The actual record of what he’s done doesn’t seem all that awful. He threw a plastic bottle at a fan. Okay, that’s bad, but its not totally awful, certainly not among the worst things a player has ever done to a fan. He spun and got angry at an ump – that happens all the time. I seem to remember an incident in Oakland – can’t remember the specifics. I guess when you add them up, he’s a bad dude, but its not like he’s thrown a chair at a fan, or gotten into a fistfight with a teammate (has he? maybe he has and I can’t remember). The worst thing he’s done is domestic violence, which doesn’t seem to concern baseball fans all that much, as evidenced by the embracing of guys like Bobby Cox, Brett Myers and our own Alberto Callaspo.

I guess he’s earned his rep, as he does seem to be angry a lot, but as far as actual incidents, they seem to be pretty minor – other than the domestic violence.