[翻譯]A-Rod Agonistes

A-Rod Agonistes
Despite his extraordinary numbers, New York fans are quick to discount his contributions. And when things go wrong for A-Rod, even his teammates find him hard to motivate and harder to understand

By Tom Verducci / Sports Illustrated / September, 2006



"Joe wants to see you."
"Joe在他的辦公室等你。"

Alex Rodriguez still was weak from a throat infection that had confined him to his Seattle hotel room for the New York Yankees' game the previous night -- not to mention forced him to cancel a recording session for his ringtone endorsement deal -- when he walked into the visitors' clubhouse at Safeco Field on Aug. 24 and was told to go to manager Joe Torre's office. Torre asked him to close the door, then motioned to the blue leather couch in the smallish room. "Sit down."
A-Rod仍然因為他的喉嚨發炎而感到身體不適, 這也是讓他前晚留在西雅圖的飯店房間內休息而未幫洋基出賽的原因, 而原先安排好要為電信業者錄製手機鈴聲的計畫也被迫取消, 當他在缺席比賽的隔天(8月24日)踏入Safeco Field的客隊休息室時, 他被告知總教練想要見他, 進入辦公室後, Torre要他把房門關上, 走到了皮沙發旁, 示意要他坐下。

The richest and most talented player in baseball was in trouble. Rodriguez could not hit an average fastball, could not swat home runs in batting practice with any regularity, could not field a ground ball or throw from third base with an uncluttered mind and cooperative feet, could not step to the plate at Yankee Stadium without being booed and could not -- though he seemed unaware of this -- find full support in his own clubhouse.
這個棒球場上收入最高也最有天份的球員, 現在有了大麻煩, 他不但打不到普通的速球, 在打擊練習時也無法將球打出牆外, 無法處理一個再平凡不過的滾地球或是將球從三壘平穩地傳向一壘, 他甚至無法避免在每次踏上洋基球場準備打擊時面對滿場球迷排山倒海而來的噓聲, 更糟糕的是, 他甚至得不到自己球隊的全力支持, 而他似乎尚未體認到這個事實。

For 11 summers Rodriguez had been the master of self-sufficiency, a baseball Narcissus who found pride and comfort gazing upon the reflection of his beautiful statistics. His game, like his appearance, was wrinkle-free. Indeed, in December 2003, when the Red Sox were frantically trying to acquire Rodriguez from the Texas Rangers, several Boston executives called on Rodriguez in his New York hotel suite after 1 a.m. Rodriguez answered the door in a perfectly pressed suit, tie knotted tight to his stiff collar. The Red Sox officials found such polished attire at such a late hour odd, even unsettling.
過去11年間, A-Rod一直都是個獨來獨往且自戀的球員, 因為他完美的數據成績讓他有足夠的理由這樣做, 他的表現就像他的外表一樣毫無瑕疵, 在2003年12月的某個過了凌晨一點的深夜, 當時渴望將A-Rod納入陣中的紅襪隊高階主管們到A-Rod在紐約投宿的飯店房間拜訪他, 當時前來應門的A-Rod身穿著搭配完美的西裝, 對來訪的紅襪主管們來說, 在這樣的深夜身穿這樣正式的服裝實在是有說不出的詭異。

But then Rodriguez has long been the major league equivalent of the prettiest girl in high school who also gets straight A's, which is to say he is viewed with equal parts admiration and resentment. The A-Rod of 2006 was different, though -- unhinged and, in a baseball sense, unkempt. "My seasons have always been so easy," says Rodriguez. "This year hasn't been easy." He adds that his wife, Cynthia, in helping him with his struggles, encouraged him to "turn to the Lord for guidance."
一直以來, A-Rod給人的印象就像是在高中時期全校最漂亮又同時成績優異的女生一般, 讓人又愛又恨, 但是2006年的A-Rod給人截然不同的觀感, 他在棒球場上的表現可說是一團糟, "過去幾個球季實在是太過順利了," A-Rod說道, "但這個球季卻完全不是那麼一回事", 現在他的老婆Cynthia也試著幫助陷入低潮的他, 鼓勵他向宗教尋求心靈上的慰藉。

With the boost of a September surge Rodriguez's final numbers will look, as usual, stellar. (At week's end he was hitting .287, with 33 homers and 114 RBIs.) But even Rodriguez admitted early this month that his statistics can't erase the pain he felt during his three-month slip into a dark abyss, when he lost his confidence, withered under media and fan pressure, and, some teammates believe, worked a little too hard at keeping up appearances -- displaying "a false confidence," New York first baseman Jason Giambi said. The slump (a word Rodriguez refuses to utter) revealed that for all his gifts, A-Rod may never be seen by Yankees traditionalists as worthy of his pinstripes.
由於九月的大量進補, A-Rod本季的最終數據將還是和過去幾個球季一樣耀眼, 但他本人也已經表示即便有著漂亮的數據, 也無法讓他忘懷那為期三個月猶如置身地獄的低潮期, 當時他在媒體和球迷的壓力之下完全失去自信, 甚至部份隊友還認為他之所以表現不佳是因為花了太多心思在自己的外表上, 套一句Jason Giambi的話來說, 企圖塑造出一種"偽裝的自信" , 他所面臨的低潮也讓傳統的洋基支持者認為他對不起身上所穿的條紋球衣。

Yet there's still another chapter to be written in the story of his season. He still, God help him, has October.
但這個糟糕的球季對他而言尚未結束, 還有著殘酷的季後賽考驗等待著他去面對。

Torre had been concerned about Rodriguez and his game for weeks before he called him into his office. Effort hadn't been the issue. If anything, he 31-year-old Rodriguez works too hard, crams too many bits of information into his head. He even studies videotape shot from centerfield cameras to see if he can decode patterns in catchers' signal sequences with a runner on second base.
在把他叫進辦公室之前, Torre已經觀察A-Rod和他的比賽狀態好一陣子了, "不夠勤奮"對A-Rod來說從來都不是一個問題, 如果真有問題存在, 肯定是這位31歲的明星球員過於努力並且試圖在腦袋中塞入過量的資訊, 他甚至還研究中外野攝影機所拍攝到的畫面, 企圖破解捕手在二壘上有跑者時對其隊友打出的暗號。

"I can't help that I'm a bright person," he said last month. "I know that's not a great quote to give, but I can't pretend to play dumb and stupid."
"我就是這麼一個聰明的球員," A-Rod說道, "我知道這句話並不適合從我自己口中說出來, 但我就是無法假裝自己是個笨蛋。"

What bothered Torre most was Rodriguez's seeming obliviousness to how badly he was playing. In June, for instance, hitting coach Don Mattingly ordered Rodriguez into the cage and sternly lectured him on the flaws in his swing, which Mattingly thought A-Rod had been unwilling to address. "An intervention," Mattingly called it. "He got to a pretty good point with [his swing], but it lasted only a few days and he went right back to where he was."
最為困擾著Torre的是, A-Rod似乎沒有意識到自己的表現有多麼糟糕, 舉例來說, 今年六月的某一天, 打擊教練Don Mattingly要求A-Rod進入打擊練習區, 然後嚴厲地指出A-Rod揮棒動作中的瑕疵, 當時他認為A-Rod本人並沒意識到這些問題, 而自己有義務幫他做些調整, "當時他的揮棒動作的確有所改善, 不過這樣的認知和調整只持續了幾天, 他又回到了老樣子。"

In the 80 games the Yankees played from June 1 to Aug. 30 -- almost half a season -- Rodriguez hit .257 with 81 strikeouts while committing 13 errors. Tabloids mocked him. Talk radio used him for kindling. "I haven't seen anything like it since I've been here," said reliever Mariano Rivera, in his 12th year as a Yankee, of the rough treatment.
從6/1日到8/30日的80場比賽中, A-Rod交出了打擊率.257, 81次三振以及13個失誤的成績, 報章雜誌開始嘲笑他, 電台脫口秀拿他當做笑柄, "自從我加入洋基隊以來, 我從來沒看過這樣的情況", 對於媒體大眾拿A-Rod的低潮大作文章, 穿上條紋球衣已經第12年的Mariano Rivera這麼說道。

Torre hit .363 with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1971 and .289 the following season, giving him a deep understanding of the ebb and flow of performance. With veteran players especially he operates like an old fisherman checking the tide charts, believing that the worst of times only means the best is to come. Rodriguez will hit, he thought, and he kept telling his third baseman exactly that.
Torre在1971年效力於聖路易紅雀隊時打擊率高達.363, 但在接下來的球季他僅僅交出打擊率.289的成績, 這也讓他深刻了解到球員的表現總有高低起伏, 對於一些面臨低潮的老將, Torre的做法就像是仔細確認潮汐表的老漁夫一樣, 相信低潮暗示著即將來臨的高潮, A-Rod將會恢復狀態, Torre這麼認為, 而他也一直這麼鼓勵A-Rod。

Torre's trademark placidity ended, though, when Giambi asked to talk to Torre in Seattle. "Skip," Giambi told Torre, "it's time to stop coddling him."
當Giambi向Torre提出關於處理A-Rod低潮的建言時, 一向沉穩的Torre動搖了, "不能再這樣下去了," Giambi這麼向Torre說道, "是時候停止對他(A-Rod)的溺愛了"。

For all the scorn heaped upon Giambi for his ties to the BALCO steroid scandal, he is a strong clubhouse voice because he plays with a passion that stirs teammates and even opponents. This season, for instance, he reprimanded his former Oakland A's teammate, Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada, for occasionally showing up late to games out of frustration over another losing Baltimore season. "You're better than that," he told Tejada. So Giambi's gripe about Rodriguez sounded an alarm with Torre.
當人們因為Giambi的禁藥官司而指責他時, 他仍然是洋基陣中講話最具份量的球員, 因為他對比賽的熱情不只感染了自己的隊友, 甚至還影響了對手, 舉例來說, 他在Miguel Tejada因為球隊本季表現不佳而深感挫折, 甚至因此時常缺席賽前練習時公開對這位他在運動家隊的前隊友喊話, "你的表現不應只是如此", 他這麼對Tejada說, 因此Giambi對A-Rod的擔憂, 對Torre來說不啻是敲響了警鐘。

"What Jason said made me realize that I had to go at it a different way," Torre says. "When the rest of the team starts noticing things, you have to get it fixed. That's my job. I like to give individuals what I believe is the room they need, but when I sense that other people are affected, teamwise, I have to find a solution to it."
"Jason的一番話讓我了解到是時候採取其他方法了," Torre說道, "當隊中其他人都開始意識到問題存在時, 你必須想辦法解決問題, 這也就是我的工作, 一直以來我習慣給球員適當的空間讓他們試著改善問題, 不過當我感覺到其他隊員也受到影響時, 就是我得出面尋求解答的時候了。"

The players' confidence in Rodriguez was eroding as they sensed that he did not understand how much his on-field struggles were hurting the club. Said one Yankees veteran, "It was always about the numbers in [Seattle and Texas] for him. And that doesn't matter here. Winning is all you're judged on here."
當隊友們認為A-Rod並未意識到他在場上的差勁表現已經影響了球隊整體時, 他們對於A-Rod的信心也開始逐漸消逝, 一位洋基陣中的老將如此說道, "對他(A-Rod)而言, 低潮帶來的影響是數據的滑落, 不過個人數據對球隊來說並不是那麼重要, 勝利是我們用來評斷球員的唯一標準"

Before Giambi went to Torre, he had scolded Rodriguez after a 13-5 win in Boston on Aug. 19. Irked that Rodriguez left four runners on base in the first three innings against a shaky Josh Beckett, Giambi thought A-Rod needed to be challenged. "We're all rooting for you and we're behind you 100 percent," Giambi recalls telling Rodriguez, "but you've got to get the big hit."
在向Torre提出建言之前, Giambi在8/19日洋基以13-5擊敗紅襪隊的比賽結束後, 就曾經針對A-Rod在比賽前三局面對狀況不佳的Josh Beckett卻無法對球隊做出貢獻, 甚至還留下四個殘壘的差勁演出當面指責A-Rod, Giambi認為該是有人出面點醒A-Rod的時候了, "我們全都相信你, 我們也都百分之百的支持你," Giambi重述當時對A-Rod所說的話 "現在該是你為球隊做出貢獻的時候了。"

"What do you mean?" was Rodriguez's response, according to Giambi. "I've had five hits in Boston."
"你這是什麼意思?" 在Giambi的印象中, A-Rod是這麼回應的 “我在對上紅襪隊的系列戰中可是打出了五支安打。”

"You f------ call those hits?" Giambi said. "You had two f------ dinkers to rightfield and a ball that bounced over the third baseman! Look at how many pitches you missed! "
"你他媽的稱那做安打？" Giambi這麼回答, “你打了兩支右外野方向的鳥安還有一次內野高彈跳球剛好越過三壘手頭頂 ! 看看你自己錯失了多少進攻機會 ! ”

"When you hit three, four or five [in the order], you have to get the big hits, especially if they're going to walk Bobby [Abreu] and me. I'll help you out until you get going. I'll look to drive in runs when they pitch around me, go after that 3-and-1 pitch that might be a ball. But if they're going to walk Bobby and me, you're going to have to be the guy."
"當你擔任三四五棒時, 你就必須要有一棒擊沉的能力, 尤其是當對方投手試著保送Bobby和我時, 我會一直幫助你直到你找回狀態, 我也會在他們試著閃躲我時想辦法為球隊打下分數, 即使當時球數是一好三壞而對方投手八成會再多投個壞球給我的狀態下, 不過一旦對手選擇保送我和Bobby時, 就是你該挺身而出為球隊做出貢獻的時候了。"

(Asked about Giambi's pep talk, Rodriguez said he could not remember what was discussed, though he added, "I'm sure we had a conversation.")
(向A-Rod求證關於Giambi的精神喊話內容, A-Rod表示他已經記不得對話內容了, 不過他也承認, "我們的確有過一番談話。")

In Seattle, Torre looked at Rodriguez squarely and said, "This is all about honesty. And it's not about anybody else but you. You can't pretend everything is O.K. when it's not. You have to face the reality that you're going through a tough time, and then work from there."
在西雅圖, Torre用堅定的眼神看著A-Rod說, "真正重要的是你是否對自己誠實, 別人怎麼看你並不重要, 當事情不對勁時你不能只是假裝一切如常, 你必須接受你正處於低潮的事實, 然後試著克服它。"

It was as close to a tongue-lashing as the low-key Torre ever gets. When the manager comes down on a player, he will mix in the occasional profanity, but his voice remains even and there are no threats. Here his hammer was in the rebuke that Rodriguez's unwillingness to address his slump head-on was letting himself and the team down. Torre told him he needed to show some fight, some anger even, rather than continuing to act as if he were doing just fine.
對一向作風低調的Torre來說, 這樣一番話的嚴厲程度已經算是相當嚴重了, 每當Torre斥責球員時, 縱使他的用詞會稍微嚴厲些, 但他的語調還是一如往常的平靜, 不帶威脅性, 而這次Torre試圖讓A-Rod了解, 他不願正視自己身處低潮的態度, 已經對他本人及球隊造成了傷害, Torre要他展現出面對低潮的決心, 甚至以憤怒作為表達決心的形式, 都好過試圖粉飾太平的態度。

Rodriguez maintained eye contact while Torre spoke and nodded repeatedly. His only sign of discomfort was that he kept twirling his wedding ring around his finger. When Torre was done, he asked A-Rod if he understood what he had just told him. "Yes, 100 percent," Rodriguez said firmly.
在兩人談話過程中, A-Rod保持和Torre的眼神接觸並且不斷地點頭, 唯一看得出來他還是有點不太自在的線索, 就是他不斷地轉動著自己手指上的婚戒, 當訓話告一段落時, Torre問A-Rod是否完全了解他所說的話用意何在, "當然, 我完全了解," A-Rod給了相當肯定的回答。

Earlier this month, in recalling the meeting with Torre, Rodriguez said, "Oh, he was real tough. That was the toughest he's been on me."
本月稍早, 當記者問到A-Rod關於該次談話的內容時, A-Rod回答, "恩…那的確是次相當嚴厲的訓話, 他從來沒對我說過這麼重的話。"

On the night of the meeting Rodriguez struck out as a pinch hitter to end the game. He whacked the dugout railing with his bat, walked up the runway and into the clubhouse, and picked up a folding chair and threw it.
兩人談話的當晚, A-Rod以代打身分上場打擊遭到三振而結束了該場比賽, 離開打擊區後, A-Rod用球棒重擊了休息區的欄杆, 並且在走回休息室的路上隨手拿起一旁的折椅, 狠狠地將其摔向遠方。

Two days and seven more embarrassing strikeouts later, it seemed as if the meeting with Torre had never happened. It was late afternoon at Angel Stadium of Anaheim, so late that the concession and maintenance workers were long gone as Rodriguez walked through the empty labyrinth of service tunnels from the clubhouse to a rightfield parking lot. "It's not a big deal," he said. "It's only two games. Back in 1999 I was 5 for 81 [actually 6 for 62] and got an 0-and-2 fastball from Esteban Yan over my head and hit it out, and I was fine. This is nothing like that. It's only two games."
談話過後的兩場比賽, A-Rod共計被三振了七次, 看起來就像那場對話從來沒發生過一樣, 某個下午在天使隊球場, 比賽已經結束許久, 甚至連負責球場養護的工作人員都早已離開球場, 而A-Rod正試圖從休息室經由迷宮般的通道到達右外野方向的停車場, "這並沒有什麼大不了的," A-Rod說道, "這不過是兩場比賽罷了, 還記得1999年時我曾經歷經81個打數只擊出5支安打(事實上是62個打數擊出6支安打) 的低潮, 最終我還是克服它了, 最近的比賽比起當時的狀況來說實在不算什麼, 就不過是兩場比賽罷了。"

It was classic A-Rod: the instant recall of his numbers, the whistling past the graveyard of a slump that was much deeper than two days. He has already hit into more double plays than ever before, and he most likely will exceed his career highs in strikeouts and errors. Rodriguez also hadn't come to terms with his teammates' sense that he wasn't doing enough to shake things up. Torre and his coaches, for instance, lingered late in the Angel Stadium clubhouse on the previous night trying to decide what to do about Rodriguez. Some wanted him dropped in the lineup. Torre came down on the side of moving him up to second in the order.
這就是最典型的A-Rod式反應: 馬上引用自己過去的紀錄, 證明比起之前那地獄般的低潮來說, 兩場比賽的數字真的無法說明些什麼, 不過他今年球季打出的雙殺打已經創下生涯新高, 他的三振和失誤次數看來也將打破其生涯紀錄, 但他卻尚未如隊友預期般地作出決心克服低潮的努力, 就在前一天晚上, 洋基的教練團還在天使球場中待到深夜, 試圖決定該如何處置A-Rod, 其中有些人認為應該把A-Rod暫時放到板凳上, 但Torre最終決定先將他的打序調整到第二棒。

Despite taking 45 minutes of batting practice after the game that day, Rodriguez continued to flail away, in the midst of what would be a 2-for-20 stretch with 14 strikeouts. Like a blindfolded kid hacking at a piñata, he missed the baseball 19 of the 36 times he swung the bat.
儘管在賽後花了45分鐘進行打擊練習, A-Rod的表現還是沒有起色, 那段時間他在20個打數中僅擊出2支安打, 被三振了14次, 他在打擊區的表現就像是個盲劍客一般, 36次的揮擊中有19次揮棒落空

Said centerfielder Johnny Damon during that West Coast trip, "His swing is so mechanical. He's too good to be swinging like that. Just let it flow. See the ball and react to it. And sometimes you need to do whatever you can, especially with two strikes or with runners on, to get the job done. He's not doing that."
在洋基遠征西岸的客場作戰期間, 中外野手Johnny Damon曾經說道, “他現在的揮棒動作實在太過機械化了, 他的能力不應該只是如此, 他所該做的, 就是順從自己的直覺, 看到球就本能地作出反應, 此外, 作為一個球員, 有些任務你就是得盡一切努力去完成, 特別是當你球數落後或是有隊友在壘包上時更是如此, 而目前的他並無法做到這一點。 "

"He's guessing," Giambi said, "and he's doing a bad job of it, which is inevitable when you guess as often as he guesses. He's squeezing the f------ sawdust out of the bat."
"他根本是在猜球," Giambi說道, "而且他連猜都猜不準, 當一個球員像他一樣都只是靠盲目的猜測來打球時, 你根本無法期待他能把球打好, 他所做的不過就是試著把球棒上的灰塵甩掉罷了。"

Said another teammate, "I think he ought to get his eyes checked. I'm not kidding. I don't think he's seeing the ball."
另一位隊友說道, "我想他需要去做個視力檢查, 這可不是在開玩笑, 我認為他現在似乎連看到球都有困難。"

And another: "I honestly think he might be afraid of the ball."
還有隊友這麼說, "說老實話, 我覺得他可能對球有恐懼感。"

Every clubhouse has a unique current, like that of a river, with a temperature and a pace that can be felt only by wading into it. The A's, taking their cue from general manager Billy Beane's shorts and flip-flops, play as if it's Friday happy hour. The Atlanta Braves, eschewing the clubhouse stereo, have a self-assured, nine-to-five approach. The Yankees, the last baseball bastion in which beards and individualism are verboten, foster a Prussian efficiency.
每個球隊都有其與眾不同的氣氛, 只有當你置身其中才能真正感受到, 以運動家隊為例, 他們的風格就像總是身穿短褲及夾腳拖鞋的總經理Billy Beane一樣, 如同置身週五happy hour般; 至於勇士隊, 則是和傳統球隊的典型大異其趣, 有著其自訂的準則, 以及猶如標準上班族般地管理方式; 而洋基隊, 則是藉由禁止球員蓄鬍及反對個人主義, 建立了一支有著德國人般效率的球隊。

The old guard with connections to New York's four championship seasons from 1996 to 2000 -- Torre, Rivera, shortstop Derek Jeter, catcher Jorge Posada and outfielder Bernie Williams -- almost never talks about individual numbers because stats are incidental to the team's mission: winning the World Series. Those title teams talked about "passing the baton" -- taking a walk or moving a runner over out of confidence in and respect for the next hitter. Reliance on one another is what mattered. That is still the covenant of the Yankees, though perhaps not as sublimely executed.
幾個曾經經歷1996-2000年間四個冠軍球季的洋基成員 – Torre, Rivera, Jeter, Posada和Bernie Williams – 幾乎從來不曾談論過個人的數據表現 , 因為對洋基來說, 球隊的唯一目標就是獲得世界大賽冠軍, 其他都不值一提, 這種冠軍球隊真正在意的是每個球員如何有效地讓球隊的攻勢延續下去, 想辦法讓自己上壘或是幫助壘上的隊友推進, 然後信賴下一棒的隊友也將會對球隊做出一樣的貢獻, 這才是洋基作為一個球隊所真正重視的, 儘管有時並沒有被確實執行, 但這始終是洋基不變的信念。

One day last month, wading into that current, I asked Rodriguez whom he has relied on most during his difficult summer. He first mentioned Cynthia.
上個月的某天, 我問A-Rod當他在今年夏天面臨低潮時, 誰是他最依賴的人, 他第一個提到的名字是他的老婆Cynthia。

But to whom has he turned on this Yankees team?
在洋基陣中有這樣的人嗎 ?

He looked down and thought in silence. Ten seconds passed.
他看了看地面, 沉思了一會兒。

Finally he said, "Rob Thomson." Thomson is the team's special-assignment coach who throws batting practice.
十秒鐘過去後, 他總算開了口"Rob Thomson," Thomson是洋基的特別任務教練, 負責在打擊練習時做餵球的工作。

"And Mo. Mariano is the best. Those three."
"還有Mo, 他是最棒的, 我想就這三個人吧。"

And that was it.
就這樣

As the conscience and soul of the team, Rivera is everyone's touchstone. When asked if he had counseled Rodriguez this summer, Rivera said, "He has my support, [but] he has to figure it out on his own. Sometimes you try so hard to do things so right that you do them all wrong. It's like moving in quicksand. The more you move, the more you sink."
作為球隊的良知和靈魂, Rivera是所有人的試金石, 當被問到在今年夏天他是否曾經輔導過A-Rod, Rivera答道"我全力支持他, 不過有些問題他還是得自己想辦法克服, 有時我們太過努力地想要把事情做對, 但結果卻是大錯特錯, 就像被困在流沙中時, 你越是移動, 只會越陷越深。"

As revered as Rivera is, though, no one is more important to the Yankees' clubhouse culture than the captain, the 32-year-old Jeter. As younger players Rodriguez and Jeter enjoyed a close friendship, often staying with each other when the Yankees faced the Mariners. But they have had little personal connection since 2001, when Rodriguez referred to Jeter as a number-two hitter in an Esquire story, code for a complementary player. Giambi referred last month to "the heat that exists between them."
32歲且和Rivera一樣備受尊重的隊長Jeter, 無疑是洋基陣中最重要的人物, 他和A-Rod曾經是相當親密的朋友, 每當洋基和水手對戰時, 他們總是習慣到對方家裡作客, 不過兩人的友情在2001年時幾乎畫下終點, 當時A-Rod在接受Esquire雜誌專訪時提及Jeter是所謂的二號打者, 那是被用以稱呼候補選手的術語, 上個月的訪問中Giambi提到, "這兩人的關係相當緊張。"

Jeter, who publicly supported Giambi when he was being blasted for his BALCO involvement, has refused to throw any life preservers to Rodriguez this summer. I asked Jeter why he hasn't told the critics to ease up on A-Rod. "My job as a player is not to tell the fans what to do," he said. "My job is not to tell the media what to write about. They're going to do what they want. They should just let it go. How many times can you ask the same questions?"
在Giambi身陷禁藥醜聞時公開對其表達大力支持的Jeter , 在今年夏天卻拒絕對A-Rod伸出援手, 我問Jeter為何不試著出面緩頰, "作為一個球員, 告訴球迷該如何做並非我的職責," Jeter答道, "告訴新聞媒體該報導些什麼也非我份內工作, 他們將會決定自己該做些什麼, 我想他們不應該再窮追猛打了, 總不能一直繞著同樣的話題打轉吧 ?"


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