So Much for the Train: Rocker Leaves for Shea in Cop Van
NEW YORK (June 29) -- With a quick wave and dead silence, loudmouth lefty John Rocker backed off his pledge to mingle with the denizens of the No. 7 subway, opting instead Thursday for a black van and police escort to Shea Stadium.
There were no protesters and no teammates outside when Rocker bolted through a side door of his hotel shortly before 1 p.m. ET, ignoring reporters and boarding an unmarked police van with tinted windows. Three other police vehicles followed the Atlanta Braves reliever.
The no-comment was a change of pace from the fastballer dubbed "The Ku Klux Kloser'' after his racist, homophobic and xenophobic comments in Sports Illustrated. It was his first New York "visit'' since last fall's playoffs, and his first since the December SI piece.
Though Rocker had promised to ride the subway to Shea Stadium, wiser heads (and there are plenty) prevailed on the hurler to choose a less- public form of transportation.
This was a good idea, given that Rocker had redefined political incorrectness by describing straphangers on the No. 7 line as "some kid with purple hair ... some queer with AIDS ... some 20-year-old mom with four kids.'' He also complained that New York has too many foreigners and added: "How the hell did they get in this country?''
An assortment of preparations were in place for the Shea return of reliever Rocker, christened "Johnny Rotten'' and "Punk Rocker'' by the New York tabloids. Despite the city's enmity toward him, Rocker received the type of security ordinarily reserved for heads of state.
In addition to police at his hotel, 700 officers were assigned to Shea instead of the 60 for most games -- New York's finest to protect Atlanta's swinest. A limit on beer sales was imposed. A special protective cover was erected over the Braves' bullpen in left field.
City Councilman Walter McCaffrey sent the Braves a letter asking the team to donate its portion of the gate receipts to defray the extra security costs. That could add up, since more than 50,000 fired-up New Yorkers were expected at the game.
There already were hints the crowd could turn ugly, as some fans recently handed out fliers on the No. 7 platform advertising "John Rocker Battery Night.'' Fans were encouraged to bring and fling their batteries to greet Rocker.
In response, New York Mets officials promised a zero-tolerance policy against fans behaving badly.
The road trip to hell is just the latest in a series of self-inflicted woes for Rocker: a suspension for his comments, his threats against the writer of the SI piece, and a brief demotion to the minor leagues.
Go Back To The Articles Page!
This page hosted by 
Get your own Free Home Page