Derek Jeter Delivers at Hall of Fame Induction

Donald Fehr, the former executive director of the players’ union, spoke for Miller, his groundbreaking predecessor, who died in 2012 and whose family did not attend, respecting his wishes. Miller’s mother was a high school principal, Fehr said, and Miller was like a teacher to the players, educating them on the issues and then following their lead.

“They respected him enormously and trusted him completely,” Fehr said. “He was their guy.”

Simmons, a star catcher from 1968 through 1988 who was elected through a veterans committee, said he woke up Wednesday with the same feeling he did before Game 7 of the 1982 World Series for Milwaukee. The Brewers lost that night to Simmons’s first team, the St. Louis Cardinals, but Simmons was a hit this time, speaking with the delivery and erudition of a tenured college professor.

Simmons, 72, closed with words from the Beatles for his wife and high school sweetheart, Maryanne.

“And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make,” Simmons said. “Peace and love, sweetheart. We finally got here.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/08/sports/baseball/derek-jeter-hall-of-fame.html