The Baseball Hall of Fame class of 2020 won’t take its place in Cooperstown until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the 2020 Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony is likely to be pushed back a year. That would lead to a combined ceremony for the classes of 2020 and 2021 next summer.
This summer’s ceremony would have seen Derek Jeter, Larry Walker, Ted Simmons, and Marvin Miller inducted into the Hall of Fame. However, there are concerns about such a ceremony. A large crowd would not be feasible, and there would be serious concern about exposing older Hall of Famers to the virus.
While unfortunate, it’s hard to see how Cooperstown has any choice here. The Hall of Fame itself is closed to the public, and there’s no indication it will be opening back up anytime soon. That pretty much rules out any chance of a ceremony in late July as scheduled.
