Rocker expects surgery to help reclaim career

ATLANTA - Former Atlanta Braves closer John Rocker says he expects to be throwing off a pitching mound again early next year after surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. <br> <br> Rocker was released June 27 by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, his third team since the Braves traded him in 2001. <br> <br> ``I&#39;ve just been beating my head against a wall, last year and this year, why I wasn&#39;t throwing well, and why I couldn&#39;t snap a good breaking ball or throw a good fastball,&#39;&#39; Rocker, 28, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. <br> <br> With the Braves, Rocker threw 94-96 mph and sometimes reached 98 mph. He had 83 saves and a 2.63 ERA. With Cleveland, Texas and Tampa Bay, he had an ERA of 6.00 with five saves and a fastball topping out in the low 90s. He had a 9.15 ERA in 17 appearances with Class AA Orlando when Tampa Bay released him. <br> <br> Many people have assumed he lost his fastball and his control after the controversy over his 1999 Sports Illustrated interview, in which he made comments about gays, minorities, and his overall demeanor. <br> <br> Dr. James Andrews, a noted orthopedic surgeon in Birmingham, Ala., performed the operation July 15. Typically, rotator cuff surgery requires 12 to 18 months of recuperation, and it sometimes ends careers. <br> <br> Rocker, who still lives in Atlanta, told the newspaper he hopes to be playing catch in November. <br> <br> ``I don&#39;t have any doubt I can come back,&#39;&#39; he said. <br> <br> He said every time Andrews sees him, ``he moves my shoulder around and says, `You&#39;re going to be throwing 95 before you know it.&#39;&#39;&#39;

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