Derek Jeter, first unanimous baseball Hall of Famer?

By ALAN HOSKINS

The vote is in and it is unanimous. ”Could Derek Jeter be the first player to be unanimously elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame?”

That’s the question posed to many of the top baseball writers and broadcasters on hand for this year’s All-Star Game at Kauffman Stadium. The answer was almost universal. He should be – but no, he will not.

The closest anyone has come to being unanimously elected was Tom Seaver, who received all but five votes in 1992. Nolen Ryan was on all but six ballots in 1999. The only others receiving at least 98 per cent are Ty Cobb, Cal Ripken and George Brett (98.2).

To be elected, a player must receive 75 percent of votes cast by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA), who have been BBWAA members for at least 10 years. To remain on the ballot, players must receive at least five percent of the votes for up to 15 years, at which time their eligibility would be turned over to a veterans committee.

The question was put to several of those you see or hear regularly on ESPN – Chris Berman, Peter Gammons, Buster Olney and Tim Kurkjian; writers from USA Today, Sports Illustrated, New York Times, Boston Globe and others; and the man in charge of conducting the annual Hall of Fame voting, BBWAA secretary-treasurer Jack O’Connell.

“I would say not,” said O’Connell. “I don’t think there will ever be anyone who will be elected unanimously. But to be honest, unanimity doesn’t mean anything to me. I think it’s the American way to be different so it doesn’t bother me.”

O’Connell said about 625 ballots are sent out each December. This past year, 573 were returned.

“Some newspapers (including the New York Times and Los Angeles Times) don’t let their writers vote,” said O’Connell. Also, this year nine blank ballots were turned in, supposedly by writers protesting the era of steroids.

There are those who take issue that HOF induction should be left to the writers but O’Connell disagrees.

“These are writers who have been watching baseball for more than 10 years who take voting very seriously,” said O’Connell. “Who better to vote? I think our track record is excellent. We get 95 percent return of ballots which is unheard of. I can’t see one member who should be taken out.”

Jeter’s qualifications are certainly impeccable. With more than 3,200 career hits (13th all-time) and just turned 38, it’s not out of line to project another 500 hits which would push him past No. 4 Stan Musial (3,630) and within range of No. 3 Hank Aaron (3,771) behind Pete Rose (4,256) and Ty Cobb (4,191). Equally important, he’s never been tarnished by the use of steroids which will keep many other current stars out of the Hall of Fame.

With that, here are the opinions of some of the media’s very best:

CHRIS BERMAN, ESPN – “Twenty-four voters didn’t vote for Willie Mays. Not everyone voted for Hank Aaron, I don’t get it. Jeter has more hits than anyone in my time. No one has ever thought of Jeter being a .370 hitter but he has more hits than George Brett. Rod Carew, Tony Gwynn; more than Cal Ripken who played 50 years. So the answer is no; no one ever has. What can I say? It’s goofy. But I’m not one of the 500 or 600 voters so they can’t blame me.”

TIM KURKIJAN, ESPN analyst and contributor to ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com – “There’s no reason why not to vote him in but someone won’t vote for him if for no other reason than to call attention to themselves. I’m not saying he should be elected because he’s on the list of top five shortstops; that he has 3,000 hits, that’s he’s the captain of the Yankees. But if there’s anyone who ever played the game the way it is supposed to by play, it’s Derek. He ran hard to first base on every single play. He plays the game the right way. But Willie Mays was not elected unanimously; Hank Aaron was not voted unanimously so no.”

BOB NIGHTENGALE, USA Today – “He could – but I don’t think it will happen. Some voters will not vote for anyone in the steroid era. I think he will break Tom Seaver’s record. Greg Maddux comes up in two years and he has a chance.”

TYLER KEPNER, New York Times – “It’s so hard, so many voters. Just one person could turn in a blank ballot. He’s the one with the best chance. He’s certainly deserving. Maddux should be a unanimous. If someone does not vote for them, they should not have a Hall of Fame ballot.”

PETER GAMMON, MLB and formerly ESPN  – “There are so many sub-mathematicians that someone would come up with some figures against voting for him. He’ll certainly make it on the first ballot but some people who think that there’s not any one who belongs on the first ballot which I think is ridiculous. Either you’re a Hall of Famer or not a Hall of Famer.”

JEFF PASSAN, Yahoo! Sports – “No, never. He should be. I just don’t have enough faith in the voting process. But I will vote for him. I just don’t think it’s ever going to happen.”

BUSTER OLNEY, ESPN baseball and columnist, ESPN The Magazine – “I don’t think so. There will always be someone who wants to draw attention to himself.”

STEVE WEIBERG, USA Today – “I would like to hear one good reason not to vote for Jeter.”

PEDRO GOMEZ, ESPN – “I vote and there’s no question he’s deserving. But there’s probably someone who doesn’t think anyone should be elected unanimously.

MICHAEL SILVERMAN, Boston Globe – “Probably not. No one else has although he’s deserving.’

ADAM KILGORE, Washington Post – “Might but there’s always some schmuck who just won’t vote for it. Maybe Greg Maddux. But a lot of great ones didn’t make it.”

STEVE STONE, Chicago White Sox broadcaster and former Cy Young winner – “Babe Ruth wasn’t elected unanimously. Who could leave off Babe Ruth? No one should leave Jeter off but probably someone will.”

JOE POSNANSKI, Sports Illustrated – “Probably not but I don’t know who would vote against him. Greg Maddux too, He has the stats. Someone might say Jeter is overrated but it will be close (to unanimous).”

This year’s Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will be held in Cooperstown on Sunday, July 22, when Barry Larkin and the late Ron Santo will become the 298th and 299th HOF members. Larkin received 86.4 percent of this year’s voting; Santo was elected by the Golden Era Committee.

Should you enjoy controversy, look what’s coming up. This next HOF election promises to be one of the most intriguing ever because of the field of new candidates – Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Craig Biggio, Mike Piazza, Curt Schilling and Sammy Sosa. Stay tuned.

PHOTO: Always popular with sportswriters and broadcasters, New York Yankee second baseman drew big crowds at media interviews at the 2012 All-Star Game in Kansas City. (Photos by Alan Hoskins)

Interview: New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter

By ALAN HOSKINS

The consummate pro will be leading the American League into this year’s All-Star Game at Kauffman Stadium July 10 although when Derek Jeter made his first trip to Kansas City this spring, he wouldn’t admit what everyone knew, that he would be voted the starter for the seventh straight year and on to the team for the 13th time.

“There are a lot of good shortstops,” Jeter said.

None with the credentials of the Yankee captain, however. A runaway leader in shortstop voting with 6.6 million votes, Jeter has already cemented his name in the Hall of Fame by becoming the first Yankee to reach the magic 3,000 hit mark in a career untouched by steroids or drugs. With his 3,185th hit this past week, he moved past Cal Ripken for 13th on the all-time hit list.

He’s also the first Yankee to be named the All-Star Game’s most valuable player when he rapped out three hits in leading the AL to a 6-3 win in Atlanta in 2000, a feat that was not lost on Jeter’s manager at the time, Joe Torre.

“With all the history that has been written by a lot of Yankees because you know Mickey Mantle made it every year and all of the great Yankees like DiMaggio, it’s hard to believe,” said Torre.

With that in mind, here’s 10 minutes with Jeter when the Yankees were in Kansas City May 3-6.

Q: You’ve been selected to 12 All-Star games. Does it ever become old hat?

Jeter: No, not at all, it’s an honor, a privilege, an opportunity to get to go. You really appreciate it because there’s a lot of great players in the game. It’s something every player wants to be a part of.

Q: Are there any games that particularly stand out?

Jeter: There’s a lot of them. The first one; the one in Atlanta. The one in Yankee Stadium was special.

Q: Some players in the past have said they would prefer having three days off. Has that ever occurred to you?

Jeter: Everyone could use the rest but no, if you’re healthy, it’s something everyone enjoys being a part of.

Q: You did miss last year’s game in Arizona shortly after getting your 3,000th hit.

Jeter: People fail to remember that I was injured at the time and had announced about a week before the 3,000 hits that I wasn’t going to take part in the All-Star Game and no one said anything about it. Then I woke up the day before the game and everyone was making a big deal out of it.

Q: Right now at age 37, you have more hits than Pete Rose when he was 37. Do you think about the all-time hits record?

Jeter: I don’t think about it; I really don’t. I think it would be selfish on my part to sit around thinking of personal goals and thinking about how many hits I have. I think about how I can help this team win.

Q: Other great shortstops such as Cal Ripken and Ernie Banks moved to other positions. Is that an option?

Jeter: My job is to play short. It’s the job I’ve had since I was called up when I was 20 years old and it has never changed. I’ve never been told to play any other position; never tried to play any other position. It would be kind of hard now to try to learn a new position.

Q: In the past, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle were the faces of the Yankees. Now you’re the face of the Yankees.

Jeter: I don’t think about it. You know I’ve been here a long, long time. I was born in New Jersey and grew up a big Yankee fan. It was the only team I wanted to play for and I was lucky to get drafted by them.  It’s the only place I’ve played but I don’t think you ever sit down and look at it like that. I’ve been fortunate enough so far to have been here my entire career and I appreciate that. So I don’t look it like that.

Q: Each year, the Yankees give out a manual on how to deal with the media. Did you write the manual? You handle the media so well.

Jeter: I’ve never seen the manual. They didn’t give out manuals when I came up. I think they’re for the younger guys. I think you have to learn a lot, you have to be accountable. I think

I’ve always been accountable. You have to realize what your job is and deal with the good and the bad. I’ve always tried to be responsible and accountable. You learn on the go because New York is a little different than most places. You are what you are and if you try to be something else they’d have figured it out by now. You are who you are and you always try to stay the same whether things are going good or bad – take the good with the bad and do the best you can.

Q: Despite playing your entire career in New York, you’ve avoided off-field headlines. 

Jeter: I just try to stay out of the spotlight as much as I can which can be difficult. There’s a lot of distractions in New York and that goes for any player – a lot of distractions, a lot temptations in a lot of different ways. But if you focus on what you’re supposed to be doing, you’ll be fine. It can be tough at times, just don’t look at the paper or listen to the radio.

Q: Any thoughts about ending your career?

Jeter: No, I haven’t. I don’t think you ever prepare for the end of anything. I don’t know if it’s something you realize and it hits you all of a sudden. I’ve had teammates retire and then come back but I don’t know what that feeling is like. But right now I’m just enjoying myself.