Derek Jeter says that he is tired of being asked the same question.
Jeter was interviewed by FOX News Digital for a story that was published on Friday. Jeter was asked about Ichiro Suzuki falling one vote shy of unanimous selection for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Jeter similarly fell one vote shy of unanimous selection when he was inducted in 2020.
Jeter said he was tired of being asked about the unanimous matter and believes that the writers’ ballots should be made public.
“A lot of players have been unbelievable that are in the Hall of Fame and haven’t gotten 100 percent of the vote. I never expected it, and I would never sit here and say everyone should’ve voted for me or everyone should have voted for Ichiro,” Jeter said.
“The only thing I do think is fair is that I think a lot of members of the media want athletes to be responsible and accountable; I think they should do the same thing. I get asked this question, I get tired of being asked this question, and I think they should answer it.”
Suzuki received votes on 393 out of 394 possible ballots. Jeter received votes on 396 out of 397 possible ballots when he made it in 2020.
The only player to be unanimously elected to the Hall of Fame was Mariano Rivera in 2019. Not even players like Babe Ruth or Hank Aaron made it unanimously.
Historically, precedent had been set that no players made it unanimously. The big honor was making it on your first time on the ballot. The baseball writers have since softened on that stance, which explains why Rivera was a unanimous selection, while Jeter and Suzuki only missed by one vote.
The baseball writers have tried to make Hall of Fame ballots public, but the Hall of Fame does not want that. The benefits of making the ballots public are the accountability. The downside is public pressure could lead to more groupthink and public badgering of those who don’t vote the way fans want.
