The New York Yankees of old defined an era of their own. With Derek Jeter manning the helm as captain, the team reached new heights in the late 1990s and early 2000s. With tabloids slowly coming to life, the man behind the starched pinstripes was of public interest. As a result, it manifested in broad coverage of his personal relationships, as with Mariah Carey and Alex Rodriguez.

Jeter famously dated the musician from 1997 to 1998, a fact his teammates wouldn’t let him forget. The retired slugger’s famous friendship with A-Rod was also a popular subject. But another player in the story of the Yankees was the controversial David Wells, who had two short stints in New York. Recently, he commented on Rodriguez’s steroid-tainted past and having Jeter as a teammate.

After Slamming Alex Rodriguez, David Wells Grabs Favor With Derek Jeter

David Wells has been retired for well over a decade but his antics keep him in the headlines. After the recent Old Timers’ Day fiasco, where the ex-pitcher propagated conservative views, Wells also had an opinion on Rodriguez. Calling the former Yankees third baseman a ‘rat’ for apparently snitching on his league mates, Boomer Wells showed his true colors.

Then in an interview with Foul Territory, the retired athlete opened up on what his relationship with Derek Jeter was like. “[Jeter] was dating Mariah Carey. It was great. He’d come in the clubhouse singing, and he couldn’t sing for crap,” Wells says.

He goes on to reiterate how good it was to have someone like Jeter around.Not only was he a good leader, he treated teammates like equals. Interestingly, an almost altercation between the two former Yankees once spoke otherwise about their friendly relationship.

When Jeter vs. Wells Made Headlines

The Captain earned the name for how well he performed as a leader of the Yankees. 1998 was a special season for the Bronx Bombers when they won a record 115 games and clinched the World Series. But during a Sept. 18 game vs. the Baltimore Orioles, Jeter missed catching a ball at shortstop as it flew over his head.

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Manager Joe Torre had been experimenting late in the game by resting veteran players and bringing up rookies, who failed to catch the ball as well. Wells, on the mound, was frustrated with Jeter but the ex-shortstop quickly shut him down from going into a temper. When reporters came looking for a story, the now Hall of Famer immediately stopped rumors from spreading.

“Derek did not want that story to interrupt what was going on with the Yankees, which was greatness…I thought it was remarkable that at 24 years old Derek was enough of a leader on that team that he could go to a veteran pitcher on the field and tell him to knock it off in the way that he did with David Wells,” columnist Buster Olney wrote at the time.

True to form, the captain held his teammates in high regard but was not afraid to remove distractions whenever he felt necessary.

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