Meet The Stripper Who Saved The Red Sox

Alex Rodriguez's various alleged dalliances with females of the non-wife persuasion may have cost the Yankees more than anyone thought. Did ex-stripper Candice Houlihan break the Boston jinx and hand the Red Sox their World Series championship in 2004? Houlihan claims that a two-night stand with Rodriguez - the second one during the ALCS between New York and Boston - threw off A-Rod's game enough to allow the Red Sox to come back and win the series. Somewhat dubious ... but fun to consider! And consider I shall.

Houlihan said A-Rod had a couple of shots of tequila and a few Sex on the Beach cocktails, then they went back to A-Rod's room at the Ritz-Carlton and had sex. But, she added, they also talked all night and seemed to hit it off. But when A-Rod called her when he was in town for the American League Championship Series, Candice met him and they had sex again. (Although this time he didn't let her stay the night.)

"He said he had a big game the next day. I like to say I helped us win," she laughed. "I reversed the curse!"

Ms. Houlihan also told the Boston Herald that Rodriguez's wife, Cynthia, was right to dump him because "A leopard doesn't change his spots." A-Rod, she said, actually picked her up during a game, and she knew he was married from the beginning.

"It was killing me and I felt bad afterwards," she said. "I'm not a bad person. I know how it feels to be cheated on, it sucks. But a couple of drinks later, I didn't notice all that much, to tell you the truth."

That-a-girl; way to take one for the team, Candy.

Ex-Stripper To Cindy: A-Rod Won't 'Change His Spots' [Boston Herald] Did A Stripper Change The Course Of Baseball History? [Sox And Dawgs]