Baseball Hall of Fame Postpones 2020 Induction Ceremony Due to COVID-19

Derek Jeter and Larry Walker will have to wait another year before their Hall of Fame plaques are unveiled in Cooperstown. 

The National Baseball Hall of Fame officially rescheduled its 2020 induction ceremony as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, announcing that this year's class will be inducted alongside the class of 2021: 

National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum chairman Jane Forbes Clark explained the decision in a statement:

"Induction Weekend is a celebration of our National Pastime and its greatest legends, and while we are disappointed to cancel this incredibly special event, the Board of Directors’ overriding concern is the health and well-being of our new inductees, our Hall of Fame members, our wonderful fans and the hundreds of staff it takes to present the weekend’s events in all of its many facets. We care deeply about every single person who visits Cooperstown."

Cincinnati Reds legend Joe Morgan, a Hall of Famer and the vice chairman of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s Board of Directors, added that while it was a "very difficult" decision, it was the "right call."

The event annually draws thousands of spectators to Central New York. 

This year's induction weekend, scheduled to take place July 24-26, was expected to draw massive crowds as Jeter takes his place among the game's greats—many of whom return yearly to Cooperstown to welcome the latest class into their ranks.

"How could you have an induction ceremony?" Hall of Famer Andre Dawson told USA Today's Bob Nightengale earlier this week. "I wouldn't want to see it happen. You got to look at well-being of people. You look at the older guys that come here. Think about the crowd. It's just way too risky."

Nightengale noted the Hall of Fame previously "dismissed" coordinating any type of virtual event and would prefer to postpone the ceremony rather than try to troubleshoot. Either way, the effects on the village of Cooperstown will be strongly felt. 

The town of 1,700 could see an economic loss of nearly $150 million without the boost in rentals and retail that Hall of Fame weekend brings, per Nightengale, with fully booked hotels bracing for cancellations—Jeter had already nabbed every suite at the 22-room Railroad Inn hotel, which typically runs $1,000 per night during induction weekend.

"It's very surreal," owner of Cooperstown Bat Company Tim Haney said. "To go from what was going to be the biggest year we ever had, to the lowest retail [since 2008], is tough. This would normally be our busiest time of year getting ready for Jeter being inducted for the biggest celebration ever, getting bats out for the players, and having our commemorative bats ready for corporate gifts and senior gifts. Now, everything is on hold."