Inside the Dugout with A-Rod and Jeter

posted 11.9.09

When you trounce the Phillies and ace the World Series, it doesn’t matter if it’s your first win or your 27th; it’s still awesome. This past Wednesday, the Yankees proved that a) they rule MLB, and b) they’re still essentially little boys playing a game they love. (Did you see them storm the mound and hug each other and smile like it was their job? Because… Adorable.) And talk about esprit de corps; these teammates have become so synced with each other that they’re practically telepathic. Just look at Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. Although the two superstars have some long-standing friction and completely polar personalities, their connection is undeniable.

This week, A-Rod and Jeter took their post-win partying to NYC’s trendy 1OAK. Sure, leading ladies Kate Hudson and Minka Kelly were in tow, and sure, there were plenty of smiles… But the ties that bind have loosened a lot for the former blood brothers ever since the 2001 Esquire article where A-Rod blabbed that, “Jeter’s been blessed with great talent around him… he’s never had to lead.” (Yikes.)

Moonit decided to go into the dugout to find out what’s really going on with these heavy hitters. According to Moonit’s friendship analysis, A-Rod’s personality is, “team captain or star of the show. His friend, on the other hand, is the steady he can’t do without, and the one who always backs him up with the strong support and positive affirmations he needs.”

Given A-Rod’s gloryhound antics–when you immortalize yourself in centaur paintings, “humble” goes right out the window–Moonit’s assessment appears to be spot on. Jeter, on the other hand, could not be more of a low-key yin to A-Rod’s egomaniacal yang. After passing Lou Gehrig on the Yank’s all-time hits list, Derek’s dad had to remind him that he should take a second to enjoy his accomplishments: “Derek’s always taking it one game at a time and is all about the team win instead of the personal glory.”

Moonit’s analysis of the pinstripers goes on to say that, “since they have lots in common and are incredibly attuned to each other’s needs, they don’t have to waste a whole lot of breath explaining their point of view; odds are, they already know without either of them having to say a word.” Before playing for the same team, A-Rod himself has said that he and Jeter, “share a lot of the same interests. We have a lot of similarities, both being shortstops in the league.” Unfortunately, those similarities had them going head-to-head when A-Rod joined the Yankees and Derek insisted on staying in shortstop, thus forcing A-Rod to play third. Despite not being as close as they once were, Moonit reveals that these two still, “make an unbeatable team.” (Well…a good enough team to win the World Series, at least.)