Derek Jeter is undoubtedly one of the greatest players in baseball history.
Considered to be the ultimate winner, Jeter was the Michael Jordan of baseball and led the New York Yankees on their remarkable dynasty run.
Always one to put team success over personal achievement, Jeter embodied everything that comes with being a captain.
In 2019, Yankees icon Mariano Rivera made history by becoming the first player ever to be unanimously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, receiving 100% of the vote.
The historic achievement was well-deserved. After all, Rivera was as important as any Yankee during those years and his sustained dominance from the mound will most likely never be replicated.
The following year, most people expected Jeter to have similar success when it came to his Hall of Fame vote.
However, Jeter shockingly fell just ONE vote shy of a perfect result – a fact which still bothers him to this day…
In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, the five-time World Series champion expressed his desire for accountability from the one voter who chose not to induct him in 2020.
Jeter highlighted the double standard in how players and media members are held accountable.
âMembers of the media always want us to be accountable as players,â Jeter said. âGood game, bad game, you have to stand in front of your locker, and you have to address the media.
“I did it every single day. You may not have liked what I saidâŠbut I was accountable, and I was there.”
Jeter believes that the same standard should apply to the media members whose votes impact players’ legacies.
âI think you should expect the same from the members of the media. I donât care that someone didnât vote for me. I really donât. But I do think what becomes annoying is I have to constantly answer the question,” he said.
“I donât think I should be the one answering the question. Whoever it is should answer the question. I donât have a problem with it, but I get tired of being asked that question.â
While Jeter’s quest for accountability may seem challenging, his point about the disparity in standards is clear.
It might not be the biggest injustice in the world that Jeter wasnât a unanimous Hall of Fame inductee, but hearing an explanation from the dissenting voter would certainly be intriguing.
What are your thoughts on Jeter’s complaint?
Do you agree with him? … Or do you think he’s being a bit of a baby about the whole thing?
Should he indeed have been a unanimous Hall of Famer?
Where do you rank him among the top players of the past 30 years???