500 home runs doesn't hold the prestige it once did. Still, with Bonds set to break Aaron's home run record, A-Rod is looked upon as the hope to "cleanly" surpass Bonds. That's a lot of pressure! I don't look upon A-Rod as a crybaby. He's not a true embassador of the game as Ripken or Gehrig, but he's close.
On a personal note, I remember seeing a game in Toronto when A-Rod was still a member of the Mariners. He was the only player on the Seattle team, which included once revered by Blue Jays fans John Olerud, that stopped to sign autographs for the fans. He spent a good 15 minutes after BP doing this.
