The Honeymoon Has Started Again

Around this time last year, Alex Rodriguez appeared on WFAN's Mike & The Mad Dog and said he didn't want to discuss his former friendship with Derek Jeter. Days earlier he'd made the now infamous statement about the cooling of the relationship. A-Rod preoceeded to go the entire 2007 season without so much as a word about Jeter, other than on-the-field issues.

Well yesterday A-Rod was talking about Derek Jeter on M&MD and it wasn't about on-the-field issues. Mike Francessa asked him how he would characterize his relationship with Jeter and A-Rod said, "I'll give it an A, A+." He said they were back on a honeymoon.

Turns out Jeter called A-Rod upon hearing the news of the 2007 MVP's new long-term contract with the Yankees, and a few weeks ago the two were seen having lunch at a trendy Florida restaurant. (Jeter later voluntarily admitted that the luncheon had taken place.)

What's the reason for this turnaround? My guess is that Jeter realizes that A-Rod isn't going away anytime soon. With that new 10-year deal of A-Rod's, Jeter might end up retiring and leaving the Yankees before A-Rod does. He knows he's stuck with him for the rest of his career. So if you can't beat him, join him.

The Lady

The Alex Rodriguez Ultimatum: Did He or Didn't He?

After all the fallout from Alex Rodriguez's appearance last week on WFAN's "Mike & The Mad Dog," I thought that we'd get a break for at least a couple of weeks from the A-Rod saga. I was wrong. This morning on ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike In The Morning," Mike Greenberg and Buster Olney (subbing for Mike Golic) descended into yet another debate about it. Greeny is of the opinion, as I am, that A-Rod said nothing wrong during the interview. Buster Olney, on the other hand, thinks (as his baseball-writer colleagues do) that A-Rod issued an ultimatum: If the fans boo him in 2007 he will opt out of his contract.

Until I listened to the interview this past weekend, I had just assumed that A-Rod did nothing wrong. After I'd heard it all, I was convinced of it. The entire "ulimatum" thing is probably less than 10 seconds of the 15 minute interview.

To his credit, A-Rod kept his promise and refused to discuss Derek Jeter during the interview. Did the media acknowledge that? Hardly. The following day, Jeter made his own appearance on the show, and though he'd already said last month that he didn't want to discuss A-Rod again for the rest of the year, he didn't hesitate to answer questions about his former best friend, even throwing in a joke about Paul O'Neill in the process. Did the media acknowledge that Jeter was even interviewed? No.

To listen to both of these interviews, go to WFAN, click on Podcasts, and choose Mike & The Mad Dog on the pull-down menu. I think you'll be surprised at what you hear.

As a blogger, I like to consider myself part of the media. However, when the media ignores what I consider to be a more newsworthy item (Jeter's interview) and continues to verbally stalk baseball's best player, I have second thoughts.

The Lady

Derek Jeter: Power Hitter

Years ago I watched a TV sports report about Alex Rodriguez. I remember seeing Derek Jeter in the piece, making a comment about his then best friend: "I envy his power." Jeter was talking about A-Rod's home-run power, of course. He may envy that, but Jeter has power of his own. I'm not talking about his clutch performance on the field or his leadership as Yankee Captain, although these have contributed to it. I'm talking about the power to prevent being challenged.

Whenever the Jeter & A-Rod Saga rears its ugly head, the members of the media ask the same question, to each other and to themselves:

"Jeter publicly supported both Chuck Knoblauch and Jason Giambi when each was going through his problems and being booed by the fans. Why doesn't he do it for A-Rod?"

We've all read the quotes and seen the clips of Jeter saying that he can't tell the fans what to do in regards to A-Rod. However, we haven't heard this question from the media:

"You did it for Chuck Knoblauch and Jason Giambi. Why is it so different for A-Rod?"

We don't hear the media challenging Jeter by asking this question:

"Shouldn't you be the Captain to all your teammates, not just to the ones you pick and choose?"

Now, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Jeter has been asked these questions and I was just under a rock at the time. However, I don't think so. I hear the media asking these questions out loud on the air and I see them in print. Each time I see/hear them, I ask myself, Did you ask Jeter these questions?

What are they all afraid of? That the Yankees will have them barred from the Yankee Clubhouse? That they'll be fired (if they work for the Yes Network)? Possibly. Just this week Yankee Announcer Michael Kay said on his radio show that Chad Curtis' career with the Yankees ended because he publicly admonished Jeter for not joining a Yankees-Mariners brawl, choosing instead to stand off to the side with A-Rod, where the two of them laughed at the goings-on.

I know that when you've accomplished as much as Derek Jeter has you earn the right not to be challenged by the media. It just bothers me to think that the media might be backing down from challenging him out of fear. If it's true, it's not their fault, I guess. I couldn't blame them for wanting to avoid the unemployment lines. What I can blame them for, though, is even bothering to talk and write about these things at all if they can't follow-up by contacting Jeter. Don't whet my appetite if you can't feed me. It's just not fair.

The Lady