Hall of Fame cancels 2020 induction ceremony

We won’t get to see Vladimir Guerrero, Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson, Bert Blyleven, or other living Angels in the National Baseball Hall of Fame during induction weekend this July, as the Hall on Wednesday canceled the 2020 ceremony.

“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,” said Hall chairman Jane Forbes Clark. “We care deeply about every single person who visits Cooperstown.”

This year’s inductees — Derek Jeter, Larry Walker, Ted Simmons, and Marvin Miller — plus other honorees Nick Cafardo, Ken Harrelson, and former Royals owner David Montgomery, will be enshrined along with next year’s class on Sunday, July 25, 2021. Miller, Cafardo, and Montgomery will all be elected posthumously.

There are no obvious first-ballot Hall of Famers on next year’s BBWAA ballot, and among returning candidates Curt Schilling got 70 percent this year, just five percent shy of induction. He has two years left on the ballot.

Torii Hunter will be among the first-time Hall-eligible players on the 2021 ballot. Hunter hit 353 home runs in his career and played five of his 19 major league seasons with the Angels. His 50.7 career WAR is the third-highest among first-timers on next year’s ballot, trailing only Mark Buehrle and Tim Hudson.

Links

• Game 7 of the 2002 World Series will be rebroadcast on Fox Sports West Thursday night. Game 6 was broadcast on Wednesday night, and Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times shared his 2003 story of the game from the participants involved. Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic caught up recently with Scott Spiezio about the at-bat.
• Maria Torres at the LA Times details the Angels’ ticket refund policy for games affected by the coronavirus pandemic. From team spokesperson Marie Garvey: “We still remain hopeful there will be a 2020 season. Our policy has not changed since spring training. We continue to work with fans one-on-one to respond to their requests.”
• Jim Fregosi was picked by the Angels in the expansion draft in 1960, and led the franchise in WAR until Mike Trout came along. His trade to the Mets produced lasting effects for years, tracked by Rhett Bollinger at MLB.com.
• Jay Jaffe at FanGraphs wrote about the looming sting of minor league contraction.