Before Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks agreed to go through with signing Derek Jeter for the network’s top MLB pregame show, he reached out to Jeter’s longtime frenemy and Fox Sports analyst Alex Rodriguez to get the green light, The Post has learned.
A-Rod gave Jeter the thumbs up and now Rodriguez will be teammates again with Jeter on the Fox Sports pregame this season with David Ortiz and host Kevin Burkhardt.
“Why wouldn’t we reach out?” Fox Sports spokesman Andrew Fegyveresi said.
Derek Jeter will be an MLB analyst for Fox.Fox SportsFox Sports
Given the rocky history between Rodriguez and Jeter, it makes sense.
Jeter has often downplayed the up-and-down relationship, but then went into more detail about it during his seven-part ESPN documentary, “The Captain.”
A-Rod also was open about it during the doc.
As young players, A-Rod and Jeter would sleep at each other’s homes when the Yankees and Mariners were in the same town, but after Rodriguez took his infamous Esquire shot at Jeter in 2001, the friendship was put on hold.
“Jeter’s been blessed with great talent around him,” Rodriguez told the magazine at the time. “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.”
Three years later, the Yankees dealt for Rodriguez, moving him from short to third in deference to Jeter.
Alex Rodriguez working the World Baseball Classic for Fox.Getty ImagesAs teammates with the Yankees after A-Rod’s 2004 trade from the Rangers, the relationship was rocky.
While the two — both in their late-40s now — have seemingly made amends, Jeter still ribs A-Rod at every opportunity.
Now, thanks to Rodriguez, the Captain will be able to do it on national TV.
Derek Jeter will be joining the Fox team this season.Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post Jeter is scheduled to start in June during the Saturday game of the London series and then appear on Fox’s marquee events, including the All-Star game and World Series.
