Alex Rodriguez and Doug Mientkewicz spent just one 12 months as teammates within the main leagues, so it might make sense they’d not have one of the best relationship ever.
However, that was not their solely time as teammates – the 2 performed each baseball and soccer collectively at Westminster Christian School exterior of Miami.
However, regardless of understanding one another since childhood, Mientkewicz unloaded on his former teammate, a three-time MVP and World Series champion with Hall of Fame numbers.
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Doug Mientkiewicz, #11, and Alex Rodriguez, #13 of the New York Yankees, stroll on the sphere earlier than the sport in opposition to the Texas Rangers on May 8, 2007 at Yankee Stadium within the Bronx borough of New York City. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
“I’ve always said this, he’s going to die a lonely man,” Mientkiewicz mentioned on “Foul Territory.” “This whole ‘father of the year’ stuff, God bless him with his daughters, because it’s got to come a long way. But it’s like, ‘You’re just trying to get into heaven now.’ I’m still friends with my high school team. We still text often, not as often as we should, but we still text, group thread, constantly badgering each other. He’s just distanced from it. I don’t care how good or how great you become and how far your career goes, you never forget your high school dudes.”
New York Yankees Alex Rodriguez, #13, and Doug Mientkiewicz, #11, upset of their dugout throughout Game 1 in opposition to the Cleveland Indians in Cleveland Oct. 4, 2007. (Heinz Kluetmeier/Sports Illustrated through Getty Images)
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Mientkewicz mentioned that Rodriguez lately attended a celebration for his or her previous highschool coach to have a good time “his 3 millionth win,” however Rodriguez was “in his [Minnesota] Timberwolves shirt sleeping in a chair.”
The pair teamed up within the majors with the 2007 New York Yankees, however Mientkewicz recalled a time when catcher Jorge Posada informed him the Yankees ought to have acquired him lengthy prior, as a result of he would put Rodriguez in examine.
“He’s like ‘Alex is completely different around you.’ And I’m like ‘it’s on you guys. You guys let him get away with this s— …,'” he mentioned. “He’d make a kid carry his glove and his belt … and I’m like, ‘what the f—? You can’t carry your own belt? What’s wrong with you? Put it on. Everyone here is making $30 million, too.'”
Rodriguez, although, didn’t return the favor.
“That was actually strange, because I always considered Doug a friend,” Rodriguez informed USA Today. “I was shocked and surprised. My daughters sent me the articles, my mom, my brother, all people that really like Doug. I was really close with his mom and dad.
New York Yankees Alex Rodriguez running to third base in a regular season game against the Boston Red Sox played at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York. Red Sox defeated the Yankees 11 – 4 on April 27, 2007. (Bryan Yablonsky/Getty Images)
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“One factor I’ll by no means do is communicate poorly about any of my teammates, particularly one in all my highschool teammates, so I want him nicely.”
Rodriguez received the AL MVP Award the one 12 months they had been teammates when he led the majors with 54 house runs, 156 RBI, and a 1.067 OPS whereas hitting .314. However, these Yanks had been bounced within the American League Division Series by Cleveland in 4 video games.
Mientkewicz was a part of the 2004 Red Sox that got here again from 3-0 down in opposition to the Yanks within the American League Championship Series and finally went on the break the Curse of the Bambino by profitable Boston’s first World Series in 86 years.