John Rocker once controversially asserted his dislike of 'outsiders' in New York: "I’m not a very big fan of foreigners"
In 1999, then-Atlanta Braves relief pitcher John Rocker gave one of the most controversial interviews in baseball history. When asked whether he'd like to play in New York, Rocker made disgraceful statements about the city and its people.
John Rocker was only in the MLB for six seasons. He was primarily with the Braves from 1998 to 2001 before being traded to other teams. Rocker, a Statesboro, Georgia native, made his last appearance in 2003 while playing for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays after two games and one total inning. He signed with the Long Island Ducks from the independent Atlantic League in 2005, but after posting a 6.50 ERA in 23 appearances, Rocker left the sport.
In an infamous interview with Sports Illustrated, Rocker made controversial comments about New York City. He directed abuse at the cultural and ethnic diversity that the city had and said that the presence of "foreigners" in the city was distressful:
“The biggest thing I don’t like about New York are the foreigners. I’m not a very big fan of foreigners. You can walk an entire block in Times Square and not hear anybody speaking English. Asians and Koreans and Vietnamese and Indians and Russians and Spanish people and everything up there. How the hell did they get in this country?”
He would also add previously that he would rather retire than play for the city's two most decorated teams.
“I would retire first. It’s the most hectic, nerve-racking city. Imagine having to take the [Number] 7 train to the ballpark, looking like you’re [riding through] Beirut next to some kid with purple hair next to some queer with AIDS right next to some dude who just got out of jail for the fourth time right next to some 20-year-old mom with four kids. It’s depressing."
John Rocker was heavily criticized for his comments. The reporter from Sports Illustrated, Jeff Pearlman, further mentioned that during their driving interview session, Rocker spat on a Georgia State Route 400 toll machine and mocked Asian women. Rocker also referred to teammate Randall Simon as a "fat monkey."
Commissioner Bud Selig suspended Rocker for 14 games without pay at the start of the 2000 season.
John Rocker called New York Mets fans 'degenerates'
John Rocker not only spoke about the city of New York but also called out New York Mets fans. He called them "degenerates" for how they conducted themselves in the ballpark.
"Nowhere else in the country do people spit at you, throw bottles at you, throw quarters at you, throw batteries at you and say, 'Hey, I did your mother last night—she's a wh*re.' I talked about what degenerates they were and they proved me right."
John Rocker's career wouldn't be the same since then. He would make further distasteful comments about the LGBT+ community during his time with the Texas Rangers. Even after his career was over, Rocker supported former teammate Ozzie Guillen for an alleged homophobic slur used against a reporter.