Rocker opens off Broadway
Series with Expos is a preview of what he can expect in New York
The Montreal Gazette
Before its grand premiere on Broadway tomorrow night, the John Rocker in New York story began its out-of-town previews last night at Olympic Stadium.
There were plenty of New York media on hand, circling around Rocker's stall with Montreal reporters and other curious onlookers. "I've never seen so much press in Montreal," manager Bobby Cox joked later. But it's nothing compared with the onslaught Rocker will face at Shea.
The man himself, sitting on his stool with his head down, had little to say after he arrived at the stadium in the late afternoon. "I've been burned by you guys too many times. If you would exit my locker space, I would greatly appreciate it," Rocker said.
The Braves players have plenty of experience dealing with the increased attention that comes with the post-season and World Series. To a man, they are professional and forthcoming. But this story has to be getting old.
"I've known John for awhile. I've been at his house. He's a great guy," said centre-fielder Andruw Jones. "He made mistakes. We learn from our mistakes. I really don't pay attention to what he's doing. � We just go about our business."
Catcher Javy Lopez, for one, doesn't think Rocker will actually make good on his pledge to take the No. 7 train out to Shea Stadium this weekend, to get up close and personal with the New Yorkers of all sizes and colours he vilified in that now-infamous Sports Illustrated article. "He's not going to take the train. There are plenty of taxis to take - taxis or the (team) bus," Lopez said.
Cox said the club had spoken to Rocker about it. "But I don't know what he's going to do," Cox said.
Assistant general manager Frank Wren, a long-time player, coach scout and executive with the Expos, said it was an internal matter. "We share the opinion of a lot of people that it's not that great an idea," Wren said.
Lopez said he was glad the Rocker issue was being discussed yesterday, to get it over with now, because the players weren't going to talk about it once they got to New York. Good luck.
"That's not a club policy or anything," Wren said. "Our players have been around long enough and been through this long enough to know which way to go."
Forgotten in all this is that the two best clubs in the National League East are meeting for the first time this season in New York. In fact, the Braves have already played the Yankees. "Atlanta going to New York at the end of June is really the first big series," Wren said. "We know a lot of people don't look at it like that, but we do. We're about baseball."
The Braves are one of major-league clubs that allow cameras into the clubhouse before games (the Expos do not). They did close their clubhouse to media access in Pittsburgh, when Rocker made his return after a stint in Triple-A. And they may do the same thing in New York, which - considering the tiny space that passes for a visitors' clubhouse - is probably the best idea.
Lopez said that as a teammate, Rocker was fine. "He's a human being ... he's the same human being with everybody," he said. "I don't know how people are going to react when he gets there. Hopefully, nothing happens to him."
On the question of whether or not the team's reputation was suffering as a result of the continuing negative attention, Lopez deferred to management. "I leave that to the Braves organization," he said. "If they feel uncomfortable with him on the team, that's their situation. I'm going focus on myself."
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