Is it fair to compare Derek Jeter to Alex Rodriguez? Considering they both started their careers playing the same position at the same time, it wasn't very difficult for sportswriters and fans alike to create unnecessary parallels between the two. A-Rod's record-breaking power and Jeter's early championships continued to fuel the conversation for years. They're both enormously talented, with unique strengths. Nomar Garciaparra was another talented shortstop who burned out and became an injury-riddled joke that was passed back and forth between non-competitors and the Cubs. The longevity and continued health of Jeter and Rodriguez set them in a class of their own.
On February 15, 2004, the Yankees aquired Alex in a trade with the Texas Rangers. The highest paid player in Major League Baseball would move to 3rd Base. The two longtime friends would become teammates, and championship-banners would again hang from Yankee Stadium. That.... did not happen.
What has happened since could not have been predicted by anyone: The Red Sox have won two World Series Titles, Joe Torre has left the Yankees in disgrace, and the Yanks signed Randy Johnson, Kevin Brown, Jaret Wright, Carl Pavano, each one worse than the last. The only smart prediction would have been the offensive production of Rodriguez. He has won two American League Most Valuable Player awards in pinstripes. And there is not a more hated player in all of baseball (Even before his steroid admission).
New York fans and media have not embraced him in the least. Everything Alex does is intensely scrutinized and second-guessed (and Jeter is still the undisputed King of New York). He emulates Jeter, usually in interesting and frightening ways.
It makes sense, Jeter has been successful in the postseason, and is beloved by fans, something A-Rod couldn't possibly know. The two future Hall-Of-Famers will surely finish their careers in pinstripes. Jeters legend status, and Rodriguez's enormous paycheck make that certain. Who knows what the future holds for the revamped '09 Yankees? Are World Series Championships on the horizon?
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