Kyle Schwarber and A-Rod hit some bombs on 'Live with Kelly'

The Chicago Cubs’ World Series victory may not have been possible without the incredible contributions of Kyle Schwarber. The catcher/outfielder tore up his knee in April, only to make an amazing comeback in time for the World Series.

When you have an inspirational story like that, it only makes sense that you go on morning talk shows and share it. Schwarber did just that Thursday, appearing on “Live with Kelly” to tell his unlikely tale to Kelly Ripa and … Alex Rodriguez! Yes, the former New York Yankees third baseman was filling in as Ripa’s cohost Thursday. We’re not sure which part of this paragraph is more unbelievable.

The segment, which can be viewed here, started as usual. Schwarber came out, threw some World Series gear into the crowd and answered questions from both Ripa and Rodriguez. There was also an awkward moment where Ripa touched Schwarber’s goatee. Apparently, he gets that a lot.

After the in studio segment, things got fun. Schwarber and Rodriguez went out on the streets of New York to take some batting practice. You can watch that here.

The results were pretty mixed, though we can’t blame Schwarber and Rodriguez for that. Ripa admitted pitching wasn’t really her thing. As such, neither player got much to hit. Still, when they made contact, it was pretty amusing. Schwarber is a monster, and we could watch him hit bombs all day.

For Rodriguez, this is more proof that he needs to be on TV a lot more moving forward. Rodriguez was already the breakout star during Fox Sports’ postseason coverage, and he displays many of the same qualities here. He studies, he works hard, he’s insightful and he’s willing to poke fun at himself. The Rodriguez everyone has seen on television differs greatly from the one described during his playing days.

We might just get our way, too. Rodriguez seemed to enjoy the experience.

The future seems pretty optimistic for both men right now. Schwarber is just 23 and coming off a World Series title. He hasn’t even played a full season in the majors, but looks like a future superstar. Rodriguez, on the other hand, appears to have carved out a nice post-playing career as a broadcaster.

So, Thursday’s edition of “Live with Kelly” featured inspirational stories, goatee touching, baseball on the streets of New York and two young men on the verge of superstardom in their respective fields. Just like we all expected.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik