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Bud's belief Braves' punishment suffices in latest Rocker ruckus
Posted: Saturday June 10, 2000 08:04 PM
CHICAGO (AP) -- John Rocker's demotion to the minors is punishment enough for his latest episode of bad behavior, and commissioner Bud Selig doesn't see a need to discipline him further. Selig, who was at the Cubs-White Sox game on Saturday afternoon, said he was "not stunned, but surprised" when he heard Rocker threatened the reporter who wrote the story about his views on foreigners, gays and minorities. The Atlanta Braves demoted him to Triple-A Richmond on Monday, one day after the incident. "I meant what I said Monday, I was saddened," Selig said. "I had talked to him myself. I watched the situation very closely. It's hard for me sometimes to comprehend what people are thinking about. "I believe very strongly in personal responsibility," he added. "Life is not a one-way street." Selig suspended Rocker for the first month of the regular season and fined him $20,000 after his comments appeared in a December issue of Sports Illustrated, but an arbitrator reduced the suspension to two weeks and the fine to $500. The pitcher also was ordered to undergo sensitivity training. He had a chance encounter last Sunday with Jeff Pearlman, the reporter who wrote the story. Pearlman said Rocker made threatening comments such as, "This isn't over between us," and, "Do you know what I can do to you?' The two-minute confrontation became so heated Rocker flipped around the bill of his cap so he could get face-to-face with Pearlman. Though the Braves said Rocker was demoted to work on his control -- he'd given up 25 walks in 18 1-3 innings -- the run-in made the move a no-brainer. "They reacted quickly," Selig said. "At this point, no, I don't feel the need to do anything." Though he's been jeered plenty this season, Rocker has also heard his share of cheers. He's even gotten a few standing ovations. On Friday night, when he made his first minor league appearance in Toledo, Ohio, he signed autographs during the game. Rocker struck out the side in the ninth inning against the Toledo Mud Hens. Richmond plays at Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday night. "How people react is not something I can control," Selig said. "To be frank with you, I did what I did because it was the right thing to do. I still think it was the right thing to do." In other matters, Selig said he considers interleague play, in its fourth season, a success. Fans love to see rivalries like the Cubs-White Sox and the Mets-Yankees, he said. "Can it get any better than this?" he asked. "Walking into the ballpark today, the electricity is just marvelous." Though White Sox manager Jerry Manuel said he would like to see series like the Cubs-White Sox moved to the end of the season to make them even more meaningful, Selig disagreed. With pennants and playoff spots on the line late, teams should be playing teams in their own league, he said. He also doesn't want to add more interleague games. "I'm thrilled with interleague play," he said. "(But) any more than 15-18 games would be too much."
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