“We were like blood brothers” - When Alex Rodriguez opened up about how his relationship with Derek Jeter has changed over the years
Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter were inseparable before they made names for themselves in the big leagues. The pair met as teenagers and got close when the pair were in the minor leagues.
The sluggers would visit each other's homes, go out to dinner and hang out on the daily. However, that would change when A-Rod downplayed Jeter's role on the New York Yankees in 2001.
The comments hurt the duo's relationship, but they were not as bad as people were making it out to be. A-Rod spoke to reporters during camp in 2007 to dispel many rumors, via Pocono Record's Ronald Blum:
"People start assuming that things are a lot worse than what they are, which they're not. But they're obviously not as great as they used to be. We were like blood brothers," Rodriguez said.
The two were not as close as they once were, but they still had a working relationship. It was not something that was going to ruin the flow of the club:
"You don't have to go to dinner with a guy four, five times a week to do what you're doing. It's actually much better than all you guys expect, but I just want to let the truth be known," he added.
Alex Rodriguez wanted to put the Derek Jeter comments behind him
Alex Rodriguez was growing tired of being asked about his relationship with Derek Jeter. The Yankees slugger just wanted to put the situation in his rear-view mirror:
"The reality is there's been a change in the relationship over 14 years and, hopefully, we can just put it behind us," A-Rod said.
Rodriguez was more concerned with the team and how they would look during the 2007 season. While the relationship has changed, the two were still committed to taking the Bronx Bombers to the postseason and winning a World Series:
"I think it's important for us to be on the right page, and we are. We're here to win a championship together," he added.
That year, the Yanks would make the postseason and would be matched up against the Cleveland Indians. However, they would go on to lose 3-1, ending their season early.
Cleveland would then go on to lose to the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS. Boston would then eventually go on to defeat the Colorado Rockies and take home the World Series trophy.