“Dude, you’re killing me”: When Alex Rodriguez regretted not listening to Derek Jeter’s advice on talking to the media
Alex Rodriguez once shared how he admired Derek Jeter’s way of handling the media and how his inability to do so landed him in trouble. The NY spotlight can often be overwhelming for many, but that wasn’t the case for Jeter.
Jeter knew how to handle the media and keep a balance between his personal and professional life. During an interview with Bloomberg Originals' "The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly" in March 2024, A-Rod admitted to being envious of Jeter but failed to follow in his steps.
“One thing I’ve always marveled at Derek, I’ve gone through so much in my life through therapy and all that kind of stuff…I look back at Derek’s career and I said, holy s***, I really got an opportunity…,” Alex Rodriguez said (23:01 - 26:09).
“I really have an opportunity to appreciate what an incredible career you had and to be in the greatest city, the biggest market in the world, but yet be a little bit unknown of what’s going on off the field.”
Alex Rodriguez admitted how much he “failed and tripped,” and it was just like “quicksand” for him. It was during those times that he remembered Derek Jeter’s advice not to say everything to the media. To keep things elusive and not repeat it time and time again.
As for Jeter, he always wanted to maintain the line between professional and personal. He believed that if he said a little too much about his private life, people would want to know more, making it an endless cycle.
“I always wanted to have a separation with what I did publicly. My job, my career, and my private life. I truly believe once you let the toothpaste outta the tube, you cannot put it back in,” Derek Jeter said.
“Once you give people a little taste of what you’re doing in your private life. They want more, they want more, they want more. And they feel as though you owe it to ‘em…I was just never comfortable sharing my private life.”
He said that he did not want any distractions during his career as his “job came first.” Unlike him, Alex Rodriguez was very open to the media from the start. He even remembered Jeter questioning him,
“And I would talk about it every week and he’s like dude, you’re killing me. Like you don’t have to answer. He was great…But there was some real stuff that I was going through in my life that he gave me the greatest advice and I didn’t listen. And it hurt me tremendously.”
A-Rod admitted that initially, he did not understand Derek Jeter’s way, but later in life, he came to realize it. He said he tried his best, but he just didn’t know what he was doing.
Derek Jeter reveals how he met Alex Rodriguez
![Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez [Source: Imagn]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/d14ab-17497433706712-1920.jpg?w=500)
During an interview in Bloomberg Originals, Derek Jeter revealed that he was 18 when he first met Alex Rodriguez. It was in the Mark Light Stadium when Michigan came to play against the University of Miami.
At that time, Jeter was already a pro with the New York Yankees, while Rodriguez was in the upcoming draft. Before that, they also spoke on the phone, where A-Rod asked Jeter to share his experiences on the field.
Over the years, the distance grew between the two, with controversial comments and rumors running wild on social media. However, following retirement and over the years, things have finally settled down and they are back to being friends.