Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez’s friendship was a unique one, as they were both incredibly talented and successful baseball players, but had very different personalities on and off the field. Despite these differences, they developed a close friendship even before when they were on the same team. They were both shortstops in the American League for different teams before Rodriguez was traded to the Yankees in 2004.

But even the closest of friends have their moments of rivalry and envy. The 1999 season was no different for these two. Since they were both great players and were often pitted against each other in the media. 

The 1999 MLB season for Alex Rodriguez 

The 1999 MLB season was a trying time for Alex Rodriguez. Fresh off knee surgery, he had to watch from the sidelines as his team at the time, Seattle Mariners, played against Jeter’s Yankees.

And as Jeter hit a soaring home run, which led his team to victory. A-Rod saw the home run fly over the Mariners and couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

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He remembered the dinner they had after the game, where Jeter had flaunted his World Series rings.  

“Every time I see him on TV, he never has his World Series rings on,” Rodriguez had said, according to NY Post. “Friday night he was wearing both of them. I couldn’t eat.”

Jeter had achieved something that A-Rod had yet to attain himself at the time.

It was all in good nature 

The two, Rodriguez and Jeter, were known to tease each other good-naturedly. 

Jeter had been teasing Rodriguez with his rings and when Rodriguez said he was jealous, it did not mean he was envious of Jeter but rather he was just jealous and had aspirations to achieve and reach the heights that Jeter had, along with winning some world series rings, which he finally did with the Yankees and Jeter at his side in 2009. 

But even in the face of jealousy, A-Rod couldn’t help but be proud of his friend’s achievements. He knew Jeter worked tirelessly for those rings and deserved to wear them with pride. And so, as Jeter basked in the glory of his successes, A-Rod cheered him on and eagerly awaited his own chance to shine.

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