I coined that nickname for John Rocker long ago, though it didn't stick (but it should have). Now once again John Rocker has opened an orifice on his body and produced a substance that turns most people off. I'm not going to spend a lot of time on Rocker, but this is Braves-related, so I might as well post it and get it out of the way. This quote comes via USA Today:
Of course, Rocker says now, he tested positive. Because, he says, "Let's be honest. Who wasn't (using steroids)?"
When asked if it made him a better pitcher, Rocker said:
"No. Can I throw 3 or 4 mph harder because of it? Yes. Was my breaking ball better because of it? No. The reason was (for taking it) with my teammates and their confidence laying on my shoulders, with the coaching staff and their confidence on my shoulders, with the millions of Atlanta Braves fans, I am not going to step on that mound with that kind of responsibility with my gun half loaded. Knowing the people I am going to be facing, I know what they're doing; I am not coming to the mound halfcocked."
I think we all got the impression that Rocker went to the mound a complete cock (not halfcocked).
For the record, I did enjoy Rocker's enthusiasm on the mound in the beginning. I even enjoyed watching his return to New York after those comments he made in Sports Illustrated. That's as close as baseball comes to "Thunderdome" style justice.
Hopefully we can now forget about John Rocker. I still think he should go into Pro Wrestling.
As for his own career, yeah, Rocker has a few regrets.
"I wish," he says, "37-year old John Rocker could go back and punch 23-year old John Rocker in his face."
He's not the only one.