“I faked it with Boggs and you have to fake it with Alex" - Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez had a lot of animosity during their New York Yankees days
It's no secret that there was some animosity between the legendary duo of Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. The two are arguably the most talented duo to ever don the pinstripes of the Bronx.
In most instances where teammates aren't getting along, other members of the team will try to step in and rectify the situation, bringing the two quarreling sides together to make amends. However, with the level of star power the duo carried, demotivated most from approaching the matter.
When asked if he had thought of approaching Derek Jeter about playing nice with Alex Rodriguez, one New York Yankees official told Ian O'Connor of ESPN:
"It would’ve been the last conversation I ever had with Derek. I would’ve been dead to him. It would’ve been like approaching Joe DiMaggio to talk to him about Marilyn Monroe.”
Former New York Yankees hitting coach and current Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly tried to bring Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez together
Mattingly, who was a captain during his playing days with the New York Yankees, cited his ability to overcome issues with former teammate (and MLB Hall of Famer) Wade Boggs when he joined the Pinstripes.
Boggs had previously played for the Boston Red Sox and was a fierce rival of Mattingly before joining the Yankees. Mattingly, trying to draw a parallel with Jeter, explained to the shortstop that the comradery didn't need to be genuine. He said:
"I faked it with Boggs and you have to fake it with Alex."
However, Jeter did not give in. To this day, Derek Jeter is still somewhat cold when in the presence of the magnetic personality of A-Rod.
Both Yankees were successful on the field. Derek Jeter would collect 3,465 hits in his MLB career to go along with 200 career hits in 158 playoff games. This helped him win five World Series championships, all with the Yankees. He was one vote shy of being unanimously elected into the MLB Hall of Fame. He holds the Yankees record for doubles.
Rodriguez had one of the most prolific careers of all time, as he was arguably one of the best right-handed hitters to play in the MLB. In his career, Alex Rodriguez crushed 696 home runs, drove in over 2,000 runs and scored 2,000 runs en-route to 3,115 hits.