Colorado Rockies: Larry Walker’s Hall of Fame ceremony likely to be postponed

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported on Tuesday that the Baseball Hall of Fame is likely to postpone for the induction ceremony for inductees, including former Colorado Rockies outfielder Larry Walker, that was to be held in July.

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported on Tuesday that the Baseball Hall of Fame will likely postpone their induction ceremony for 2020 and move it to 2021. The ceremonies would have inducted former Colorado Rockies outfielder Larry Walker, former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, former Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ted Simmons, and the late former MLBPA executive director Marvin Miller into the Hall of Fame.

Nightengale reported that the Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors will officially meet this week to determine the fate of the induction ceremony but, in all likelihood, they will postpone it. They are also not considering having a virtual ceremony online.

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Nightengale spoke to Hall of Fame outfielder Andre Dawson about the situation.

"“How could you have an induction ceremony?’’ Dawson told USA TODAY Sports. “I wouldn’t want to see it happen. You got to look at well-being of people. You look at the older guys that come here. Think about the crowd. It’s just way too risky.’’"

As Nightengale noted, there is 38 Hall of Famers who are 70 years or older and half of those are 80 years old or older. Considering that senior citizens are more at risk to the virus and the epicenter of the virus in the United States is in the state of New York, it is easy to see why they are seriously considering postponement.

If it were to be postponed, they would just combine the ceremonies for the inductees from next year as well so it would just be one, larger ceremony in 2021.

It will be a big blow to the small town of Cooperstown, which has a population of 1,700. The postponement of ceremonies and the Hall of Fame currently being closed until further notice along with the hotels and restaurants that see a booming summer season could cost the area up to $150 million in lost revenue, per Nightengale.

But hopefully, in 2021, more inductees will mean more revenue that will make up for the loss.