Feeling sorry for A-Rod

Remember Ed Delahanty and Lily Langtry?

Babe Ruth and Gloria Swanson?

Lou Gehrig and Greta Garbo?

Oh, that's right. They never happened.

But Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe did, although Monroe, early on saucy photos and supposed "adult" film notwithstanding, was a complete innocent compared to Madonna, the reedy-voiced, some say attractive - you would be too if you had hundreds of thousands of dollars to spend on cosmetic surgery and a personal trainer to come to your house for two hours every day - less-than-adequately talented singer-actress who has taken the concept of being famous for being famous to unheard of levels in the last 20 years and whose name now is associated on an hourly basis with that of Yankee star Alex Rodriguez.

You have to feel sorry for Rodriguez, whether his romance with Madonna is real or not. Unlike the old time players, who could just play ball - and, those who were so inclined could also drink beer and liquor and go to the burlesque show and maybe have a date now and then - A-Rod has to read about everything he does and quite possibly doesn't do each and every day in the New York papers. Isn't trying to hit a 96 mph fastball enough?