FOX decided to bring Yankees legend Derek Jeter on board as an analyst for its Major League Baseball coverage, but first, they sought approval from his former teammate and “longtime frenemy” Alex Rodriguez, as noted by the New York Post’s Andrew Marchand.
Rodriguez, who has been a staple on Fox Sports’ MLB broadcasts, gave his approval, allowing Jeter to join the Fox Sports pregame team this season. The duo, once Yankees teammates, will be part of the lineup that includes former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz and host Kevin Burkhardt.
Andrew Fegyveresi, a spokesperson for Fox Sports, explained, “Why wouldn’t we reach out?” FOX announced Jeter’s addition during their pregame show before the Super Bowl last month, featuring FOX Sports anchor Curt Menefee, New York Giants Hall of Famer Michael Strahan, and Rodriguez.
Their relationship has been rocky since their days playing together. In the docu-series “The Captain,” Jeter discussed his strained relationship with Rodriguez, particularly focusing on a 2001 Esquire interview where Rodriguez remarked:
“Jeter’s been blessed with great talent around him. So he’s never had to lead. He doesn’t have to, he can just go and play and have fun, and hit second. I mean, you know, hitting second is totally different than hitting third or fourth in a lineup because you go into New York trying to stop Bernie [Williams] and [Paul] O’Neill and everybody. You never say, ‘Don’t let Derek beat you.’ That’s never your concern.”
Jeter admitted in “The Captain,” “Those comments bothered me because, like I said, I’m very, very loyal. As a friend, I’m loyal. I just looked at it as, ‘I wouldn’t have done it.’ … But then it goes back to the trust, the loyalty. This is how the guy feels. He’s not a true friend, is how I felt. Because I wouldn’t do it to a friend.”
In a Q&A after the docu-series release, Rodriguez tried to smooth things over: “Derek and I are good friends. We were texting last night during the ‘KayRod.’ He was watching. I don’t know if he is a fan — but he was watching, having some fun with me.
I think he was making fun of my white pants. But I love the Captain — he’s a five-time world champion. We’ve talked about the documentary. We’re completely aligned, and I’m excited to watch it.”