"I've enjoyed getting to know him" - When Yankees icon Derek Jeter opened up on overcoming iconic rivalry to befriend David Ortiz

For years, Derek Jeter and David Ortiz were synonymous with baseball’s most heated rivalry. Derek Jeter, the captain of the New York Yankees, and David Ortiz, the slugger of the Boston Red Sox, were constantly battling for AL East supremacy.

Eventually, times changed. In a surprising turn of events, Jeter and Ortiz found themselves sharing a booth, not on the field but in the broadcast booth for MLB on Fox. This led to a growing friendship.

In an interview in 2023 with Ben Verlander of FOX, Derek Jeter opened up more about his companionship with Ortiz, aka “Big Papi”.

“I hated David Ortiz. I really did. Nah, I didn't know David well,” Jeter said. "We'd have interaction on the bases, but I really didn't know him well. But his personality is exactly what you see on TV. It's exactly who he is. And I've enjoyed getting to know him a little bit better over the last few months."

Jeter admitted he didn't know Ortiz well. Back in their playing time, their sole emphasis was on the game, not on making friendships. They were both courteous to one another, and their interactions were limited to the game.

But, as they got to know each other more, their friendship blossomed. Ortiz was cordial to all of the players, and Jeter believes that this is why he is a Hall of Famer.

Both Jeter and Ortiz were phenomenal players at their times. Jeter is a 14-time All-Star and was a World Series champion five times, whereas Ortiz is a 10-time All-Star and a three-time World Series champion.

David Ortiz also used to hate Derek Jeter

The retired Red Sox slugger had also admitted during an interview in 2023 that he used to hate the Yankees stars, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. According to Ortiz, the intensity of the game made him hate his opponents.

“We all have some good days [when] we played, but now our job is basically, pass the torch on. And I know these guys forever, so we used to hate each other, but now we're family.” said Ortiz in 2023 as per PEOPLE.

But now times have changed. Now, as analysts on MLB on Fox, they've become friends.