Alex Rodriguez had a rough go of it interviewing Justin Verlander ahead of the Home Run Derby.

Rodriguez appeared to be setting up some kind of underdog redemption angle for Verlander, asking him, “How do you explain being a late draft pick, being designated for assignment a couple of times with two different teams?”

Awkward moment for A-Rod, interviewing Justin Verlander saying we was designated for assignment by two different teams.

Verlander, a 10-time All-Star, has never been designated for assignment. pic.twitter.com/nxLbChZbDq

— SportsTalk 790 (@SportsTalk790) July 13, 2026

Neither half of that sentence is true. Verlander went second overall in the 2004 draft, one pick after Matt Bush, and was in the majors within a year. He’s also never been designated for assignment, not once, across 20 seasons and stops with the Tigers, Astros, Mets, and Giants. Being DFA’d is a process reserved for players a team is trying to get off its 40-man roster. It has never once applied to a 10-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young winner.

Verlander, understandably, did not know what to do with this.

“Me? No, you’ve got the wrong notes,” he said.

Rodriguez laughed it off and pivoted to asking how Verlander has pitched at a high level for so long, which, fine, is actually a reasonable question. It’s just not the one he’d spent the last thirty seconds building up to.

Whether it makes him feel better or not, Rodriguez wasn’t the only Fox voice getting called out for scrambling a Hall of Famer’s career this week. Derek Jeter needled Colin Cowherd on Monday over a 2024 interview where Cowherd asked what it was like facing Nolan Ryan — a pitcher whose career ended two years before Jeter’s started.

Someone might want to give A-Rod the same warning next time.

The post Alex Rodriguez botches Justin Verlander’s career history in awkward interview appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Derek Jeter may never let Colin Cowherd off the hook.

After Jeter’s first appearance on The Herd around the All-Star Game in 2024, the veteran radio host went viral after misremembering the timeline of Jeter’s legendary career. During the interview, Cowherd asked Jeter what it was like to face Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan on the mound, only for Jeter to hilariously correct him in real time that their careers did not overlap.

“I never faced Nolan, slow down,” Jeter laughed. “No, I was way after Nolan.”

In fairness to Cowherd, Jeter’s rookie season came just two years after Ryan’s retirement.

But Jeter got another opportunity to rib Cowherd about the mistake on Monday, as the former New York Yankees star once again joined The Herd to promote Fox’s coverage of the All-Star game. And he did not pass it up.

“Before we get started, I just want to remind you … you just said, ‘Smart people make mistakes,'” Jeter said. “Last time I was on your show, you asked me about facing Nolan Ryan, so let’s just hope you got your facts straight this time.”

“Last time I was on your show, you asked me about facing Nolan Ryan. Let’s just hope you got your facts straight this time.” – Derek Jeter sets some ground rules before his appearance with Colin Cowherd https://t.co/CqKJgftqZepic.twitter.com/ERwA1TdqHH

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 13, 2026

Jeter clearly has Cowherd’s respect and handled the gaffe cleverly, especially for someone MLB fans typically think of as defensive and dry on-air.

Jeter will be part of Fox’s studio coverage for the All-Star game on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. ET.

The post Derek Jeter reminds Colin Cowherd of awkward interview gaffe appeared first on Awful Announcing.