A-Rod says he's not as close with Jeter as he was

LI2OH · 02-19-2007, 03:22 PM

Updated: Feb. 19, 2007, 11:50 AM ET
Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. -- On the first day of his fourth season with the New York Yankees, Alex Rodriguez finally acknowledged his relationship with Derek Jeter has cooled.

"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."
-- Alex Rodriguez
After insisting for three years that they remained close, Rodriguez said it was "important" to him to publicly confirm what others have said since he joined the team.

"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 Monday. "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."

Jeter, the Yankees' captain, has distanced himself since a 2001 Esquire article in which A-Rod said "Jeter's been blessed with great talent around him" and "he's never had to lead."

"You go into New York, you wanna stop Bernie (Williams) and (Paul) O'Neill," A-Rod was quoted as saying. "You never say, 'Don't let Derek beat you.' He's never your concern."

Sitting in jeans and a black sweat jacket in the first-base dugout at Legends Field after his physical, Rodriguez did three rounds of interviews: English-language television, Spanish-language television and print reporters. He addressed his relationship with Jeter in all three.

"We were best of friends about 10, 13, 14, years ago, and we still get along well. We have a good working relationship. I cheer very hard for him. He cheers hard for me. And most importantly, we're both trying to win a world championship," Rodriguez said.

What's changed? He made it sound as if they had just grown apart.

"The reality is there's been a change in the relationship over 14 years and, hopefully, we can just put it behind us," Rodriguez said. "You go from sleeping over at somebody's house five days a week, and now you don't sleep over. It's just not that big of a deal."

During the offseason, former Yankee Darryl Strawberry said Jeter needs to "embrace" Rodriguez. A-Rod said he didn't feel Jeter needed to support him more.

"I'm a big boy. I'm 31 years old now, so I should be able to help myself out there," he said. "I care about what he thinks about me on the field. I think it's important for us to be on the right page. And we are. We're here to win a championship together."

When he was first asked about Jeter, Rodriguez said this would be the only time he would address the topic.

"Let's make a contract: You don't ask me about Derek anymore, and I promise I'll stop lying to all you guys," A-Rod told reporters.

While Rodriguez won the AL MVP award for the second time in 2005, he is 4-for-41 (.098) without an RBI in his last 12 postseason games dating to 2004. He got just one hit in last year's playoff loss to Detroit.

"I stunk. And when you stink, sometimes, you have to call it," he said. "I went 1-for-14 last year with an error and that's pretty lousy."

He was dropped to eighth in the batting order for the first time in a decade as the Yankees were eliminated in Game 4.

"It was very disappointing," he said. "Yes, I was embarrassed."

While Rodriguez maintained he wants to remain with the Yankees for the rest of his career, he didn't rule out exercising the clause in his record $252 million, 10-year contract that allows him to opt out after this season. Rodriguez would forfeit the $72 million owed in the final three years and could use that to become a free agent or pressure New York for an extension.

"I want to be a Yankee and I understand my contract. I understand my options. I understand the interest," he said.

He doesn't mind that his contract has made him a target.

"I love being the highest-paid player in the game. It's pretty cool. I like making that money," he said. "I was poor and broke when I grew up. I didn't have that type of money to help out children. Now I get a chance to help out children. Whatever you say is important. People listen to you. That's pretty cool. Nobody used to listen to me before."

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring...ory?id=2771141

Every time he talks he makes things worse!

Now the only thing we are going to hear about for at least a week is there "relationship"

Who cares? just go out and play (and get a hit in the playoffs PLEASE!)

JumbalayaJet · 02-19-2007, 03:31 PM

I heard that interview on WFAN. Those reporters wouldn't give him a break. They kept harping on that and his contract. I don't buy into this whole "distraction" thing. Since when do you have to be best freinds to play on the same team? The sports media really sickens me with all the drama.

sjjetfan · 02-19-2007, 05:21 PM

IMO A-Rod won't ever be the same until he stops worrying so much what his teammates and everyone for that matter thinks. He has more ability than anyone else in the game. If he just does his thing everyone will love him. That said people that blame Arod for the Yankees drought are wrong. There's another 180 million dollars worth of blame to go around.

FloridaJet · 02-19-2007, 06:44 PM

The important for Arod is to start out hot once the season begins. If he doesn't the boo birds will be out in full force and his time on Yankee's will be done before the season ends....

JetsFan2012 · 02-19-2007, 07:01 PM

A-Rod should stop pouting about everything and just play the damn game. See a psychiatrist or something, because it's obvious he has the physical skills to produce in the clutch.

JeffWeaverFan · 02-19-2007, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pauliec

A-Rod should stop pouting about everything and just play the damn game. See a psychiatrist or something, because it's obvious he has the physical skills to produce in the clutch.

Did you listen to the interview? If you did, you could hear that he clearly wasn't pouting at all.

Even from reading it, you could tell. How is the following pouting?

"I love being the highest-paid player in the game. It's pretty cool. I like making that money," he said. "I was poor and broke when I grew up. I didn't have that type of money to help out children. Now I get a chance to help out children. Whatever you say is important. People listen to you. That's pretty cool. Nobody used to listen to me before."

He's produced in the clutch, just not enough. He will.

Tyler Durden · 02-19-2007, 07:30 PM

AROD is a grade A.. HEADCASE!

LesterLyles · 02-19-2007, 11:18 PM

and this is news, why???? This is a prime example of how baseball is so overhyped in this damn city. They are going to have 50 articles analyzing this interview. Give me a break.

chirorob · 02-20-2007, 02:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sean Ryan

AROD is a grade A.. HEADCASE!

How does that interview make him out to be a headcase? he was asked about their relationship, and he said they're not as tight as they used to be. Big frickin deal.

NIGHT STALKER · 02-20-2007, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JumbalayaJet

I heard that interview on WFAN. Those reporters wouldn't give him a break. They kept harping on that and his contract. I don't buy into this whole "distraction" thing. Since when do you have to be best freinds to play on the same team? The sports media really sickens me with all the drama.

Jumba, I agree with you 100%...it always seems the NY media is more concerned with "behind the scenes" BS rather than the game itself...and that includes all sports, not just baseball.

The game is baseball in this instance, not how many times he and Jeter go out to dinner. Last time I checked, Ruth and Gehrig didn't get along either, but they sure put on a show...you didn't know of their estranged relationship until years later.

Let's play ball.

49ersJetsfan · 02-20-2007, 09:36 AM

sooooooooo retarded.

who the f*ck cares if ARod and Jeter are still best friends?

Tyler Durden · 02-20-2007, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chirorob

How does that interview make him out to be a headcase? he was asked about their relationship, and he said they're not as tight as they used to be. Big frickin deal.

I'm not only talking about this interview. The dude is more sensative then a 12 year old girl and can't handle pressure what so ever. It has been well documented. But as a Yankee fan I wish him all the luck in the world.

TheFranchise · 02-20-2007, 04:30 PM

What a waste of journalistic space.

LI2OH · 02-21-2007, 02:17 PM

Zimmer defends Jeter
Former Yankees bench coach doesn't understand criticism
By Bill Chastain / MLB.com

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- While the A-Rod-Jeter saga continued to play out in Tampa, Don Zimmer weighed in on the subject on the other side of Tampa Bay.
Make no mistake about it, Zim is a Derek Jeter man, and he sounded off Wednesday morning at the Raymond A. Naimoli Complex, where the Devil Rays conduct Spring Training.

Zimmer, who served as a bench coach for the Yankees for eight years and is now a special advisor with the Devil Rays, said he can't understand how Jeter can be criticized because of his relationship with Alex Rodriguez.

"They're making [Jeter] out to be the bad guy," Zimmer said. "What has he done wrong? Like I say, if A-Rod hits a home run tomorrow, Jeter will be on the top step, the first guy shaking his hand. What do you want [Jeter] to do, put his arm around him and kiss him?"

Zimmer said the Yankees had a "pretty good club" before Rodriguez arrived.

"Now it's his job to fit in," Zimmer said. "Is it Jeter's fault because some newscaster says [Rodriguez] hasn't done this under pressure? I'm not saying this, but I read it. We've all read it. Is that Jeter's fault? What do you want Jeter to do? Jeter goes out and gets 200 hits a year, plays like hell, plays hurt, nobody knows about it. That's the kind of person he is. If that's not leading, I don't know what leading is."

Zimmer noted the Yankees experienced a lot of changes while he was with the team.

"Fill-in here, fill-in there, everybody that came in fit right in," Zimmer said. "I would say a lot of that goes with [Manager Joe] Torre.

"We got Strawberry one day, two days later we got the first baseman, Big Daddy [Cecil Fielder]. We had a lot of guys that fit in -- [Chuck] Knoblauch. They fit in. We had a team.

"Now, here's a guy. What's [Rodriguez] make, $25 million a year? What is it that Jeter's done any different with him than what anybody else has done? How in the hell can Jeter be criticized over A-Rod? I'm trying to figure it out. I don't even understand it, but it makes me sick because I'm a Jeter man -- me and millions others."

Zimmer was asked why he thought people would side with Rodriguez

"All I know is I know what Jeter is," Zimmer said. "And for Jeter, they're making him out the villain. How in the hell could you ever make Jeter the villain, of all people, in this game?"

Zimmer expressed his opinion on how the perceived friction between Jeter and Rodriguez began.

"When it all happened, and A-Rod got the big contract, he made a comment, and you guys have to go back and look it up, he said Jeter can never get a contract like that because he doesn't hit home runs like I do," Zimmer said. "Is it Jeter's fault he's playing in New York with the Yankees and they win four World Series? You're going to hold that against him towards A-Rod, who has never won nothing?"

Zimmer recounted that three years ago he said Rodriguez was the best player in the game.

"That was my opinion," Zimmer said. "So I'm not trying to bury A-Rod, but people are trying to bury Jeter, I don't understand it.

"You take a guy [such as Jeter], who probably in 13 years that I've known him, is probably the best man I've known in those 13 years. He's never changed from '96 to today -- the way he acts. The way he acts on the field. The way he plays. The way he performs, and now, this criticism? It doesn't make sense. It's tough for me to figure it out. I'm just not smart enough to figure that one out. Jeter getting criticized, not being the captain, not being this, not being that."

Zimmer said Jeter wouldn't even care if Rodriguez was named captain of the Yankees.

"Knowing Jeter like I know him, if he thought that would help the team, making A-Rod the captain, he'd be willing to do that," Zimmer said. "That would be my guess knowing him like I do. I don't know how he could be any better [of a team guy]."

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=nyy

"Is it Jeter's fault he's playing in New York with the Yankees and they win four World Series? You're going to hold that against him towards A-Rod, who has never won nothing?" -------Ouch!!!!

Zimmer said Jeter wouldn't even care if Rodriguez was named captain of the Yankees.-------

D'Brick Wall · 02-21-2007, 11:16 PM

WHO CARES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why are sports turning into "Hollywood Access"?

JeffWeaverFan · 02-22-2007, 12:57 AM

LI2OH - Zimmer didn't answer why Jeter has taken flack. (And, by the way, nobody is making Jeter to look like a villain. How did Zimmer come up with that?) Anyways, the reason some people have gotten on Jeter is because he, as the team captain, did not defend A-Rod at all when he was getting booed like crazy last year. He responded that he isn't going to tell the fans what to do. And that would be fair if he hadn't asked the fans to lay off Giambi when he was having a hard time. But he did and he could have asked the same thing with A-Rod.

02-19-2007, 03:22 PM	#1
LI2OH All Pro Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 1,934	A-Rod says he's not as close with Jeter as he was Updated: Feb. 19, 2007, 11:50 AM ET Associated Press TAMPA, Fla. -- On the first day of his fourth season with the New York Yankees, Alex Rodriguez finally acknowledged his relationship with Derek Jeter has cooled. "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." -- Alex Rodriguez After insisting for three years that they remained close, Rodriguez said it was "important" to him to publicly confirm what others have said since he joined the team. "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 Monday. "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." Jeter, the Yankees' captain, has distanced himself since a 2001 Esquire article in which A-Rod said "Jeter's been blessed with great talent around him" and "he's never had to lead." "You go into New York, you wanna stop Bernie (Williams) and (Paul) O'Neill," A-Rod was quoted as saying. "You never say, 'Don't let Derek beat you.' He's never your concern." Sitting in jeans and a black sweat jacket in the first-base dugout at Legends Field after his physical, Rodriguez did three rounds of interviews: English-language television, Spanish-language television and print reporters. He addressed his relationship with Jeter in all three. "We were best of friends about 10, 13, 14, years ago, and we still get along well. We have a good working relationship. I cheer very hard for him. He cheers hard for me. And most importantly, we're both trying to win a world championship," Rodriguez said. What's changed? He made it sound as if they had just grown apart. "The reality is there's been a change in the relationship over 14 years and, hopefully, we can just put it behind us," Rodriguez said. "You go from sleeping over at somebody's house five days a week, and now you don't sleep over. It's just not that big of a deal." During the offseason, former Yankee Darryl Strawberry said Jeter needs to "embrace" Rodriguez. A-Rod said he didn't feel Jeter needed to support him more. "I'm a big boy. I'm 31 years old now, so I should be able to help myself out there," he said. "I care about what he thinks about me on the field. I think it's important for us to be on the right page. And we are. We're here to win a championship together." When he was first asked about Jeter, Rodriguez said this would be the only time he would address the topic. "Let's make a contract: You don't ask me about Derek anymore, and I promise I'll stop lying to all you guys," A-Rod told reporters. While Rodriguez won the AL MVP award for the second time in 2005, he is 4-for-41 (.098) without an RBI in his last 12 postseason games dating to 2004. He got just one hit in last year's playoff loss to Detroit. "I stunk. And when you stink, sometimes, you have to call it," he said. "I went 1-for-14 last year with an error and that's pretty lousy." He was dropped to eighth in the batting order for the first time in a decade as the Yankees were eliminated in Game 4. "It was very disappointing," he said. "Yes, I was embarrassed." While Rodriguez maintained he wants to remain with the Yankees for the rest of his career, he didn't rule out exercising the clause in his record $252 million, 10-year contract that allows him to opt out after this season. Rodriguez would forfeit the $72 million owed in the final three years and could use that to become a free agent or pressure New York for an extension. "I want to be a Yankee and I understand my contract. I understand my options. I understand the interest," he said. He doesn't mind that his contract has made him a target. "I love being the highest-paid player in the game. It's pretty cool. I like making that money," he said. "I was poor and broke when I grew up. I didn't have that type of money to help out children. Now I get a chance to help out children. Whatever you say is important. People listen to you. That's pretty cool. Nobody used to listen to me before." Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring...ory?id=2771141 Every time he talks he makes things worse! Now the only thing we are going to hear about for at least a week is there "relationship" Who cares? just go out and play (and get a hit in the playoffs PLEASE!)

02-21-2007, 02:17 PM	#14
LI2OH All Pro Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 1,934	It never ends!! Who's $0.02 is next? Zimmer defends Jeter Former Yankees bench coach doesn't understand criticism By Bill Chastain / MLB.com ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- While the A-Rod-Jeter saga continued to play out in Tampa, Don Zimmer weighed in on the subject on the other side of Tampa Bay. Make no mistake about it, Zim is a Derek Jeter man, and he sounded off Wednesday morning at the Raymond A. Naimoli Complex, where the Devil Rays conduct Spring Training. Zimmer, who served as a bench coach for the Yankees for eight years and is now a special advisor with the Devil Rays, said he can't understand how Jeter can be criticized because of his relationship with Alex Rodriguez. "They're making [Jeter] out to be the bad guy," Zimmer said. "What has he done wrong? Like I say, if A-Rod hits a home run tomorrow, Jeter will be on the top step, the first guy shaking his hand. What do you want [Jeter] to do, put his arm around him and kiss him?" Zimmer said the Yankees had a "pretty good club" before Rodriguez arrived. "Now it's his job to fit in," Zimmer said. "Is it Jeter's fault because some newscaster says [Rodriguez] hasn't done this under pressure? I'm not saying this, but I read it. We've all read it. Is that Jeter's fault? What do you want Jeter to do? Jeter goes out and gets 200 hits a year, plays like hell, plays hurt, nobody knows about it. That's the kind of person he is. If that's not leading, I don't know what leading is." Zimmer noted the Yankees experienced a lot of changes while he was with the team. "Fill-in here, fill-in there, everybody that came in fit right in," Zimmer said. "I would say a lot of that goes with [Manager Joe] Torre. "We got Strawberry one day, two days later we got the first baseman, Big Daddy [Cecil Fielder]. We had a lot of guys that fit in -- [Chuck] Knoblauch. They fit in. We had a team. "Now, here's a guy. What's [Rodriguez] make, $25 million a year? What is it that Jeter's done any different with him than what anybody else has done? How in the hell can Jeter be criticized over A-Rod? I'm trying to figure it out. I don't even understand it, but it makes me sick because I'm a Jeter man -- me and millions others." Zimmer was asked why he thought people would side with Rodriguez "All I know is I know what Jeter is," Zimmer said. "And for Jeter, they're making him out the villain. How in the hell could you ever make Jeter the villain, of all people, in this game?" Zimmer expressed his opinion on how the perceived friction between Jeter and Rodriguez began. "When it all happened, and A-Rod got the big contract, he made a comment, and you guys have to go back and look it up, he said Jeter can never get a contract like that because he doesn't hit home runs like I do," Zimmer said. "Is it Jeter's fault he's playing in New York with the Yankees and they win four World Series? You're going to hold that against him towards A-Rod, who has never won nothing?" Zimmer recounted that three years ago he said Rodriguez was the best player in the game. "That was my opinion," Zimmer said. "So I'm not trying to bury A-Rod, but people are trying to bury Jeter, I don't understand it. "You take a guy [such as Jeter], who probably in 13 years that I've known him, is probably the best man I've known in those 13 years. He's never changed from '96 to today -- the way he acts. The way he acts on the field. The way he plays. The way he performs, and now, this criticism? It doesn't make sense. It's tough for me to figure it out. I'm just not smart enough to figure that one out. Jeter getting criticized, not being the captain, not being this, not being that." Zimmer said Jeter wouldn't even care if Rodriguez was named captain of the Yankees. "Knowing Jeter like I know him, if he thought that would help the team, making A-Rod the captain, he'd be willing to do that," Zimmer said. "That would be my guess knowing him like I do. I don't know how he could be any better [of a team guy]." http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=nyy "Is it Jeter's fault he's playing in New York with the Yankees and they win four World Series? You're going to hold that against him towards A-Rod, who has never won nothing?" -------Ouch!!!! Zimmer said Jeter wouldn't even care if Rodriguez was named captain of the Yankees.-------

02-19-2007, 03:31 PM	#2
JumbalayaJet done with NMS Jets Insider VIP Charter JI Member Join Date: May 1999 Posts: 14,868	I heard that interview on WFAN. Those reporters wouldn't give him a break. They kept harping on that and his contract. I don't buy into this whole "distraction" thing. Since when do you have to be best freinds to play on the same team? The sports media really sickens me with all the drama.

02-19-2007, 05:21 PM	#3
sjjetfan All Pro Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,459	IMO A-Rod won't ever be the same until he stops worrying so much what his teammates and everyone for that matter thinks. He has more ability than anyone else in the game. If he just does his thing everyone will love him. That said people that blame Arod for the Yankees drought are wrong. There's another 180 million dollars worth of blame to go around.

02-19-2007, 06:44 PM	#4
FloridaJet alive and still kicking All League Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 3,882	The important for Arod is to start out hot once the season begins. If he doesn't the boo birds will be out in full force and his time on Yankee's will be done before the season ends....

02-19-2007, 07:01 PM	#5
JetsFan2012 Waterboy Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 0	A-Rod should stop pouting about everything and just play the damn game. See a psychiatrist or something, because it's obvious he has the physical skills to produce in the clutch.

02-19-2007, 07:30 PM	#7
Tyler Durden Banned Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 31,171	AROD is a grade A.. HEADCASE!

02-19-2007, 11:18 PM	#8
LesterLyles All Pro Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 5,092	and this is news, why???? This is a prime example of how baseball is so overhyped in this damn city. They are going to have 50 articles analyzing this interview. Give me a break.

02-20-2007, 09:36 AM	#11
49ersJetsfan All Pro Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: NYC Posts: 5,836	sooooooooo retarded. who the f*ck cares if ARod and Jeter are still best friends?

02-20-2007, 04:30 PM	#13
TheFranchise Another Jetless Super Bowl. :( All Pro Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Bronx, NY Posts: 5,993	What a waste of journalistic space.

02-21-2007, 11:16 PM	#15
D'Brick Wall Veteran Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 122	WHO CARES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why are sports turning into "Hollywood Access"?

02-22-2007, 12:57 AM	#16
JeffWeaverFan All Pro Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 8,484	LI2OH - Zimmer didn't answer why Jeter has taken flack. (And, by the way, nobody is making Jeter to look like a villain. How did Zimmer come up with that?) Anyways, the reason some people have gotten on Jeter is because he, as the team captain, did not defend A-Rod at all when he was getting booed like crazy last year. He responded that he isn't going to tell the fans what to do. And that would be fair if he hadn't asked the fans to lay off Giambi when he was having a hard time. But he did and he could have asked the same thing with A-Rod.