The relationship between Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez has been ... complicated, to say the least. Born only 13 months apart from one another, Jeter and Rodriguez were linked together as the hot, young shortstops who were going to take over baseball. Later, they were the faces of the game who eventually teamed up with the New York Yankees and led the Bronx Bombers to a World Series title.
What was originally a deep friendship eventually took a turn for the worse. The two feuded publicly and privately about everything from Rodriguez's behavior in the locker room to on-field gaffes. When Jeter retired in 2014, their friendship was a thing of the past and both had moved on to bigger and better things.
Rodriguez and Jeter's friendship seems to only be remembered for its eventual cratering. What started as a friendship in the early 1990s might be on its way to being restored in the near future. Here is a timeline of Jeter and Rodriguez's relationship.
17 1993: A-Rod and Jeter first meet
Derek Jeter was already in the Yankees' system when he first met Alex Rodriguez, then a high school senior, in 1993. Jeter was attending a Miami Hurricanes baseball game and Rodriguez was a diehard fan of the program. Miami hosted the University of Michigan, Jeter's favorite college team, that night. From there, the two began an on-and-off friendship.
16 1996: A-Rod and Jeter have first full MLB seasons
Although Rodriguez debuted in 1994 and Jeter a year after, it wasn't until 1996 that both spent the entire year in the major leagues and thrived. Jeter was named AL Rookie of the Year and led the Yankees to their first World Series victory since 1978. Rodriguez became joined the rare 40-homer, 40-stolen base club and added 54 doubles.
15 1997: A-Rod and Jeter appear on Sports Illustrated
The success of Jeter, Rodriguez and Boston's Nomar Garciaparra had baseball fans excited about the game's future at shortstop. Jeter and Rodriguez appeared on a 1997 cover of Sports Illustrated which discussed their historic 1996 seasons and what was next for the duo. Of course, both would appear on SI covers multiple times before retiring nearly 20 years later.
14 1999: A-Rod and Jeter talk during Yankees-Mariners brawl
The late 90's Yankees had a reputation for getting involved in some ugly brawls, most notably a 1998 fight with the Baltimore Orioles. When the benches cleared between the Yankees and Mariners in 1999, Jeter and Rodriguez stood off to the side and talked. Jeter's inaction drew criticism from teammates, including outfielder Chad Curtis.
13 2000: A-Rod explains why he makes more than Jeter
Flash forward to December 2000, not long after A-Rod signed a 10-year, $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers. ESPN asked Rodriguez why he deserved a bigger contract than Jeter, who had just won a fourth World Series ring with the Yankees. "He just doesn't do the power numbers," Rodriguez said. "And defensively he doesn't do all those things."
12 2001: In critiquing the media, A-Rod takes a subliminal shot at Jeter
Rodriguez didn't stop with his subtle shots at Jeter. In 2001, Rodriguez spoke to Esquire magazine about his treatment from the media. Rodriguez said sportswriter Mike Lupica made him look bad, "and then he takes a guy like Jeter and just puts him way up there." Rodriguez also said Jeter was "blessed" with great talent around him and teams never say, "don't let Derek beat you."
11 2004: A-Rod and Jeter team up in New York
After three straight seasons without making the playoffs in Texas, Rodriguez was on the move to New York. Finally, baseball fans would get to see Rodriguez and Jeter team-up. Rodriguez even moved to third base to accommodate the soon-to-be-30 Jeter at shortstop. The duo made four ALCS appearances together and won the World Series in 2009.
10 2006: A-Rod and Jeter argue after a missed pop up
Sports are strange only because even the league's worst teams can stun the best teams on any given day. The 2006 Baltimore Orioles entered play on August 17, 2006, with a 52-68 record. The Orioles routed the Yankees 12-2, though the game is remembered for a minor collision between Jeter and Rodriguez on a popup. A runner scored, Jeter glared at Rodriguez and Yankees GM Brian Cashman later intervened.
9 2007: A-Rod admits his relationship with Jeter has changed
By 2007, it was clear Rodriguez and Jeter weren't as close as they once were. At spring training that year, Rodriguez admitted as much. "People start assuming that things are a lot worse than what they are, which they're not," Rodriguez said. "But they're obviously not as great as they used to be. We were like blood brothers."
8 2007: A-Rod famously opts out of contract
Game 4 of the 2007 World Series was supposed to be focused on the Boston Red Sox potentially sweeping the Colorado Rockies. While Boston won, more people were interested in Ken Rosenthal's midgame report that Rodriguez, who'd just hit 54 home runs and joined the 500 home run club, would opt out of his contract. Rodriguez re-signed with the Yankees, but the announcement and its timing was one that bothered many.
7 2009: Joe Torre's book reveals A-Rod-Jeter issues
Rodriguez's sixth season in New York began with a bang when former Yankees manager Joe Torre released a tell-all book. Among Torre's anecdotes were Rodriguez's reputation in the Yankees' locker room as "A-Fraud" because he tried to be someone he wasn't. Rodriguez's relationship with Jeter was also mentioned often in the book. Things only got worse from there...
6 2009: A-Rod reveals steroid use
Alex Rodriguez was viewed as baseball's next great hope to "clean" the home run books after Barry Bonds and others tainted them. Sports Illustrated revealed in February 2009 that Rodriguez had taken steroids while with the Texas Rangers. Rodriguez, who had publicly said before he never took steroids, admitted to using them before the drug policies were changed.
5 2009: A-Rod and Jeter celebrate lone championship together
After overcoming an early-season hip injury, Rodriguez returned to the Yankees' lineup and had several huge hits throughout the season. Rodriguez and Jeter teamed up to enjoy playoff success and lead the Yankees to a World Series victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. That was the only title the team won together and, as of 2019, is the Yankees' most recent championship.
4 2014: Jeter retires, takes a shot at A-Rod
Alex Rodriguez was suspended for the 2014 season because of his ties to the Biogenesis clinic and performance-enhancing drugs. A 40-year-old Jeter was struggling through his final year with the Yankees. When Jeter was asked about Rodriguez in a New York Magazine story, Jeter replied, "This is not an Alex story."
3 2016: A-Rod retires, takes a shot at Jeter
Despite his suspension, Rodriguez enjoyed a resurgence and return to popularity in 2015. The Yankees and Rodriguez mutally agreed to part ways in August 2016, but Rodriguez was honored before and during his final game. Rodriguez was asked if he'd spoken with Jeter.
"Honestly, I haven’t thought about it," Rodriguez told ESPN Radio. "Derek reached out, he congratulated me, but my inbox is completely full. I’m just focusing on what’s at hand. I'm sure we’ll get a chance to talk at some point."
2 2017: A-Rod and Jeter do cringe-worthy interview together
Jeter and Rodriguez agreed to do a brief, joint interview at a charity event with CNBC in 2017. Interview Bob Pisani asked about old reports of tension between the two ex-teammates. Jeter said Pisani was "bringing up stories from about 20 years ago," responded a bewildered Jeter. Rodriguez laughed and called it the "History Channel."
1 2020: A-Rod congratulates Jeter on making the Hall of Fame
Could Rodriguez and Jeter's relationship be headed for better days? When Jeter was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame earlier this year, Rodriguez posted a lengthy congratulations message on Instagram. "I needed you more than you needed me," Rodriguez told Jeter. "You were our #tablesetter on our magical 2009 run and I can't thank you enough."
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