John Rocker at Yankee Stadium

PAGE 8 — THE DECREE —NOVEMBER 30,2001 John Rocker at Yankee Stadium By DR. TERRY SMITH He had chosen this game because strike out the right-handed Scott the Braves regained the lead, 7-6. and pulling at his cap, as if he is the Atlanta Braves, the team we Brosius with a nasty curve ball. The Yankees used three pitch about to fly off in all directions. New York, June 9: I hadn’t both have followed, I for more Both pitchers survived the sec ers to get through the inning, the Everything seems out of control. been in Yankee Stadium for some than 20 years, were in town to ond inning nicely, but the third second of whom, one Almanzer, When he hit Derek Jeter on 40 years. Arriving some 90 min play the Yankees. We got to the was full of excitement. In the top was not familiar to the fans be the hip with his first pitch, the utes before game time, I had a stadium in time to see the Braves of the inning Rafael Furcal put hind us. He had faced three bat cries of disapproval turned to out chance to look around and found take batting and fielding practice on a speed show. First he dragged ters, gotten one out, walked an rage. It was as if Rocker had as the old Yankee Stadium still vis and to watch the grounds crew the ball perfectly toward first and other, and given up a double to saulted all of New York all over ible, the new playing field fitted prepare the field for the game. beat it out for a hit. Brian Jordan that scored the lead again. Had he done it purpose within the old, with bullpens and As the watering of the infield Alas, the elderly Yankee fans run. fully? Hardly, for his pitching had centerfield monuments moved. dirt went on and on, a voice be around me didn’t see Furcal’s This wasn’t quite enough for loaded the bases and brought Paul Our seats were in the upper hind us cried, “That’s enough with skill. Instead they argued about my favorite kind of Yankee fan. O’Neill to the plate with Bernie deck along the right field line, the water! Let’s play baseball!” which Yankee to blame. Ought “He won’t last” was the consen Williams on deck. Both men had and from there I could see that It’s nice to be back in New York, Mendoza have covered first more sus. “The Yanks don’t tolerate hit the ball hard all afternoon. the vision-obstructing pillars of I thought. quickly? Should Martinez or failure.” As if they were different Rocker’s first pitch to O’Neill was the past stadium had been re Oddly, we were asked to stand Soriano have reacted more from the rest of the world in this way off the plate. At least, I moved. Growing up near New for the National Anthem about quickly? respect. Well, they were putting thought, he didn’t hit him. I was York in the 1940s and 1950s a 20 minutes before the game be It seemed clear, though, that it up with manager Joe Torre — an thinking of damage control here. National League fan. I’d always gan. Instead of the Yankee start was Furcal’s speed and bunting unusually successful manager Maybe if the Braves could get hated the Yankees and their fans ers taking the field and facing the ability, not a Yankee mistake, that who on this day was being con another pitcher warmed up for their arrogance. flag at attention, the few players made the play. Furcal’s speed on spicuously outmanaged by At quickly ...But there was no one in The collapse of the Yankee who were on the field turned and the bases later in the inning forced lanta manager Bobby Cox. the Braves’ bullpen. Then Rocker dynasty in the sixties and seven attended. It was as if we had to a throwing error from David Jus As an example, Torre had used threw two m ore pitches to ties had washed away much of get this business over with before tice as he scored the first of three left-hander Mike Stanton to fin O ’Neill, and both missed the that arrogance, and my hatred too, the television cameras were runs in the inning. The Braves ish the seventh inning, and Cox plate. The level of noise, if pos but the great Yankee teams of the turned on. The game did begin led 5-1. had three right-handed power hit sible, increased, and a derisive past few years had brought a great promptly at 1:25, presumably at But that lead lasted little more ters (only one of the three had note entered. New York seemed deal of that arrogance back, par the insistence of Fox Network, than an inning. The Yankees started the game) at the bottom of about to slay the great ogre from ticularly among Yankee fans of who were televising it. struck back, first finishing Smoltz the Braves’ batting order to face the outlands. my own age. As far as my own It was quickly apparent that in the third, then against relief him in the top of the eighth. One, Rocker’s fourth pitch to Yankee-hatred goes, it seems to the game would not be a pitch pitcher Jason Marquis in the have disappeared. I still like to Wes Helms, hit a home ran over O’Neill was deemed a strike by ers’ battle. In the first inning, fourth. They got three back in the the center field fence. And so the see them lose, but I don’t see any the umpire; O’Neill had declined Ramiro Mendoza, the large Yan third, as Smoltz was again able to Braves led 8-6 going into the last sense in hating folks like Joe to offer. Then O’Neill swung and kee right-hander, retired the retire only one of the five left- of the eighth. Torre and Don Zimmer. switch-hitting Quilvio Veras and missed two more fastballs, and handed hitters. The centerpiece In this last of the eighth the the inning was suddenly over. My son Harry had the tickets right-handed hitters Andrew of the attack was a majestic two- defining moments of the game from the company he works for. Jones and Brian Jordan. Rocker walked unconcemed to run home run by Jorge Posada occurred. Left-hander Mike the Braves’ dugout. In the same inning, two left- that landed in the black seats in Remlinger had retired three Yan The crowd grew very quiet Drinking policy handed hitters came to bat. Rafael dead center field, the longest of kees in order in the seventh, and very quickly. In the silence, I Furcal singled. Chipper Jones six homeruns hit during the game. if he got through the eighth in heard a single voice: “Well, I’ll affects athletes homered into the Yankee bullpen Marquis was treated rudely by tact, John Rocker, already warm say this: that Rocka’s got balls!” in center field. It was just the be Bemie Williams in the fourth. (Continued from Front Page) ing up in the Braves’ bullpen, Fans began to leave. The game ginning of many lefty-righty du With one man on, his line drive age are not to be caught drinking would come in during the ninth was, in effect, over. els that would ensue during the just cleared the fence in left field. within 48 hours of practice or to attempt to close out the game. In the ninth, Chipper Jones afternoon. The Yanks led, 6-5. competition. Remlinger, however, did get ended his afternoon as he had be Braves’ right-hander John As Marquis entered the game “It’s college!” she said. into a bit of trouble. He retired gun it, with a home run into the Smoltz proved even less steady in relief of Smoltz, I heard for the This athlete also believes that two men, then walked a batter, Yankee bullpen. Having enacted than Mendoza in the last of the first time the name of the player not everyone will stick to these and then Soriano singled sharply the role of fireman in the eighth, first, but he escaped with less who would be the principal actor rules, and it may cause problems to right. That brought Derek Jeter Rocker closed out the Yankees damage, thanks to some clever in the afternoon’s drama: “I won within the teams if some people to the plate, manager Cox to the quietly in the ninth, final score managing by Bobby Cox. der if they’ll use Rocka?” are caught and others are not, or mound, and John Rocker in from 10- 6. Yankees’ manager Joe Torre John Rocker, of course, had if one team member “rats out” the bullpen. As the game ended, perhaps had five left-handed hitters in his caused great consternation by de another. However, she also said John Rocker is a large man. 20,000 fans remained in the lineup (two were switch-hitters). nouncing New Yorkers, gay folk, that if people are willing to give My Who’s Who in Baseball lists stands. We waited awhile before Torre’s batted second through recent immigrants and others in a up their bad habits, that shows him as six-feet-four and 210 leaving, but still left in the com sixth in this order: Paul O’Neill, 1999 Sports Illustrated article and that they are dedicated to the team.

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