Developer Rocker still speaks out
Darren Epps Commentary
John Rocker still has opinions.
And you still may not like them.
Rocker is slinging real estate deals instead of baseballs these days, but he still takes on issues with the same tenacity as he did years ago when he charged out of the Atlanta Braves bullpen. Rocker, who was in Varnell, Ga., on Monday to observe the 73-acre subdivision hes developing called "Rockingham," smirks at Major League Baseballs steroid testing policy and enjoys discussing immigration issues, which hell detail in an upcoming book.
And he probably doesnt want to hear you speak Spanish if you cant speak English.
Rocker, who will turn 32 next week, transformed from Braves closer to national pariah following the publication of a 1999 Sports Illustrated article in which he denounced New Yorkers and foreigners. Rocker doesnt like to rehash the past he says liberals "without much of a creative mind" have done the story "2,000 times" but his stance toward foreigners in America remains open to criticism: Speak English.
Its the slogan for his new campaign, which promotes sustaining the American heritage and encourages immigrants to integrate and assimilate themselves into this nations culture. Simply put, Rocker wants immigrants to learn the language.
"This society we live in, if you come here from Mexico and you cant speak the language and you cant function in our society as an American, how many white-collar jobs can you get?" he said. "Youll be a ditch-digger for the rest of your life. Youll be making 8 dollars an hour and digging ditches until you die at 58 years old."
Or paint houses at Rockingham, which Rocker predictably noted as a Hispanic with poor English worked on one of the lots. But Rockers personality can be equally unpredictable. Hes affable, funny and wellspoken, delivering a deep, almost intimidating voice when he speaks.
Rocker insists hes not racist. His girlfriend, Alicia Marie, is black, and he employed a black man to run his computer company.
Hes also not a baseball player anymore, his career officially ending where many say it unofficially did: New York. Rocker gave up baseball in 2005 after an unsuccessful stint with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League. Surgery on his rotator cuff, he said, stripped him of the fastball he used to save 83 games for Atlanta from 1998-2001. His most memorable appearance came on June 29, 2000, when he charged out of the bullpen in New York for the first time since making those infamous remarks. More than 700 police officers crammed inside Shea Stadium, all concerned with Rockers safety after fans threatened him.
"I was literally watching the game thinking, Im about to see one of my best friends get shot in the head on television," lifelong friend and realtor associate Eric Simmons said. "Im talking to him on the phone and it makes him mad. Hes like, Aw, Im not worried about it. Im going to go out there and strike out the side. He wanted it so bad."
Rocker retired the side in order, striking out one.
He rediscovered his fastball during a taping of "Pros vs. Joes" on Spike TV last March. Rocker said he topped out at 90-91 mph but doesnt plan on another comeback.
"I kind of like doing this, actually. Ive got four developments going and one pending and a few other things," he said. "Ive got a computer company and Im writing a book now (entitled The Truth About Everything). Im busy with all sorts of other stuff, and baseball is the kind of thing that youve got to do 6-8 hours a day."
But Rocker can still talk baseball. He compares the steroid problem in baseball to a witchhunt, saying no one recently accused including San Franciscos Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte of the Houston Astros will ever get caught. He chided former Oakland slugger Jose Canseco, an admitted steroids user, for claiming 85 percent of players used performance-enhancing drugs.
"Its not near as much as people say," Rocker said.
"It was there, but its there everywhere. Jose Canseco said 70 or so percent of players use it. Its nowhere near that, certainly not when I played. Thats absurd to even say that."
Rocker said he was surprised to see Clemens name mentioned over the weekend in the ongoing steroids investigation.
"You can tell whos on it and whos not. Clemens, hes kind of a chubby guy," Rocker said. "Hes 40-some years old, but hes still got some baby fat on him and hes kind of a big guy. You look at a guy like Canseco and Barry Bonds and those guys, and its pretty obvious what theyve been doing. Theyre real vascular, real lean and everything else.
"When you get to be Cansecos age, Mark McGwires age, or whatever and youre 40 years old and you still look like youre 30, you need to look around on stuff like that."
With that, Rocker talked some Georgia football an ardent Bulldogs supporter, hell attend Saturday nights game against Tennessee before turning his attention back to the beautiful, swanky neighborhood hes developing. He likes the big houses. Of course, Rocker always worked better in the bigger moments.
He never allowed an earned run in 20 2 /3 innings of postseason baseball.
