"Everybody didn't like Derek Jeter" - Darryl Strawberry opens up about playing with the Yankees legend

Multi-time all-star Darryl Strawberry played a pivotal role in the Yankees' World Series title win in the late 1990s. After starting his career with the cross-borough Mets in 1983, the outfielder made his way to the Bronx in 1995 until he stepped away from the game in 1999. Strawberry won two World Series titles in '96 and '99 as the squad asserted its dominance that was masterminded by the legendary skipper Joe Torre.

On the most recent episode of the All The Smoke podcast hosted by former NBA pros Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Strawberry shared his experience playing at the Bronx, particularly with Yankees captain Derek Jeter.

"Everybody didn't like Derek Jeter," said Strawberry. "[They] wanted to criticize [him]. But he wasn't that good. People used to say things. I used to think to myself, "man, Derek, I don't know how you don't come back and say something back," he added. (1:02:48-1:03:12)

Strawberry was alluding to Jeter's early years for the squad where the latter was being criticized by both fans and teammates due to some mishaps on both offense and defense. The outfielder further expressed his amazement as to how Jeter was able to drown out the noise and keep composure despite playing for arguably the most rabid fanbase in the league.

"He wasn't that [type of] guy. He just let it go and just went out there and played everyday. He became a solid player and became the captain of the Yankees." (1:03:15-1:03:30)

Yankees trounce Orioles in series-opener amid high postseason stakes

The Yankees were victorious in Game 1 of its final regular season series against the Orioles at the Bronx. Giancarlo Stanton carried the offense with two home runs, five runs batted in, and two runs which was supplemented by a consolidated effort from the Yankee bullpen as the squad triumphed, 8-4.

Stanton smashed his 23rd and 24th home runs of the season, both of the two-run variety, against Orioles starter Trevor Rogers who had a rare bad outing. Rogers surrendered six earned runs on three base hits, all of which were home runs, with three walks, and three strikeouts before being pulled after just three innings. For context, Rogers surrendered a total of six runs across six starts in the month of August, making his recent performance an outlier.

With the victory, the Yankees are now tied with the Blue Jays in terms of wins and losses at 92 and 68, respectively. However, the Jays still top the AL East due to the head-to-head record between the two sides so the final two games of the season is of the utmost importance to secure a direct bye to the AL Division Series.