“He’s not a true friend”: Derek Jeter Admitted Holding Grudge Against Alex Rodriguez’s Controversial Comments

The rift between New York Yankees stars, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez is a prominent story of how friendship turned sour after A-Rod’s controversial interview. Traveling back in time, Derek and Alex were close pals.

However, the rapport changed almost overnight when Rodriguez, who played for the Texas Rangers at that time made a few eye-grabbing comments in a 2001 interview with an Esquire Magazine article that diminished Jeter’s contributions to the Yankees’ success in the 1990s despite him winning the World Series three times from 1996 to 2000.

“He’s reserved, quiet. Jeter’s been blessed with great talent around him. So he’s never had to lead.”

He further added:

“You never say, ‘Don’t let Derek beat you. That’s never your concern.”

Consequently, these harsh statements deeply affected Jeter as revealed many years later in the ESPN documentary series called “The Captain,” released in July 2022.

Jeter felt personally wounded by Rodriguez’s words as he saw it as a betrayal from someone he once considered a friend. To Jeter, it appeared that Rodriguez was trying to justify his groundbreaking 10-year 2 million contract with the Rangers in 2001 through these comments. Jeter said-

“As a friend, I’m loyal. I just looked at it as, ‘I wouldn’t have done it. He’s not a true friend, is how I felt. Because I wouldn’t do it to a friend.” 

A-Rod tried to mend the damage he did by apologizing afterward but Jeter believed that the foundation of trust between them had been irreparably fractured.

Rodriguez later admitted that his insecurities and misunderstanding of loyalty played a role in straining their friendship. Despite these conflicts, Rodriguez joined the New York Yankees in 2004 and played alongside the Yankees captain, from 2004 to 2013.

Rodriguez’s journey of New York Yankees and winning the World Series with Jeter

In the Bronx, A-Rod quickly established himself as a star player. Although earlier, he delivered strong performances during the regular season, he faced criticism for his struggles in the postseason. The turning point happened in 2009 when Alex played a major role in leading the Yankees to a World Series title.

However, his career was hampered by the Biogenesis scandal for his intake of performance-enhancing drugs, which resulted in a suspension in 2013. After serving the MLB ban, he made a comeback in 2015 and eventually retired in 2016 marking the end of his baseball career.

Cut to the present, Derek and Alex have been working on repairing their relationship. Jeter, who is now a familiar face on FOX MLB’s studio coverage frequently shares the screen with Alex Rodriguez, Kevin Burkhardt, and David Ortiz.

While their past disagreements may not have completely vanished, there appears to be respect and understanding between them.