NEW YORK This time, Alex Rodriguez said all the right things.

Over the years, A-Rod has found himself on the back (or front) pages for something awkward or controversial nearly as often as he has for a big hit. But Monday, he spent an hour fielding questions about the All-Star Game and was a gracious host.

"It's at the greatest stadium in the world, it's in New York, it's the greatest franchise in the world," Rodriguez said. "It's a great forum [for the All-Star Game]. We're excited to be hosting it."

Rodriguez was cordial and funny and appropriately reverential in discussing Yankee Stadium's swan song. He didn't even get angry as Inside Edition and others questioned him about his very public pending divorce from his wife, Cynthia, and his rumored relationship with Madonna.

He acknowledged that "it's always been something with me," smilingly noting his penchant for finding headlines.

"Look, everybody has distractions, everybody has personal things," Rodriguez said. "Mine are on the front page of the papers, and I'm fine with that. It's a little bit of a gift and a curse. You have to deal with that and it's challenging at times, but I'll get through that."

Rodriguez then flipped things to the good side of being in the public eye. He mentioned the Yankees' trip to Virginia Tech during spring training, 11 months after the tragic mass shooting there, as well as his visit with 18-year-old cancer patient John Challis last week.

"You take our experience that we had with Virginia Tech -- we had an opportunity to go down there and make such an impact, because you wear this Yankee uniform, and because our names have a lot of power to those kids," he said. "You look at a guy like John last week, he's dying with cancer. He had an opportunity to come to my apartment and I gave him a tour. We're riding to the ballpark, and the kid was falling asleep. You look at moments like that, and all of us should be so appreciative."

Rodriguez was saying how thankful he is to be blessed on the baseball field. He never takes making the All-Star Game for granted, he said: "I feel like a little kid. I'm very thankful."

He gave props to Yankees and all-star teammates Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera and said he wished Mike Mussina could have been there, too.

Rodriguez remembers his first All-Star Game in Philadelphia in 1996, when Cal Ripken Jr. took time to visit with the 20-year-old Rodriguez. That still resonates. In fact, A-Rod called reaching out to younger players such as Evan Longoria an all-star highlight.

"I think it's my responsibility to spend a lot of time with these younger guys that are here for the first time," Rodriguez said. "Really get to know them, because it's their first time, and a five-, 10-, 15-minute conversation goes a long ways."

Undoubtedly, some first-time all-star one day will talk about meeting Rodriguez as A-Rod himself talks about meeting Ripken.

Rodriguez, who will turn 33 on July 27, already has 537 career home runs, making him the leading potential successor to Barry Bonds' career home run record of 762. (Rodriguez has averaged 43 a year in his 12 full seasons and is 225 away from tying Bonds.) He also has three Most Valuable Player awards and was the leading vote-getter for this year's All-Star Game.

A-Rod's crosstown counterpart, Mets third baseman David Wright, marveled at Rodriguez's ability to perform in the midst of continual hoopla. Said Wright: "He's a guy that is so extremely focused. I enjoy watching him play, watching what he does."

Neither Wright nor baseball fans at large were able to watch Rodriguez in Monday night's Home Run Derby, though. He turned down that invitation because he said his first responsibility is to the Yankees.

Last night, though, Rodriguez was batting fourth for the American League. When he learned that AL (and Red Sox) manager Terry Francona had put him in the cleanup spot, Rodriguez said: "I've got to go give Tito Francona a hug for that. I like that."