"Survivor" has included a minor celebrity or two over the years. The most notable was Lisa Whelchel from "The Facts of Life" season 25. She was charming, honest and likable, finishing as a runner up.
Now former Atlanta Brave John Rocker will be part of the 29th season "Survivor: San Juan del Sur — Blood vs. Water." The season debuts on CBS Sept. 24.
The season will feature 18 castaways, brought in as pairs. Rocker will join his girlfriend Julie McGee.
EW, which has been a dedicated follower of the show since season one, was given the exclusive and they have a video of him talking before the start of the competition.
The Sports Illustrated story about him from 1999 still haunts him. In that story, Rocker made impolite comments about gays, Asians and blacks, as well as New Yorkers. The media - especially in New York - had a field day. Rocker's reputation and his baseball career were never quite the same. The Braves eventually traded him and he was never as effective as a relief pitcher. By the age of 28, he was out of Major League Baseball. He said later he was both misquoted and taken out of context in the SI story. The author of the story denied that.
Rocker himself has remained outspoken over the years, pushing a "Speak English" campaign and popping up on the Regular Guys morning show on occasion. He wrote a book in 2011 about his life.
"Southside" Steve Rickman of the Regular Guys thinks Rocker will do well on the show. "He's likable, can live off the land and is a true competitor," he texted. "His girlfriend is CrossFit qualified. They both love the sun and don't need a lot of clothing. And I would say they're both in tip-top shape. His attitude should serve him well as long as he doesn't get frustrated."
He hasn't been in the spotlight for many years so it's possible the other contestants won't recognize him. If they do, will they put his past against him?
"Not really," he told EW on location in Nicaragua the day before filming began. "I see these folks that I'm getting ready to play this game with as very similar to the 13 years of professional baseball that I played, and the teammates that I played with. Some of my biggest supporters after that SI debacle were my current and past teammates."
"Dude, that's crazy!" said Tom Sullivan, a former Star 94 host and "Survivor" nut, when told Rocker is part of the show. "I may tune in just to see how he does. Sometimes, he pops off and that could make great television." (Sullivan tried out 10 times, made the semifinals five times but never made the final cut.)
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