On Tuesday, Derek Jeter and Larry Walker were officially announced as the two players who were voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2020.
Jeter was a lock as a first ballot Hall of Fame choice. The only question with him was whether he was going to be the second player ever to receive 100 percent of the vote. He missed by only one vote. I don’t know why this was the case.
On the other hand, Larry Walker got in after waiting for 10 years.
If Walker can make the Hall of Fame, I believe this helps people like Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley to make their cases to make the Hall at some point. There is no question in my mind that they were both just as good as Walker was for the Montreal Expos and Colorado Rockies.
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In football news, as expected at last, Eli Manning has announced his retirement from the NFL. He will be a borderline candidate for the Football Hall of Fame. Ironically, he had exactly a .500 record over his career in terms of wins and losses at 117 each.
I believe he will eventually get in because of his record in the playoffs for the New York Giants and their two Super Bowl victories, with him as MVP, both over the New England Patriots. I think it will be very cool if he gets in along with his brother Peyton Manning, who will probably be a first-ballot Hall of Famer in his own right.
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And for some crazy local recognition, I have to give shout out for the Cape Henlopen girls basketball team. They are putting up college level scoring numbers in 32 minute games. The college women get 40 minutes.
Go Cape!
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A 2002 Cape grad and 2007 UD grad, Lewes resident Sumner Spence is one of the Cape area's biggest sports fans. Although he’s used a wheelchair his entire life, he has lived vicariously through his sports-playing father, brother, and friends, who gave him his love of sports. He hopes to provide new and interesting perspectives on the sports stories and issues of the day. Email Sumner at sumspence@gmail.com.
