I'm not sure that his image is fake. And I don't really see any "spin". He's a high-profile athlete....... whatever he does will be srutinized by somebody (if not by the local media, then by the national media). If there's a story to tell (negative or otherwise), it's going to be told. You should know enough about our head-hunting national sportswriters to realize that. Personally, I don't think anybody has ever claimed that he puts his head down and sprints around the bases after a home run (maybe you're thinking of Rolen?). If he were overly concerned about his image, he probably wouldn't have done what he did. He clearly had time to consider what the media's reaction would be, and he did it anyway. Personally, I'm not that upset to see the "humanistic" side of him. If you have never met and talked with him in person, you have no clue. On that same notion it is not fair for Blueheart to call his image fake then. Just about everybody in the media who covers baseball and does talk to him says he is a very nice guy. Allthough I agree the bat flip was out of line i dont think it should change his public perception any. He felt like Perez showed him up and decided he would do it to him it might be wrong but it certinley dosent take away from all the charity work he has done. Plus there never has really been any reports come out about him being a jerk off the field either so, I dont think his image is fake as Blueheart has said. My apologies, I meant to bold both of them.