Former MLB Pitcher John Rocker Sparks Attention With Insensitive Uber Post
Ex-MLB reliever John Rocker confirms his control hasn’t improved since his pitching days.
Former MLB pitcher John Rocker, once an MLB bad guy, reminded fans this week why his name still prompts controversy.
ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 4: John Rocker of the Atlanta Braves looks on against the New York Yankees at Turner Field on June 4, 2000 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Yankees defeated the Braves 7-6.(Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images)
Now 50, Rocker turned to X to weigh in on a topic unrelated to baseball.
In a post about Uber drivers, Rocker wrote: "There should be an ‘American Citizen Driver’ selection option on Uber. I don’t want to be driven by someone who was riding a camel 12 months ago."
The post prompted some renewed scrutiny of Rocker’s record of inflammatory remarks.
Baseball: NLCS Playoffs: Closeup of Atlanta Braves John Rocker (49) after game vs New York Mets at Shea Stadium. Game 4. Flushing, NY 10/16/1999 CREDIT: V.J. Lovero (Photo by V.J. Lovero /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X58918 TK4 R2 F2 )
Rocker has long made statements that drew public criticism.
In a 1999 interview with Sports Illustrated, he made a series of remarks that generated outrage, including, in part, the following statement about foreigners: "The biggest thing I don't like about New York are the 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 … How the hell did they get in this country?"
The interview led Major League Baseball to suspend and fine him in early 2000 while ordering sensitivity training, a response that underscored how his off-field conduct had begun to eclipse his career on the mound.
CLEVELAND - SEPTEMBER 18: John Rocker #49 of the Cleveland Indians throws a pitch against the Kansas City Royals during the game on September 18, 2001 at Jacob's Field in Cleveland, Ohio. The Indians won 11-2. (Photo by Tom Pidgeon/Getty Images)
Rocker later apologized and rejected accusations of racism, though his public comments often eclipsed his accomplishments during his six-year MLB career (1998–2003), when he recorded 88 saves.
Earlier this year, Rocker appeared in headlines again after a Bourbon Street confrontation with Patrick Mahomes Sr., later revealed to be part of a promotional stunt for a celebrity boxing event.
More than two decades after his suspension, Rocker’s latest post shows his behavior and the reactions have changed little.
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