Alex Rodriguez claims his days of taking himself too seriously are behind him. This is a new A-Rod. Maybe.
Rodriguez spoke with reporters for nearly an hour yesterday, seeming at ease during a time his personal life is under intense scrutiny as he goes through a public divorce from his wife Cynthia.
But he also showed signs of the old, insecure A-Rod when the topic of Derek Jeter, a lifelong Yankee fan playing an All-Star Game at the Stadium, arose.
“[Jeter] was a Yankee fan, I was a Mets fan – that’s why everyone hates me,” Rodriguez quipped.
Moments later, Rodriguez again couldn’t help but thrust himself into a comparison with Jeter, when somebody asked what makes the Yankee captain so special.
“I wish I was as good as him at dealing with [the media],” Rodriguez said. “But it’s more entertaining.”
Rodriguez, an All-Star for the 12th straight season, said this will be his most gratifying appearance in the Midsummer Classic, because of the venue.
After learning he would be the cleanup hitter, Rodriguez said he had to give AL manager Terry Francona a hug.
Nevertheless, Rodriguez said he doesn’t belong in the same spotlight as Jeter or Mariano Rivera as the Yankee representatives.
“I’ve only been here for five years and I don’t have any championships,” Rodriguez said. “When you look at the perfect career, I would have to say Derek Jeter is right there and Mariano is right there.”
Rodriguez cited a question that was asked about his personal life as evidence he’s a changed man. Asked about his relationship with Madonna, Rodriguez avoided directly answering, but discussed the double-edged sword of being a sports celebrity. The old A-Rod, he says, would have handled it differently.
“[Last year] I probably would have been here three or four hours trying to explain my personal life and kind of made an ass out of myself,” Rodriguez said.
“You have to take the good and the bad and not take yourself too seriously. That’s one of the things that over the first four years here I kept knocking myself over the head and trying to explain myself.”