Walker's Cooperstown induction shifts to September 8
Canadian Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, B.C.) will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in an outdoor ceremony on September 8. Photo: National Baseball Hall of Fame
June 9, 2021
Official National Baseball Hall of Fame News Release
(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – Jane Forbes Clark, Chairman of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, announced on Wednesday that this summer’s Induction Ceremony will take place at 1:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sept. 8 in front of limited crowds as an outdoor ticketed event on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center.
The Induction Ceremony will be broadcast live exclusively on MLB Network. Planning continues to be adapted to guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and the State of New York.
“On behalf of our Board of Directors and our Staff, we are thrilled to be able to welcome our Hall of Famers – the living legends – and fans back to Cooperstown to celebrate the Induction of the Class of 2020,” Clark said. “Returning the Induction Ceremony to an outdoor event will provide the baseball community with the opportunity to visit Cooperstown and celebrate the Induction of four of the game’s Greats.”
The Hall of Fame’s 2021 Induction Ceremony will honour the members of the Class of 2020: Derek Jeter, Marvin Miller, Ted Simmons and Larry Walker. No candidates were elected for Induction in 2021.
Lawn seating at the Induction Ceremony will be free, but unlike past years when seating was open, tickets will be required. Beginning at 11 a.m. ET on Monday, July 12, a limited number of tickets will be made available to fans exclusively here. At this time, seating areas will be designated for vaccinated and unvaccinated ticket holders.
The Hall of Fame’s Annual Awards Presentation will remain an indoor, television-only event, taking place on Saturday, July 24, with the Award Winners or their representatives being invited back to Cooperstown to be recognized at the Induction Ceremony. The Awards Presentation will honour 2021 Ford C. Frick Award winner for broadcasting excellence, Al Michaels, and the 2020 Frick Award winner, Ken Harrelson; the 2021 Baseball Writers’ Association of America Career Excellence Award winner, Dick Kaegel, and the 2020 BBWAA Career Excellence Award winner, Nick Cafardo; and the 2020 Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award winner, David Montgomery.
Since 1992, the Induction Ceremony has been held on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center, with estimated crowds approaching and surpassing 50,000 at five of the last six ceremonies from 2014 to 2019. The second-largest crowd on record – an estimated 55,000 people – attended the Hall of Fame’s last Induction Ceremony, which took place on July 21, 2019. Last year’s cancellation due to the coronavirus pandemic marked the first time the Hall of Fame did not hold an Induction Ceremony in Cooperstown since 1960.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum remains open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the Museum’s expanded summer hours, which run through the Sunday before Labour Day. A comprehensive health and safety plan for the Museum remains in place, including a timed admission ticketing system. Visitors are encourage to reserve their time slot for entry and plan their visit here.