WHAT BORED BASEBALL WRITERS DO...
...in late February when nothing is going on. They gaze deeply into their navels and deconstruct players' remarks, looking for something, anything, to fill up the old column inches. Both the New York Daily News and New York Post are openly campaigning for a feud between Jeter and A-Rod to erupt. So expect to see this kind of stuff being bandied about for awhile. They want to see a replay of Thurman and Reggie; they want Bronx Zoo II.

Jeter is too smart to play the game. Alex might be too stupid and get sucked in.

Yo, A-Rod? You try playing that game and it'll get you killed by these same scummy scribes. Everything you did in Seattle and Texas, all those gaudy numbers, mean absolutely nothing now. You had no pressure in Texas, despite all that "had to carry the team" crap. You carried them to dead last every single season you were there. For all the skills you have, "inspiration" and "leadership" are not on the list.

You have never, ever in your professional career faced the pressures Jeter has faced every single season since his rookie year. You really ought to shut your mouth. These reporters are gonna stroke your ego as hard as they can in the hope of getting you to trust them enough that you'll say something dumb. They'll take the most innocuous comment and inflate it into fighting words. Look at the Post's back page today. Even if you or D.J. don't say anything, they'll hunt down some anonymous "friend" to generate the controversy they want.