Dear Alex Rodriguez and Madam Cura,

Happy birthday!

On a related note, A-Rod, who turned 32 today, has hit 499 career homeruns, but he may have hit his 500th two days ago.

If Rodriguez hits a home run in the resumed game, it will be quite reasonably celebrated as his 500th, but it technically will be inserted into his June 28 statistics and become his 493rd.

And his home run Wednesday night in Kansas City, previously his 499th, will be promoted to No. 500.

So, depending on one’s point of view, he will either never have hit his 500th home run, or have hit it twice.

What makes this doubly or even triply odd is that whenever A-Rod comes to the plate, the bat boy runs out and hands the umpire a handful of specially marked balls. That already seemed strange to me: what if he hits a foul ball into the stands, then hits one out -- can't the person who gets the foul ball be able to claim that she caught number 500? Now, it's totally confusing.

Public service announcement: The Yes network will broadcast the start of the June 28 game starting at 4:30 this afternoon, then pick up the resumed game when it begins at 7:05. The "regular" game against the Orioles is scheduled to start at 7:50 tonight.