“Match His Accomplishment…”: Derek Jeter Once Revealed His Desire to Be on Equal Footing With Alex Rodriguez Before Their Bitter Feud

Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez have a long and eventful history during their MLB careers. The two started out as close friends before either hit superstardom and then it went sour because of A-Rod. But in his book ‘The Life You Imagine,’ Jeter shares a desire to match Rodriguez’s achievements before their feud started. 

For the majority of their respective careers, including their time as teammates, A-Rod and Jeter were enemies. The Yankees’ former captain wanted to limit his interaction with his fellow infielder, and the feeling seemed mutual. But before all of this conflict, Jeter wanted to match Rodriguez’s accomplishments. 

Derek Jeter wanted to be on equal footing with A-Rod 

Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez were like brothers during their early years as professional players. They would spend time at each other’s houses and generally look out for one another. In ‘The Life You Imagine’, a book that Jeter released in 2000, he expressed a desire to match A-Rod’s accomplishments. The Yankees’ iconic shortstop said that he looked up to Rodriguez and Nomar Garciaparra. Furthermore, he wanted to feel equal to A-Rod.

On page 73 of ‘The Life You Imagine’, he wrote, “I consider Alex and Nomar to be role models. I want to do what they’re doing. If I see that Alex had a game-winning homer, I’m hoping my phone won’t ring with a message from him until I’ve done something new to match his accomplishment. Alex and I are best friends”. 

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He truly cherished the friendship that he had with his future teammate. Furthermore, he held A-Rod in extremely high regard, hoping to be his friend but also his equal as a player. Their friendship turned to enmity after Rodriguez signed his mammoth $252 million then-record-breaking deal. But the two seem to have made up in recent years. 

Jeter has forgiven A-Rod

Derek Jeter has forgiven Alex Rodriguez for the comments that ruined their friendship. The legendary shortstop felt that he was too old to hold a grudge and that they needed to bury the hatchet. Furthermore, A-Rod has expressed regret for ruining their brotherly bond. Although they may never recover their original friendship, the two seem to be on better terms now. 

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What do you think of Derek Jeter wanting to match Alex Rodriguez when they were still friends? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.