A-Rod and Kyle Schwarber Mash Taters on the Streets of New York with Kelly Ripa

There is no denying Alex Rodriguez's ascent to becoming America's most beloved ex-jock. He's killed it on Fox Sports as part of their postseason coverage, somehow completely rehabilitating his image and making himself likeable. But it seems like that's only the beginning.

Thursday, he co-hosted Live with Kelly alongside Kelly Ripa. You remember what that job did for Michael Strahan, turning him into a star whose appeal was probably as much for his daytime television career as it was for his football playing days. Now A-Rod is on his way to being the next Frank Gifford.

Incidentally, the Cubs' Kyle Schwarber was a guest Thursday, and Kelly and A-Rod went hard on this whole baseball thing. Rodriguez was just so wonderfully cheesy and schmaltzy.

Here's just a few of the highlights:

• While they were all discussing Game 7, Ripa mentioned how she was riding an emotional roller coaster towards the end of the game. So Rodriguez pipes in: "You were awake at that time?" [cue laughter]
• A-Rod hit some cliche grand slams. He asked Schwarber how he went from the Arizona Fall League to the World Series and became a "hero."
• Rod: "Are you still partying? I'm still partying from 2009."

The real fun, though, came in the second segment. The three of them went out for some BP in the middle of the street. Schwarber was the first to hit, with Ripa pitching and Rodriguez catching. He cracked a dinger.

Then it was Rod's turn.

Pitch 1: Swing and a miss on a pitch low and away.

"I told you I'm retired."

Pitch 2: squib off the end of the bat.

Pitch 3: ball

Pitch 4: Crushes it.

That's right, A-Rod, still crushing it.