Yesterday, Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports reported that the Hall of Fame induction ceremony scheduled for this summer in Cooperstown, New York was likely to be cancelled due to coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns. Today, the Hall of Fame made an official announcement saying the same and adding that the ceremony will be rescheduled to the same day as the 2021 induction ceremony on July 25.
Derek Jeter, Larry Walker, Ted Simmons, and Marvin Miller (posthumously) were set to be inducted into the Hall of Fame this July. They, their family and friends, and their fans will have to wait one more year.
It is very obviously the right call for the Hall of Fame to make this decision. Nightengale estimated close to 100,000 people would descend upon Cooperstown, creating a breeding ground for the coronavirus to spread easily and quickly. A sizable portion of that group would include older people -- including other Hall of Famers -- who are more susceptible to the virus.
