There was a time in my life that I felt kinda bad for Alex Rodriguez, who, despite his massive contract, seemed like something of a spaz in the slick shadow of Derek Jeter, causing many a Yankee fan of my acquaintance to believe that he placed some sort of reverse-Ruth curse on the team. (Nothing epitomizes him better than that whole “hey, I’m just hanging out in Central Park with my shirt off” fiasco.) And now, on the heels of him hitting home run No. 534 and the eve of a weekend Yankees-Red Sox series, comes word that A-Rod may be spending his late nights voguing with Madonna. Well, you know, they could have been holding rap sessions about what it’s like to have really huge contracts on their backs!

Us found the somewhat threadbare tale, which seems to be mostly corroborated by jawing doormen, important enough to splash across its front page, although the fact that the headline only referred to Rodriguez as a “New York Yankee” must sting–hey, that appellation could also apply to Sidney Ponson! I suppose I should theorize whether or not this little rumor will help Madonna finally sell out Dodger Stadium, but really, I’m just waiting for one of Madonna’s exes, confirmed A-Rod loather/stimulant spokesperson Jose Canseco, to weigh in on the whole mess.

Exclusive: New York Yankee Making Late-Night Visits To Madonna’s Apartment [Us]