Derek Jeter has moved on and he certainly hopes the Yankees have as well. The Alex Rodriguez suspension and lawsuit have been the headlines surrounding New York this offseason and now the team captain is hoping everyone is properly focused as spring training begins.
Jeter told ESPN.com that the Yankees must move forward from Rodriguez after he accepted his suspension for the entire 2014 baseball season. The third baseman had been in a battle with Major League Baseball over the extent of his suspension. He had filed a pair of lawsuits to fight his ban after the Biogenesis scandal. However, Rodriguez dropped the lawsuits and will accept his 211-game badn.
"He's not here for this season, so we're going to have to find ways to win with the team that we have,'' Jeter said, via ESPNNewYork.com. "It's a complicated situation, but it's pretty much played out. That's what has happened.''
Jeter noted that he has spoken with Rodriguez since the lawsuits were dropped. He noted the third baseman was happy things were over and eh was prepared to move on and come back stronger and healthier when his suspension is over. Jeter hopes the rest of the Yankees team is prepared to do that same thing.
"You'd have to ask him how he feels about it, if he's glad that it's over with,'' Jeter said. "It's a situation that he has to deal with. Now it's over and it's done with, and we'll move on from there. But you'd have to ask him how he feels about that.''
Jeter says he is no longer thinking about Rodriguez and the scandal heard around the baseball community. After attempting to play through several injuries during the 2013 season, Jeter simply wants to play baseball and will not let the scandals weigh on his mind. He said the Yankees will briefly address the matter to the team during spring training and then will urge everyone to forget about it.
"For us, look, we show up and we do our job. The situation that he's in is a situation that affects him. You have to ask him how he feels about it, if he's glad it's over with," Jeter said. "It's not something that's weighing on our minds when we're playing games. It's a situation he has to deal with and now it's over and done with and you move on from there. But you'd have to ask him how he feels about that."
