The Last Rocker Article

Runnin

Runnin

Well-known member
Most of us have probably seen this by now but I guess it an obligatory thread. Pretty good article I thought. It's the 15 years later, article on the article. The passage of time brings a little better focus and it has some self-reflection that seems sincere.

My favorite part is when Pearlman writes that Rocker dropped a pen out of his pocket while they were walking into the mall for lunch. Pearlman reached down and picked it up and Rocker says, "I did that on purpose."
 
I remember the dominant Rocker. Throwing mid 90's heat and striking out guys like crazy.

When this all happened, I was too young to understand what was going on (9-10). I remember him getting boo'd like crazy when he ran out at Shea.

Years later, I'm embarrassed that he represented our team.
 
Rocker is a piece of ****. Always will be. A quite enjoyable read, surprisingly. It's a topic that I got so ****ing tired of back in the day.
 
I remember getting home the night the article became public. Saw the bit on SportsCenter and thinking to myself "This is not going to end well".
 
Million dollar arm, 50 cent head.

He was absolutely dominant. If he would have learned to keep his mouth shut, probably would have went down as one of the most dominant lefty closers of our generation.

I used to get so amped when he would come into the game running out if the pen like a maniac, making hitters look like fools, and then pump his fist.

Personally I don't think John was a bad person, just immaturity at that point, trying to act tough and cool to a young reporter. No doubt he had some radical views and he crossed the line, but if that article or day never happens, the events that transpired probably don't happen. But after that I think he realized his career was over with his hometown team, and placed blame and had serious regrets leading to the tool that he still is today.

It's too bad. With his arm and tough guy attitude who knows how far he could have went. Before the article he was already a villain in Mets country among others. It's that persona that could have made him a big time deal in a good way, unfortunately, it went the other way and backfired.
 
I always liked Rocker, I think primarily because I came of baseball age during his dominant years and he was basically a comic book character to me; hulking figure, explosive stuff, persona teetering on the edge of sanity.

I don't agree with what he 'said', per se, but I think the remarks were grossly blown out of proportion by a fame-whore of a sports journalist (who looks about as washed up as he writes). It's pretty amusing that Pearlman still clings to the 'I outed an archaic xenophobe, and did society a real service!' line. If saying that Asian people are poor drivers is xenophobic, our society needs a long hard ****ing.
 
Millwood1Hitter said:
Million dollar arm, 50 cent head.

He was absolutely dominant. If he would have learned to keep his mouth shut, probably would have went down as one of the most dominant lefty closers of our generation.

I used to get so amped when he would come into the game running out if the pen like a maniac, making hitters look like fools, and then pump his fist.

Personally I don't think John was a bad person, just immaturity at that point, trying to act tough and cool to a young reporter. No doubt he had some radical views and he crossed the line, but if that article or day never happens, the events that transpired probably don't happen. But after that I think he realized his career was over with his hometown team, and placed blame and had serious regrets leading to the tool that he still is today.

It's too bad. With his arm and tough guy attitude who knows how far he could have went. Before the article he was already a villain in Mets country among others. It's that persona that could have made him a big time deal in a good way, unfortunately, it went the other way and backfired.
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He was doomed regardless if he kept his mouth shut or night. Combination of injuries/steroids and your career ends up like most closers after a few years.
 
Hawk said:
I always liked Rocker, I think primarily because I came of baseball age during his dominant years and he was basically a comic book character to me; hulking figure, explosive stuff, persona teetering on the edge of sanity.

I don't agree with what he 'said', per se, but I think the remarks were grossly blown out of proportion by a fame-whore of a sports journalist (who looks about as washed up as he writes). It's pretty amusing that Pearlman still clings to the 'I outed an archaic xenophobe, and did society a real service!' line. If saying that Asian people are poor drivers is xenophobic, our society needs a long hard ****ing.
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It's probably him saying Asian women are poor drivers, then being 99% assured it was an asian woman, then sees it wasn't. At some point, a funny stereotype becomes gospel to him.
 
I'll always hate Pearlman. I am probably in the minority, but I really only want things covered that happen between the lines. Off the field stuff should be covered as marketing buy guys who are dependent on the league and the teams.

Rocker was an idiot, but I'd rather not know about it. What I do know is that he was a heck of a closer before that story broke.
 
Coredor said:
I'll always hate Pearlman. I am probably in the minority, but I really only want things covered that happen between the lines. Off the field stuff should be covered as marketing buy guys who are dependent on the league and the teams.

Rocker was an idiot, but I'd rather not know about it. What I do know is that he was a heck of a closer before that story broke.
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Agree 100%.

I think though it got really really bad when Randall Simon and Brian Jordan found out about it, without prior knowledge to it.

However I think the privacy of sports figures changed the second they started making money into the multi-millions.
 
KeithLockhart said:
Agree 100%.

I think though it got really really bad when Randall Simon and Brian Jordan found out about it, without prior knowledge to it.

However I think the privacy of sports figures changed the second they started making money into the multi-millions.
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It pretty much started with Jim Bouton's Ball Four, but it would have happened anyway for the reason you cite, but also because athletes became celebrities.
 
Rocker should've kept his mouth shut, for sure, but the org should've recognized that he was a loose cannon before and taken steps to calm him down. The perfect storm was a combination of roid rage and a smartass NY Jewish writer. Pearlman had done a previous hatchet job on David Wells. So, he was always phishing for controversy. It wasn't hard to find in Rocker.

As others mentioned, a fireballing LH closer is a rare commodity. The firey (OK, obnoxious) personality was one thing, but the Mets fans hated him even more before he kicked their asses. Squandering all that talent cause huge damage to the Braves, and not just from a PR standpoint. If he'd have stayed on track, they would've had a dominate closer for years. Smoltz could have stayed in the rotation after recovering from TJ (he claims that he was physically capable of doing so).

As for the comments, he definitely got carried away. OTOH, what does that say about the state of affairs, when a relief pitcher becomes the top story in the nation for insulting liberal sacred cows? Even some comedian on Saturday Night Live once said, " I hate the guy, but he has ridden the #7 train!"
 
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