Sloppy Cases: John Rocker, a Loudmouth Racist
New York is a beautifully diverse place. All walks of life happen to call the big apple their home. Many different races and ethnicities are easy to spot just being there, and the cultural blending makes it one of the most exciting places to be. Unfortunately, to John Rocker, this all means nothing to him, and in fact, had the audacity to spit all over it.
John Rocker is a former big-league relief pitcher who played only six seasons with the Braves, Indians, Rangers, and Rays. He didn’t post really what anyone would call outstanding numbers, although he was the Brave’s reliable closer from 1998-2000 recording 64 saves in that stretch. His career, however, came to a quick end at the ripe old age of 28.
Even before retirement, controversy arouse when he partook in an interview in 1999 and said some very off-kilter statements. His comments arouse when asked if he’d ever play as a New York Met or Yankee. He had this to say:
“I’d retire first. It’s the most hectic, nerve-wracking city. Imagine having to take the 7 train to the ballpark looking like you’re riding through Beirut next to some kid with purple hair, next to some queer with AIDS, right next to some dude who just got out of jail for the fourth time, right next to some 20-year-old mom with four kids. It’s depressing… The biggest thing I don’t like about New York are the foreigners. You can walk an entire block in Times Square and not hear anybody speaking English. Asians and Koreans and Vietnamese and Indians and Russians and Spanish people and everything up there. How the hell did they get in this country?” -John Rocker.
What a despicable thing to say. It’s something if this man is an all-star or has a ring, but he has to get off his high horse and realize the world doesn’t revolve around his little bubble. As if Mets fans didn’t have it bad enough, this guy goes and insults their whole fanbase and their beloved city. Commissioner Bud Selig ended up suspended Rocker, as a result, for 14 games without pay.
Too bad it doesn’t end there. In 1999, he called his Curaçaoan teammate Randall Simon, a fat monkey. Oh, wait that’s not all. He hurled homophobic slurs in 2002 at a restaurant in Oak Lawn, a Dallas LGBT neighborhood.
Fast forward a few years to 2006, and Rocker is promoting what he calls the “Speak English” campaign. Along with that, he states that the Holocaust would be avoided if the Jews had guns.
Luckily, the world hasn’t had to hear this man’s lewd rants in awhile. The only news that’s come from Rocker was in 2007 when he admitted to using steroids. It seems like he’s done his best to take the back seat in the last few years.
