1
      Braves
     
     
      Pitcher
      To
     
     
      Do
      Time
      For
     
     
      Comments
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Yn
      zZoun
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Adam
      Gauthier
     
     
      STAFF
      WRITER
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      With
      the
      official
      start
     
     
      of
      the
      Major
      League
     
     
      Baseball
      season
      less
      than
     
     
      eight
      weeks
      away,
      Atlanta
     
     
      Braves
      relief
      pitcher
      John
     
     
      Rocker
      will
      be
      remaining
      at
     
     
      home
      for
      an
      extra
      month.
     
     
      Rocker,
      25,
      was
     
     
      suspended
      and
      fined
     
     
      $20,000
      on
      January
      31
      for
     
     
      comments
      that
      he
     
     
      made
      in
      an
     
     
      interview
      with
     
     
      Sports
      Illustrated.
     
     
      In
      the
      article,
     
     
      which
      was
     
     
      released
      in
     
     
      November
      1999,
     
     
      Rocker
      made
     
     
      racial
      and
      ethnic
      remarks
     
     
      about
      foreigners,
     
     
      homosexuals
      and
     
     
      minorities.
     
    

    
     
      Major
      League
     
     
      Baseball
      commissioner
     
     
      Bud
      Selig
      said
      that
      Rocker
     
     
      would
      be
      suspended
      until
     
     
      May
      1
      and
      would
      also
     
     
      have
      to
      undergo
      sensitivity
     
     
      training.
      In
      December,
     
     
      Rocker
      was
      ordered
      by
     
     
      the
      Atlanta
      Braves
      head
     
     
      office
      to
      undergo
     
     
      psychological
      testing
      for
     
     
      the
      comments
      that
      he
     
     
      made.
     
    

    
     
      Major
      League
     
     
      Baseballs
      players’
      union
     
     
      have
      made
      it
      clear
      that
      they
     
    
   
   
    
     
      i
     
    
   
   
    
     
      intend
      to
      fight
      for
      an
      appeal
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      Rocker’s
      case.
      This
      is
     
     
      believed
      to
      be
      the
      longest
     
     
      suspension
      in
      baseball
     
     
      history
      that
      is
      not
      related
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Winnipeg
      with
      fucking
      lousy
      food
      and
      decent
      interesting
      people
      at
      the
      same
      thing
      we
      are
      -
      truth
      and
      the
      laying
      of
      the
      shithammer
      to
      apathy.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      drug
      charge
      against
      a
     
     
      player.
      This
      is
      also
      the
     
     
      longest
      suspension
     
     
      granted
      since
      1977
      when
     
     
      Texas
      Ranger,
      Lenny
     
     
      Randle
      was
      suspended
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      for30
      days
      for
      striking
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Texas
      manager,
      Frank
     
     
      Lucchesi.
     
    

    
     
      Since
      the
      article
     
     
      was
      first
      released,
      Rocker
     
     
      has
      been
      trying
      to
      plead
     
     
      his
      case
      through
      the
     
     
      media.
      Rocker
      appeared
     
     
      on
      the
      ESPN’s
      Up
      Close
     
     
      to
      have
      a
      sit
      down
     
     
      interview
      with
      Peter
     
     
      Gammons
      in
      January.
     
     
      Rocker
      stated
      that
      the
     
     
      comments
      he
      made
      had
     
     
      to
      do
      with
      his
      experience
     
     
      in
      New
      York
      City.
      While
     
     
      pitching
      at
      Shea
      Stadium
     
     
      (and
      Yankee
     
     
      Stadium)
      in
     
     
      October,
      he
      said
     
     
      that
      he
      would
      never
     
     
      want
      to
      play
      fora
     
     
      New
      York
      team.
     
    

    
     
      '
      He
      began
      to
     
     
      provoke
      the
      New
     
     
      York
      fans
      and
      soon
     
     
      objects
      were
      being
     
     
      thrown
      at
      Rocker
      when
     
     
      he
      came
      out
      onto
      the
     
     
      field.
      Rocker
      said
      that
      the
     
     
      comments
      came
      to
      mind
     
     
      when
      the
      Sports
     
     
      Illustrated
      interviewer
     
     
      asked
      him
      what
      he
     
     
      thought
      about
      the
      fans
      of
     
     
      New
      York.
     
    

    
     
      Rocker
      has
     
     
      denied
      being
      aracist
      and
     
     
      has
      said
      that
      some
      of
      his
     
     
      best
      friends
      are
      minorities
     
     
      but
      not
      all
      believe
      what
     
     
      Rocker
      has
      to
      say.
      Home
     
     
      run
      king
      and
      former
     
     
      Atlanta
      Braves
      player
     
     
      Hank
      Aaron
      has
      stated
     
     
      that
      the
      Braves
     
     
      management
      should
      trade
     
     
      or
      release
      John
      Rocker.
     
     
      Others
      have
      stated
      that
     
    

    
     
      Rocker
      should
      be
      givena
     
     
      chance
      to
      explain
      himself
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      his
      most
      important
     
     
      critics:
      his
      teammates.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Braves
     
     
      players
      that
      have
      spoken
     
     
      out
      about
      Rocker
      have
     
     
      said
      they
      want
      to
      hear
     
     
      what
      he
      has
      to
      say
      for
     
     
      himself
      before
      they
      make
     
     
      any
      decisions
      about
     
     
      accepting
      him
      back
      into
     
     
      the
      clubhouse.
      The
      Braves
     
     
      owner,
      Ted
      Turner
      has
     
     
      stated
      that
      Rocker
      was
     
     
      “stupid”
      to
      say
      what
      he
     
     
      did
      but
      will
      leave
      the
     
     
      matter
      up
      to
      the
      team.
      The
     
     
      acceptance
      or
      denial
      of
      his
     
     
      teammates
      could
      decide
     
     
      how
      long
      John
      Rocker
     
     
      remains
      an
      Atlanta
      Brave
     
     
      or
      a
      Major
      League
     
     
      pitcher.
     
    

    
     
      Rocker
      can
      begin
     
     
      his
      spring
      training
      on
     
     
      April
      3
      and
      will
      be
     
     
      allowed
      to
      pitchin
      the
     
     
      minor
      leagues
      until
      his
     
     
      suspension
      is
      over
      on
      May
     
     
      3.
      Several
      people
      in
      the
     
     
      Braves
      organization
      and
     
     
      Major
      League
      Baseball
     
     
      have
      said
      that
      Rocker
      will
     
     
      havea
      difficult
      time
      trying
     
     
      to
      rebuild
      his
      tarnished
     
     
      image
      with
      all
      those
     
     
      involved
      in
      the
      game
      of
     
     
      baseball
      especially
      the
     
     
      fans.