derek Jeter called out the baseball writer who did not vote for him during his ceremony. While he was likely serious at the moment, both the room and Jeter burst out laughing.
Jeter then went on to thank the various teammates he played alongside, the front office personnel, and the fans. It was a huge turnout for one of the Yankees "Core Four."
After all these years, have we discovered who left Derek Jeter off their ballot?
Initially, nobody knew who left Derek Jeter off their Hall of Fame ballot, and that was likely for the best. There would certainly be some furious fans who would have liked to give the writer a piece of their minds, or worse.
After some digging, people believe they have uncovered the mysterious baseball writer who left Jeter off the ballot. While it has never been confirmed, some think it was Nick Canepa, a writer for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Back in 2022, Canepa wrote a column in the newspaper about his ballots. In it, he stated that he sent blank ballots in during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. It was not because he is a rival Boston Red Sox fan, it was because he was unaware Jeter was eligible.
If that were the case, that would be a bad look for the league. Being a Hall of Fame voter is something that is incredibly important for the sport and needs to be taken seriously. If not, it ruins the HOF's integrity, which fans already question with each new ballot.
Again, this was something that has never been confirmed, only speculation.