Former Braves closer Rocker back in baseball

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Posted 7:10AM on Friday, April 29, 2005

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. - John Rocker once said retirement would beat playing for a New York team. Now, the metropolitan area he slammed so hard provides the setting for a comeback bid. Rocker, who missed nearly two years after undergoing surgery for a torn rotator cuff, is back in baseball with the suburban Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League. His debut was awful. Rocker walked four batters in the ninth inning and lost 4-3 Thursday night to the Bridgeport Bluefish. Rocker got his chance after Chris Latham hit a game-tying single in the top of the ninth. Rocker entered the game to some boos from the few fans who remained from an opening-night crowd of 4,061 at Bridgeport's Ballpark at Harbor Yard. He retired two of the first three batters, but lost the strike zone. Rocker threw a wild pitch, and a passed ball was charged to catcher Joe DePastino. The game ended when Rocker walked Will Pennyfeather to bring in Corey Hart. While pitching for the Atlanta Braves in 1999, the left-handed reliever made derogatory remarks in Sports lllustrated about gays, minorities and foreigners. Rocker later tried to explain himself by saying he was baiting New York fans. Now they're his fans theoretically. ``Life's funny like that,'' Rocker said. ``It makes it interesting, though.'' Team owner and league CEO Frank Boulton believes Rocker deserves a chance for a comeback. ``You can't airbrush away his past, but I think he's a very courageous guy for wanting to come here, instead of someplace like Sioux City or something like that,'' Boulton said. Rocker joins the Ducks in hopes of a return to the majors. That strategy worked for Carlos Baerga, Pedro Borbon Jr. and Bill Pulsipher, all of whom returned to the big leagues after stints with Long Island. Rocker was once a top reliever. He saved 38 games, had a 2.49 ERA and struck out 104 batters in just 72 1-3 innings in 1999. Then came his infamous interview in the offseason, when he attacked New York fans, especially those who rode the subway to Mets games at Shea Stadium. Rocker has apologized for his remarks about New York, and hopes fans show him a forgiving nature. ``As far as the New York fans, I buried the hatchet a long time ago,'' he said Wednesday. ``I hope they will return that favor to me.'' The 30-year-old Rocker later pitched for Cleveland, Texas and Tampa Bay, appearing in two games for the Devil Rays in 2003. He had surgery in July of that year. ``Doctors said I would never pitch again,'' Rocker explained. ``I happen to have a little bit more confidence than that. There were a lot of ups and downs while I was rehabbing, but I knew that I wanted to take one more shot and have no regrets.'' Rocker hopes to be out of the Atlantic League and in a major league clubhouse by July. Boulton would love to see that. ``Of course, there's tremendous irony in this,'' he said. ``Just my belief, but I guess he needs to get through all of this at one time so he can just move forward. That's why he chose to come here.'' The game Thursday night was the first of six on the road for the Ducks. They have their home opener Wednesday night against Atlantic City.