In a candid revelation, Alex Rodriguez shared that a 2001 Esquire article significantly impacted his friendship with Derek Jeter, leading to years of tension. Rodriguez, then with the Texas Rangers, did not intend to offend Jeter, but the fallout was undeniable.
“I thought that Esquire article was pretty vanilla,” Rodriguez stated during episode two of HBO’s Alex vs. ARod, which debuted on November 13. “I complimented the whole team, and they took that and ran with it. That put a strain in our relationship for years.”
The article featured Rodriguez praising Jeter’s Yankees teammates, yet it inadvertently cast a shadow over Jeter’s accomplishments. “Jeter’s been blessed with great talent around him,” Rodriguez remarked. “So he’s never had to lead. He doesn’t have to; he can just go and play and have fun, and hit second.” This perspective suggested that Jeter's success was more about his supporting cast than his own leadership.
Jeter, now 51, expressed his frustration regarding the article in the 2022 ESPN docuseries The Captain. “As a friend, I’m loyal,” he said. “I just looked at it as, ‘I wouldn’t have done it.’ And then it was the media. The constant hammer to the nail. They just kept hammering it in.” The incessant chatter became overwhelming for him.
The situation escalated when Rodriguez was traded to the Yankees before the 2004 season. “People made such a big deal out of, ‘How are they going to get along?’” Jeter recalled in Alex vs. ARod. “That was a story before the opening press conference. My job was to limit distractions.” His priority was clear: winning championships.
Rodriguez’s transition to third base added another layer of complexity. Early in their partnership, miscommunication led to a pop fly dropping between them, fueling speculation about their relationship. “Out of all the stories that are out there about me and Alex, people made such a big deal out of a dropped pop-up,” Jeter reflected. “But one thing Alex always hated was pop-ups.”
Rodriguez humorously confirmed this sentiment, stating he preferred line drives or ground balls over catching pop-ups. Despite the rocky start, both players adapted, ultimately enjoying a decade-long collaboration that culminated in a World Series victory in 2009.
The first two episodes of Alex vs. ARod are currently available for streaming on HBO Max.
