Rodriguez Takes Shot at Jeter in Magazine Story

The friendship between Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter looks more like a feud these days.

“He’s never had to lead,” Rodriguez was quoted as saying in the April edition of Esquire. “He can just go and play and have fun. He hits second--that’s totally different than third or fourth in a lineup.

“You go into New York, you wanna stop Bernie [Williams] and [Paul] O’Neill. You never say, ‘Don’t let Derek beat us.’ He’s never your concern,” he said.

Told about the remarks, Jeter said he had a phone call to make.

“I’ll ask him tonight, and I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” the New York Yankees’ shortstop said Friday. “The only thing you can ask him is what his intentions were. Do I think his intentions were bad? No.”

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David Justice, in his first public comments on a $5-million palimony suit filed against him, claimed the mother of his 14-month-old son is merely trying to get money from the New York Yankee star.

On Wednesday, lawyer Marvin Mitchelson filed the Superior Court suit in Los Angeles on behalf of Nicole J. Foster, 26, the mother of David Justice Jr. The suit charged breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress and domestic violence.

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A decision on the disputed Mike Sirotka deal between Toronto and the Chicago White Sox will not be reached by commissioner Bud Selig until next week at the earliest, his spokesman said. . . . Florida third baseman Mike Lowell agreed to a $6.5-million, three-year contract. The Marlins also signed catcher Ramon Castro and right-handed pitchers Ryan Dempster, Vladimir Nunez and Claudio Vargas to one-year contracts. . . . Mark McGwire flied out in his first at-bat since knee surgery as St. Louis beat Baltimore, 4-3, in its spring opener. Also, the Cardinals signed pitcher Rick Ankiel to a $400,000, one-year contract. . . . Outfielders Jay Payton and Benny Agbayani were among six players who agreed to one-year contracts with the New York Mets.