Baseball HOF Cancels Ceremonies, Pushing 2020 Class to 2021

As Major League Baseball eyes any possible scenario to have a 2020 season, one of the most hallowed grounds in sports is pushing it's hall of fame induction ceremonies back a year.

Officials with the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown announced on Wednesday that this year's induction, which was to feature Derek Jeter, Larry Walker, Marvin Miller, and Ted Simmons, will not happen this summer as planned. The reason? You guessed it: coronavirus.

Hall of Fame officials say they made the decision out of an abundance of caution as the nation deals with the COVID-19 epidemic.

“It was a very difficult decision, but with so many unknowns facing the world, the Board felt strongly that this was the right decision,” Joe Morgan, Vice Chairman of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s Board of Directors said in a press release. “Our Class of 2020 electees should enjoy the same wonderful experience that I did when I was elected, and they will have that opportunity next summer.”

Instead, the 2020 class will be included in the ceremonies for the class of 2021.

Next year's ceremonies are scheduled to take place July 23-26, 2021.

A community of less than 2,000 people, Hall of Fame Weekend annually brings in loads of extra business. If you've ever been to Cooperstown on Hall of Fame weekend, the normally quiet streets are bustling with people and businesses see plenty of foot traffic.