Jeter & A-Rod: The Drama Continues
A couple days ago, Alex Rodriguez said that he doesn't spend five nights a week at Derek Jeter's house any more, but they're still friends. Today, Jeter responds by saying that yes, they get along fine, and the media makes too much of their relationship.
I'm going to defend the media—and A-Rod—here.
There clearly is an interesting dynamic between these two guys. They're both extremely well-paid, remarkably talented players, with very different personalities. A-Rod seems introspective and sometimes insecure; Jeter loves to play ball and chase girls, and if he thinks about much else, he gives little sign of it. (In my opinion, he should have stuck with Yalie
Jordana Brewster, granddaughter of Kingman Brewster and daughter of a Brazilian model. How's that for bloodlines? Though come to think of it, she might have been too smart for him....)
A few years ago, A-Rod slagged Jeter in an Esquire article, saying that because he'd always been on such good teams, he'd never really had to be a leader. (While that may have been true at the time, Jeter has certainly proved it wrong in the past few years.) Jeter is the hometown here who can do no wrong in the fans' eyes; A-Rod is the import whom the fans cheer only as long as he doesn't screw up.
Jeter is a great player, of course. His love for the game and the passion with which he plays it are inspiring. But I think A-Rod deserves our appreciation as well. He's obviously struggling with some issues—last season was a psychological nightmare for him—and he talks about them out loud. I like his honesty. Baseball, and the Yankees, are more interesting for it. And when A-Rod is playing the way that he can, he really is a joy to watch; there's probably no more gifted athlete in the entire sport. He may never match Derek Jeter in the hearts of Yankee fans, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't be appreciated in his own right.
