Alex Rodriguez: How A-Rod Tried to Rain on Derek Jeter's Parade Yet Again

July 9, 2011 was one of the most magical days in Yankees history.

Derek Jeter became the first man to cross the 3,000-hit plateau in Yankees pinstripes. He did only as the Yankee captain could—with a home run to left field to mark career hit No. 3,000. He also went 5-for-5 from the plate with a stolen base in a victory over division rivals Tampa Bay.

After the spectacle, co-superstar Alex Rodriguez had great things to stay. I’m sure he meant his words, but I’m also sure the eccentric media darling was going to quickly steal the captain’s headlines and rain on his parade yet again.

Think A-Rod wishes everyone was saying these incredible words about him?

He wants to be the one people say represents New York City.

He wants to be the symbolic Yankees figure.

He wants to be the hero and the one man everyone celebrates at the end of the big game.

July 10, 2011 marks another important date in the storied Rodriguez-Jeter saga. A-Rod couldn’t even give the Yankees legend a full weekend to marinate with his feat. I question if it was even a full 24-hours before A-Rod made his surgery announcement.

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“New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez has elected to undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair a slight meniscus tear in his right knee, a team spokesman confirmed Sunday.

He is expected to miss four to six weeks.

Rodriguez met with Dr. Lee Kaplan in Miami on Sunday, and Kaplan recommended that Rodriguez go under the knife. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Kaplan at the University of Miami on Monday,” according to Ian Begley and Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com.

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Sorry, I have a difficult time believing A-Rod was giving me a heads up to replace him in on my fantasy roster in my weekly league.

Why the man, and the organization, couldn’t wait until tomorrow is beyond me. Did A-Rod not want to upstage the Home Run Derby? Please.

He should be embarrassed for trying to steal this weekend from Jeter. We all know A-Rod thrives on the attention and wants all of the cameras on him. He cannot go too long without making a headline one way or another.  

He’s definitely still bitter about having to give way to Jeter at short stop when he came to New York. He’s still jealous that Jeter is the face of baseball and will always be one notch ahead of him. He may be one of my all-time personal favorites, but it is far too easy to see through A-Rod’s actions.

A-Rod will surely connect on his career hit No. 3,000 in Yankee pinstripes, but he won’t be as celebrated despite his natural abilities.

Even worse, he knows it will be impossible to do so with a home run. That was supposed to be his moment to upstage Jeter when the time came.

A-Rod is the home run slugger, not Jeter. Yet in the big moment, Jeter always puts an exclamation point at the end of his historic statements.

How can A-Rod possibly top that? A Grand Slam? Only in the man’s dreams.

Rodriguez is a sly man. He knows this. He knew it when the bat connected. He apparently told C.C. in the dugout that he might knock it out of the park for his 3,000th hit. Of course you did, A-Rod, because you know that’s what Jeter would do and something you would dream of doing.

The Yankees desperately need A-Rod if they want to win the World Series. It’s a given. He can hang his hat on that. It would be nice, though, if he put his jealousy aside to give way to the Yankee captain on this magical and memorable weekend.

All it took was one day, A-Rod. One day and you would’ve been in the clear.

Fortunately, Jeter will always shine through your hovering grey cloud.