"I wish we were as close as we were when we were teenagers in Seattle" - Alex Rodriguez regrets relationship with Derek Jeter turning sour, wishes things were better between them

On Sunday, former New York Yankees legend Alex Rodriguez revealed on ESPN's "Kay-Rod Cast" that he regrets his relationship with Derek Jeter went downhill. The moment the clip of the podcast aired, his statement made headlines. Alex made this confession in the presence of Derek Jeter, who was a guest on the show.

Rodriguez and Jeter have known each other since their pre-MLB era. From college baseball to minor leagues to the MLB, their journey is full of iconic stories. Rodriguez made his MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners in 1994, and Jeter in 1995 with the Yankees. Both men rose to fame and gained legendary status. Their friendship was the talk of the town.

"Today in 1997, the cover of Sports Illustrated featuring Derek Jeter & Alex Rodriguez." - TodayInSports Co

However, things went south when Alex chose to make a notorious statement about Derek in 2001 in an interview with "Esquire" magazine. Rodriguez made the blunder of repeating his behavior in another interview with Dan Patrick on an ESPN radio show. It was the last nail in the coffin and caused irreparable damage to their friendship.

"Derek Jeter Reveals Where He and Alex Rodriguez Really Stand After Years-Long Feud Rumors." - E! News

When Alex chose to make a statement addressing his mistakes 21 years later, it was sure to make news.

Alex said:

"One of my biggest regrets — and a lot of it is because of my craziness, and all the mistakes I made on and off the field — my biggest regret is, I wish we were as close we were when we were teenagers in Seattle when we played."

Derek Jeter, who is known to be reserved, responded by saying:

"You move on. You learn. Things happen in life,” Jeter said. “[I] lost one of my best friends in Gerald Williams [to cancer in February] and you realize life is short. You don’t hold grudges anymore and you move on."

"Alex Rodriguez opens up about his past beef with former teammate Derek Jeter before talking about life in retirement." - ESPN

Both Alex and Derek's choice of words reflect their wisdom and rationale. It is wonderful how the ex-Yankees decided to put their past behind them and embrace the controversies.

Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez had a good laugh about their "Sports Illustrated" shirtless shortstop cover

New York Yankees v Kansas City Royals

On the "Kay-Rod Cast," co-host Michael Kay displayed the "Sports Illustrated" shirtless shortstop cover from February 1997. It featured Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Alex Gonzalez, Edgar Renteria, and Rey Ordonez.

Seeing their 25-year-old photo, Alex broke into laughter. Derek was embarrassed to see himself shirtless and humorously said:

"This will be my last visit here. Thanks for having me guys."

It was fun to catch the two New York Yankee legends in a candid chat.