Alex Rodriguez spoke at the Fanatics ’27 Rings’ panel, joined by fellow Yankees including Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, and renown film director Spike Lee.
At this panel, the conversation circled to the now-deceased George Steinbrenner, who was the owner of the New York Yankees during their dynastic years in the 1990s.
While Rodriguez, a three-time MVP, was not part of those teams, he did win a title with the Core Four in 2009 as he broke through his playoff troubles to get the team over the hump.
While his time in the Bronx had been mired in controversy, the star third baseman spoke glowingly on his time in New York:
“I am so thankful for the boss, in 2004 he made my dream come true. It was the privilege of my life to wear the pinstripes”
From 2004-2016, Rodriguez won two MVPs and was a catalyst for their most recent World Series title in 2009.
Alex Rodriguez Raves About 2009, Yankees Tenure, and Teammates
With over 3,000 hits and 696 home runs throughout his illustrious career, Alex Rodriguez may not cherish anything more than his 2009 World Series Championship.
The long-time third baseman had been a pivotal part of the Yankees’ offense in the 21st Century, and in this panel at Fanatics Fest, he was alongside many of his legendary teammates on that squad.
Members of the Core 4 were able to speak on their favorite championship with the Yankees, with Rodriguez pointing out humorously that unlike the others, he has just 2009 to choose as his favorite, but emphasized how special of a season it truly was.
“Winning a championship in New York City, there’s nothing like it…in 2009 we were diverse in thought and from all over the world, but we were all focused on one goal.”
Rodriguez spoke about how the boss, George Steinbrenner, brought out the best in the players in that clubhouse, creating a culture centered around winning it all.
While the star slugger only has one title to name his favorite, Andy Pettitte seconded the opinion that 2009 was his favorite despite the special place that 1996 has in his heart as his first World Series title.
Alex Rodriguez truly cherished both the owner and man that George Steinbrenner was; while the superstar has been in the headlines for some truly questionable things such as PED usage or a potential conflict with Derek Jeter, the times have seemed to heal wounds.
Fans received the once universally-hated slugger well, and the third base/shortstop duo seemed to be friendly in this interaction, a panel that delved into a lot of what formed that run from 1996-2009 where the Yankees won five World Series Championships.
Specifically with the 1996-2000 run, we haven’t seen a team mimic the consistent dominance that the Yankees had afterwards, with the San Francisco Giants winning three rings from 2010-2014.
They fell short by one ring in their five-year run, and they missed the postseason altogether in two of those five seasons.
Times have changed; Alex Rodriguez has become beloved among Yankees’ fans with that 2009 World Series title holding a special place in the hearts of New Yorkers, and his triumph after years of failure in October is perhaps his greatest accomplishment as an athlete.
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