Former Braves pitcher Rocker on ‘Survivor’

Now former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Rocker will be part of the 29th season “Survivor: San Juan del Sur — Blood vs. Water.” The season debuts on CBS on Wednesday.

The season features 18 castaways, brought in as pairs who know each other, be it family or romance. Rocker will join his girlfriend Julie McGee, who runs a spray-tanning business and has been a model for 18 years.

The Sports Illustrated story about Rocker 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 never quite recovered. The Braves traded him and 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 has remained outspoken over the years, pushing a “Speak English” campaign and popping up on the Regular Guys radio morning show on occasion.

“Southside” Steve Rickman of the Regular Guys, a close friend, thinks Rocker will do well on “Survivor.”

“He’s likable, can live off the land and is a true competitor,” Rickman 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.”

Rocker hasn’t been in the spotlight for many years, so it’s possible other contestants won’t recognize him. If they do, will they put his past against him?

“Not really,” he told Entertainment Weekly 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.”

“Survivor” host Jeff Probst defended the Rocker pick to EW: “I find John Rocker a perfect fit for this show because of all the baggage he brings in … If the group of people with Rocker know who Rocker is, or just don’t like him as a guy, don’t even know who he is, they vote him out. That’s the game. Or if someone else with more power says, ‘I don’t like him and I want to take him to the end because I can beat him,’ then he’ll go to the end. The rules are made by the players.”

Rocker declined an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. His girlfriend McGee, who has dated him for three years, said a producer approached Rocker, then her, to be on the show. They both readily agreed.

McGee was excited by the challenge and sees herself as a great social player who makes friends easily. Rocker, she said, is an intimidating physical threat who could help win challenges.

“That could help keep him around,” McGee said. “At the same time, that could make him vulnerable.”