Baseball Hall of Fame 2021 Welcomes Jeter, Walker, Simmons and Miller

By David A. Avila

(Published Sept. 8, 2021)

Never before had the National Baseball Hall of Fame skipped a year, but due to the current pandemic the world remains in murky waters. Despite the uncertainty of our time the beat goes on.

Four men of incredible abilities were inducted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Three were ballplayers and one was a labor organizer and negotiator for the acceptance of free agency and the formation of a baseball union.

Leading the group of men who were actually voted in over a year ago, is New York Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter. Others were catcher Ted Simmons who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers. Outfielder Larry Walker who roamed the field for the Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies and Cardinals. And labor specialist Marvin Miller.

For those older than 50, we’ve seen the rise of statistically-oriented baseball and it’s faddish applications. But when it comes down to reality, the discovery of talent comes down to the naked eye.

A sharp baseball scout discovered a tall shortstop with leadership skills rarely seen in Jeter. It was another eagle-eye scout that found a tall athletically gifted player in a Canadian fast-pitch softball team who knew very little about baseball named Walker. And another scout liked the fiery attitude of a catcher in Simmons.

Simmons

Simmons still wears long locks of hair as he did as a young catcher with speed playing for the Cardinals during the 1970s. Now the hair is gray and the fiery attitude has dimmed a bit. He was voted in by the Veterans Committee 33 years after he retired.

“For some it comes quickly for others it take a little bit of time,” said Simmons who was a long-haired switch-hitting catcher for the Cardinal teams that wreaked havoc on the base paths.

Simmons, 72, batted .300 or better seven times in his career and amassed 2,472 hits during his 20-year career that spanned 1968 to 1988. When he retired he continued his baseball life as a scout, coach and front office administrator.

During his playing days catchers rarely switched-hit and even today most catchers could not run as swiftly as Simmons. He was a big part of the fast-moving Cardinal teams who depended on “small ball,” not home runs. Artificial turf demanded speedy players and Simmons was tailor-made for that style of ballplaying.

Walker

The gregarious Walker had all the physical tools and though he did not grow up playing baseball in his native Canada, his athleticism shined too brightly. He was signed, then taught the rudimentary skills of baseball and proceeded to dominate wherever he went in the sport.

The tall Canadian began his baseball life with the now-defunct Montreal Expos and played on several sparkling teams for six years in the 1990s. Then he signed with the Colorado Rockies and played for an outstanding offensive team from 1995 to 2004. He finished his baseball career with the St. Louis Cardinal teams including their World Series team in 2004.

Walker won seven Gold Glove awards as an outfielder and won three batting titles. In 1997 he was voted the National League Most Valuable Player award. Though able to hit homeruns he also could run with the best and stole 33 bases in 1997.

The jokester chided that he used social media to his own benefit by hash-tagging “FergieNeedsAFriend” in reference to Canada’s only other Hall of Fame inductee. Now Walker joins pitcher Ferguson Jenkins as the second Canadian in baseball’s most prestigious club.

Jeter

Probably the greatest Yankee in the last 50 years Jeter not only was an outstanding ballplayer with numerous clutch performances, but was also a leader from the day he put on the uniform until he retired six years ago. He was almost voted in unanimously except for one baseball writer.

During his tenure as a Yankee shortstop and captain, he led the Bronx team to five World Series championships in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2009. Though an outstanding hitter, it was his leadership qualities especially during pressure situations that fans everywhere remember Jeter.

Most of the crowd that assembled outside at Cooperstown wore New York Yankee hats and gathered to honor their Yankee hero.

“It’s been a hell of a ride,” said Jeter.

Most baseball writers including myself, remember Jeter’s blunt honesty and willingness to speak to journalists on any matter. There was an aura of royalty that always surrounded the New York ballplayer whether after a victory or defeat.

Jeter, Walker and Simmons represent the epitome of excellence in baseball whether on the field or in street clothes.

Miller

The labor representative Marvin Miller never played professionally but staunchly pushed for the rights of ballplayers toward free agency, better pay, a pension plan and organizing a union.

Before Miller others like St. Louis Cardinal great Curt Flood had tried to challenge Major League Baseball but failed to obtain free agency. Miller took up the reins and organized a baseball union with players like Andy Messersmith and Catfish Hunter leading ball players into a new era. For more than 100 years all ballplayers had been forced to play for one team in a new form of slavery called the “reserve clause” that proclaimed owners owned every ballplayer as if property.

The reserve clause was broken in the 1970s and baseball suddenly boomed once again. Players suddenly went from $6,000 to $2 million and the sport of baseball did not destroy itself as erroneously predicted by owners and the U.S. Supreme Court decades earlier. Baseball has thrived and now someone like Los Angeles Angel player Mike Trout has a $400 million dollar contract.