When Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez speak, Yankees fans listen.
They remain two of the most significant players in Yankees history and were cornerstones of the franchise’s last World Series championship in 2009.
That’s why it made waves over the weekend when Jeter and A-Rod shared critical analysis of the present-day Yankees.
“They make way too many mistakes,” Jeter, now an MLB analyst on FOX, said Saturday during the network’s coverage of the Speedway Classic in Bristol, Tenn.
“Way too many mistakes, and you can’t get away with making that number of mistakes against great teams. It just doesn’t happen.”
Jeter’s comment came hours after Jazz Chisholm Jr. was doubled off of first base on a pop-up to the second baseman in Saturday’s 2-0 loss to the Miami Marlins.
That miscue occurred three days after Austin Wells left second base following the second out of the ninth inning in Wednesday’s 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, thinking there were three outs.
“Where’s the accountability?” Rodriguez, also a FOX analyst, said during the same segment. “If any one of us made a mistake, we would be sitting our butt right on the bench. I see mistake [after] mistake, and there’s no consequences.”
Asked before Sunday’s game in Miami about the former Yankees’ remarks, manager Aaron Boone disagreed with Rodriguez’s take on a lack of accountability.
“Look, we’re the Yankees,” Boone said, according to MLB.com. “When we lose games, if it’s in and around a mistake, that criticism is fair game. At the end of the day, we have all the pieces to be a really good team. That’s on me and all of us to get the most out of that.”
After Chisholm’s gaffe, Boone was seen going into the tunnel with the infielder. The YES Network cameras also showed Boone having an animated conversation with first base coach Travis Chapman in the dugout.
Boone later said Chisholm suspected Marlins second baseman Xavier Edwards was going to let the pop-up fall, then take the force out at second to get the speedy Chisholm off the bases and allow Paul Goldschmidt to reach first. Chisholm said he would not have done anything differently.
Sunday’s 7-3 to the Marlins capped a three-game sweep in Miami. Entering Monday, the Yankees had lost 27 of their last 45 games and fallen into third place in the American League East.
“We’re focused every day on being the best we can be,” Boone said before Sunday’s game. “That’s how we have to do it. But I understand when it doesn’t happen, or we don’t have the record that I think we should have, or certainly people think we should have — that comes with the territory.”
