Jeter shuns Hall of Fame

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

From the Detroit News. Anybody believe the line about the two private planes?

Jeter misses Michigan Hall of Fame ceremonies Detroit � In the end, the Captain couldn't make it. Derek Jeter, the Kalamazoo native and legendary Yankees shortstop, was a late cancellation for the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony Thursday. Two private planes were available for Jeter near New York, but mechanical issues grounded both of them. Word came around 5 p.m., after a day of Jeter's reps scrambling to get him here. Jeter is by far the biggest draw for the Hall of Fame ceremony at MotorCity Casino's Sound Board. Tickets were sold out for the event. Jeter was very much looking forward to the induction, and actually was the first honoree to commit to attending. Friends and family were planning to watch the ceremony. His induction will be pushed back to 2016, and he pledged to attend next year. Barry Larkin, Tom Izzo, Sergei Fedorov and Doug English are in attendance, and will be enshrined.

Alas, Larkin, Izzo, Federov and English all missed to opportunity to get better just by being in Jeter's presence.

[MFS62]

When he found out they weren't giving him a car or a rocking chair, he decided not to go.

Later

[Edgy MD]

The Michigan Sports HoF has a pretty prestigious membership. I notice that their site allows visitors to nominate say we raise their profile a little more by nominating a Michigan-born Met � say, Mike Marshall or perhaps... Terry Collins!

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Michiganders are all pissed off at Jeter for bailing on them!

Terry Foster, The Detroit News 9:53 p.m. EST February 12, 2015 Detroit � The buzz wasn't good. The Captain wasn't here. It wasn't that he didn't want to be. It was because two private jets experienced mechanical problems, causing Derek Jeter to miss his Michigan Sports Hall of Fame induction during ceremonies at Motor City Casino Sound Board on Thursday. Carrie Kennedy came from Ann Arbor just to shake his hand. Others wanted to get a glimpse of the Hall of Famer just months after he hung up his jersey with the Yankees after 20 seasons, five World Series championships and more than 3,400 hits. "He wanted to be here," Hall executive director Jim Stark said. "I swear he was coming. He was coming." 'Tied in' to Michigan Few believed the story. Most thought Jeter stiffed the Hall simply because he's Derek Jeter. After all, he's one of the most storied baseball players in history, owns New York City and dates some of the most beautiful women in the world. Why on earth would he come to Detroit for a state Hall of Fame ceremony when he's a likely first-ballot entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame? Dr. Charles Tucker knows better. This is Michigan. "Sometime things happen," said Tucker, who knew Jeter when he played basketball and baseball in Kalamazoo and still sees glimpses of the kid with the bright smile, quick bat and flashy glove. "If something is wrong with the airlines, there is nothing you can do about something like that. When it comes to Michigan, anything Michigan, they are coming." Tucker said he even talked to Jeter on Wednesday night, and the Yankees legend said everything was a go for his appearance. Still, why? "Anything that will bring guys (like Magic Johnson and Jeter) to Michigan, they will come back," Tucker said. "It is hard to get them to commit, but once they commit they are coming. They are tied in." In fact, Jeter was one of the first members of this year's class to commit to the ceremony, which included Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo, Red Wings great Sergei Fedorov, baseball great Barry Larkin, bowler Aleta Sill, former Lions defensive stalwart Doug English and Olympian Sheila Taormina. Coming from afar It was great to see a smiling Fedorov, who came to Detroit from Russia. He's one of the more likable athletes, if you get the chance to get to know him. Red Wings fans didn't always like Fedorov, especially when he tried to leave the team. But he played here, and he played hard for most of his career. The night, however, belonged to � or should have belonged to � Jeter.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Well, it's understandable that Jeter couldn't make it, because Atlantic City's a long way away, and it's really cold there. Unlike, say, Moscow.

[Edgy MD]

I realize he's J-Bone and he's made of teflon, but it's hard not to think of him as at least a little bit vulnerable here.

Two private planes are out of commission? Who are you, Thurman Munson? How about pulling out a credit card and flying on a safe regulated commercial airliner like a human being?

I realize he confiscates cameras and phones, but if Jeter wasn't fretting on the tarmac but was actually partying with strippers and forcing them all to eat cinnamon, it's only going take one non-compliant outlier with a timestamp on his photo to put him in a very tangible position.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

He could have sent a gift basket along with his regrets.

[Lefty Specialist]

He was born in Michigan? Yankee fans thought he was born in a manger.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: I realize he's J-Bone and he's made of teflon, but it's hard not to think of him as at least a little bit vulnerable here. Two private planes are out of commission? Who are you, Thurman Munson? How about pulling out a credit card and flying on a safe regulated commercial airliner like a human being? I realize he confiscates cameras and phones, but if Jeter wasn't fretting on the tarmac but was actually partying with strippers and forcing them all to eat cinnamon, it's only going take one non-compliant outlier with a timestamp on his photo to put him in a very tangible position.

my coworker has a story that he supposedly heard from a friend of a friend he was hanging with (which makes me telling you what, third hand?) that that last part is pretty accurate. Well, it was something a little lighter in color than cinnamon.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'll reserve judgement until we hear Brian Williams' side of the story.

[Frayed Knot]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I'll reserve judgement until we hear Brian Williams' side of the story.

Well when Brian was inducted to the HoF he ...

[metsmarathon]

Lefty Specialist wrote: He was born in Michigan? Yankee fans thought he was born in a manger.

Jeter is a jersey boy.

in fact, he's currently the best jersey boy, in terms of career value, with 71.8 bWAR, leading our three hall of famers goose goslin (66 bWAR), billy hamilton (63 bWAR), and joe medwick (55 bWAR). mike trout, though, might have a thing or two to say about the career rankings before all is said and done, though. he's already over a third of the way there, with a mind-numbing 28.2 bWAR after only 3 full seasons.

we don't have much of a pitching corps, though al leiter is at the front of the pack with 42 bWAR. other notables are kid gleason and don newcombe. rick porcello is our current standard-bearer. c'mon, new jersey, we can do better!