April 15, 2004- But others in the sports marketing industry said his surly reputation, and the BALCO investigation, which suggests he took steroids, have made him less desirable to companies looking for a spokesperson.

"He has established himself as one of the greatest players of all time, but there's still kind of a cloud over his head with the accusations of steroid use," said Chris Caldwell, a VP with Wilton, CT-based Velocity Sports & Entertainment. "Whether it's home run number 650, 660 or 670. It won't change his reputation. When he passes Hank Aaron as the all-time leader (by reaching 756), it may be a bit of a different story.

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