Alex Rodriguez once took a massive dig at Derek Jeter claiming he was unworthy of matching his record-breaking contract at Texas Rangers
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Baseball fans would like any day love to see the rivalry between Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez back again on the field. While many consider the rivalry to be one-sided from Rodriguez, it does share some epic moments that fans still look back.
Alex Rodriguez once took a massive dig on Jeter during an interview with ESPN radio in 2000. He would call Derek unworthy of matching his record-breaking contract at the Rangers and thus, a player less mighty than his like. He says, “Even a guy like Derek, it’s going to be hard for him to break that because he just doesn’t do the power numbers, and defensively he doesn’t do all those things.”
This incident was following Rodriguez’s record-breaking deal with Texas Rangers, where he signed a $252 million contract. Here is what Alex Rodriguez revealed in his interview post this massive deal with the Rangers.
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Alex Rodriguez once roasted Derek Jeter calling him unworthy of matching his contract
After the massive deal with Texas Rangers, it is safe to assume pride must have taken the better of A-Rod as he was all-out against Derek Jeter. In an interview with ESPN radio, A-Rod took heavy digs at the Yankees Hall of Famer, saying that Jeter was not an all-rounded player. According to Rodriguez, he was incapable of doing power numbers and was weak defensively.
Further, Alex Rodriguez says, “So he might not break the 252. He might get 180. I don’t know what he’s going to get. 150? I’m not sure.” Alex Rodriguez was confident Jeter could never match his contract worth, and the maximum he could score would be a $180 million deal. Andrew Jones and Pedro Martinez were the few players he thought were capable of his might.
A-Rod was not always this skeptical about Derek Jeter. Once in an interview, he had confirmed that he would never follow in with Jeter’s steps. He also appreciated Jeter’s worth as a player. Rodriguez said, “There is nothing to knock. He’s a great defensive player. He’s a great offensive player. He’s one of the top three players in the game for the greatest team of my era.” What seems to have changed in the meanwhile was competitiveness and A-Rod’s strive to become the best in the league.
Well, it seems like A-Rod was right all along. Derek Jeter’s highest contract deal to date was with the Yankees when he signed a 10-year deal for $189 million.
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Siddid Dey Purkayastha
(528 Articles Published)