Rocker in 7 Heaven

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Rocker in 7 Heaven

Taking train to the game despite warnings

John Rocker has a one-track mind. The loco lefty still wants to ride the Queens local.

The Atlanta Braves reliever yesterday rejected pleas from Major League Baseball, his own ballclub and Mayor Giuliani to nix the subway and instead vowed to ride the No. 7 to Shea Stadium for tomorrow's Mets-Braves game.

Unless he bows to the growing pressure to skip the train, Rocker will be joined by the very riders � the foreigners, single moms, purple-haired passengers and gays � he denounced in a magazine article.

Also along for the ride will be small army of cops.

"If Rocker gets on the train, he'll be entirely surrounded by police officers," said NYPD spokeswoman Marilyn Mode.

Not only that, but any train that Rocker boards will cease being a local and turn into an express to Shea, officials said.

"We can't offer complete protection," Giuliani acknowledged. "Therefore, we had urged him through Major League Baseball to voluntarily make the determination that it would not make sense to ride the 7 line. And then we'll do what we can at the ballpark to provide as much security as we can."

Through the day, officials of the Braves and Major League Baseball tried to persuade the hated hurler to take the team bus.

"The number of people who have advised him not to take the No. 7 train is exceeded only by the number of people who take the No. 7 train," said Sandy Alderson, executive vice president of baseball operations in the baseball commissioner's office.

But as of late yesterday, there was no indication Rocker had a change of heart since telling a sports publication last week, "I won't be on the bus. I'll be on that train."

Police officials said cops will be stationed on every platform along the 7 line.

At Shea, hundreds of uniformed cops will be on hand, and the Mets have put a limit of two beers per customer for the entire four-game series.

Last year, Rocker told a Sports Illustrated interviewer that he found New York "depressing."

"Imagine taking the 7 train ... looking like you're in Beirut next to some kid with purple hair, next to some queer with AIDS, right next to some dude who got out of jail for the fourth time, right next to some 20-year-old mom with four kids."

Mets players had varying opinions about the controversy.

Catcher Mike Piazza said, "I'm sure the crowd will be loud and rowdy. That's what New York baseball is all about."

Manager Bobby Valentine expressed hope the crowd would not get out of hand.

"I'm not letting [Rocker] off the hook," Valentine said, but urged fans, "Don't do anything stupid. It'd be real bad to compound a stupid action with a stupid action."

Relief pitcher Turk Wendell, the Mets' mischief maker, took a riot helmet from his locker and approached reporters. "Bring him on," he joked.

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