On FOX’s postseason desk, the easy banter between Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez masks one of baseball’s most iconic feuds – a cold war that’s finally showing signs of a thaw.

FOX has almost acted like an unexpected couples therapist for them. They are not only sharing a studio but also showing signs that they might be putting the past where it belongs – in the past. Just recently, A-Rod publicly poked fun at one of their most awkward on-field moments – that pop fly disaster against the Baltimore Orioles back in 2006.

In the sixth inning, Jeter had called for a routine pop-up from the shortstop. A-Rod then drifted in from third, both collided, and the ball dropped. A-Rod posted the clip of this hilarious gameplay with a five-word message, “Just let Derek Jeter catch it.”

But his caption was even more hilarious: “You live, and you learn.”

Jeter played along and liked the video A-Rod reposted. This is progress for sure once you know their history. While it seems all smiles now, this was not just some light-hearted Instagram moment – it was a clear olive branch.

But the beginning of Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez was not all bitter. In the 90s, A-Rod idolized Jeter; they played golf together and were seen as a golden duo. Things started to unravel only in 2001, following the infamous comments made by A-Rod.

Rodriguez had mentioned that Jeter “never had to lead” because he was “blessed with great talent around him.”

Given the friendship, Jeter felt blindsided.

“He’s not a true friend… I wouldn’t do it to a friend,” he responded

From there, the distance turned into tension. Later, when A-Rod even got to the Bronx, he was apparently shown the cold shoulder by Jeter. No team dinners, no bonding, and GM Brian Cashman reportedly had to ask Jeter to “fake” friendship to keep the clubhouse calm. Such was their fallout that the Lindor-Soto drift is compared to them!

The lesser-known blowup that deepened the A-Rod-Jeter feud

For all the well-documented drama between A-Rod and Derek Jeter, there is one that somehow slipped through the cracks and mainstream radar, and it might be one of the most explosive ones. Long before their feud had become ESPN documentary material, A-Rod nearly came to blows with broadcaster Dan Patrick. It was all because of a comment about Jeter that was not supposed to go public.

This all came to light when Patrick visited Barstool Sports to discuss the chaos of the moment. Rodriguez made an off-air remark regarding Jeter’s contract, or at least, he thought it was off-air. When the clip went public, things got messy fast.

Patrick mentioned that A-Rod was furious about breaking an off-the-record agreement. So when Patrick invited him for another interview, he thought he would talk things out with Rodriguez. Instead, he walked into the Rangers locker room only to watch A-Rod chat with Mike Lamb while letting him wait for 15 minutes.

And then A-Rod spoke, rather, he unloaded.

According to Patrick, Rodriguez started shouting at him the moment they spoke. The conversation got so heated that Patrick was anticipating a punch at any moment. While the punch didn’t land, the comment on Jeter landed, further straining their relationship.

When Patrick asked A-Rod who might surpass his then-record $252 million contract, Rodriguez answered, “I don’t know who it’s going to be… but it won’t be Derek.”

This comment is not as infamous as the one on Jeter’s leadership, but it played a real role in deepening the rift between the two baseball stars.