Quote:
Rocker hopes to rejuvenate career with Ducks
ESPN.com news services
John Rocker signed with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League on Thursday.
The left-handed reliever became the center of controversy while with the Atlanta Braves in 1999 when he made derogatory comments in Sports Illustrated about gays and minorities.
He agreed to a one-year deal with the Ducks.
"John Rocker wants to pitch on Long Island," Ducks pitching coach and former big leaguer Dave LaPoint said. "He had opportunities to pitch elsewhere and he chose to pitch here."
The 30-year-old Rocker hasn't pitched in the majors since 2003, when he allowed one run, two hits and three walks in one inning for Tampa Bay. He had surgery in July of that year to repair a torn rotator cuff, a procedure that normally requires 12-18 months of recuperation.
Rocker threw 94-96 mph and sometimes reached 98 mph while saving 83 games as the Braves' closer from 1998-01. He struggled after he was traded to Cleveland in 2001, with his fastball topping out in the low 90s, and was dealt to Texas before the 2002 season. He had a 9.15 ERA in 17 appearances with Double-A Orlando when Tampa Bay released him in June 2003.
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http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2032048
Long Island! His favorite place!