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Rocker says he sounded like 'a complete jerk'

Associated Press

John Rocker admitted yesterday that his racial and ethnic comments in a magazine article made him sound like "a complete jerk."

In his first interview since the uproar, the 25-year-old relief pitcher spoke to ESPN at his home in Macon, Ga., and again apologized, repeating that he is not a racist. He pointed out that several minority players stayed in his home while they were playing for the Braves minor league affiliate in Macon.

"I'll reiterate again and apologize one more time to anybody I've offended," Rocker said. "It certainly was not my intent."

Other than a brief written statement, the interview marked the first time Rocker has spoken about the controversy.

Rocker was asked what he would think if someone else made similar comments.

"I'd think he was a complete jerk," Rocker told ESPN. "Who the heck does this guy think he is mouthing off like this? What kind of experiences does he have to talk from?"

Rocker said the reaction to his remarks already has forced his family to change its phone number twice. He has hidden in the back of a van to avoid photographers and TV cameras outside his home.

Rocker said he thinks his life will eventually return to normal. He said teammates Andruw Jones, Bruce Chen and Odalis Perez, all minorities from outside the United States, lived with his family in Macon.

"If I was a racist, would I want a black guy living in my house and would I invite him to come to my house? I did that three times over," Rocker said.

Rocker said he was frustrated by New York Mets fans in Shea Stadium who threw batteries at him during the NL Championship Series. He said they screamed profanities about his family and beat a likeness of him in effigy.

In the Sports Illustrated interview, Rocker said he would never play for a New York team because he didn't want to ride a train "next to some queer with AIDS." He also bashed immigrants, saying "I'm not a very big fan of foreigners. ... How the hell did they get in this country?"