You could always count on John Rocker when he was the Braves’ relief ace to come in and put out a baseball fire.
And you can always count on Rocker to help fan the flames and run toward the fire when it comes to commentary on the state of the world. Recall his infamous Sports Illustrated interview about New Yorkers in December 1999 that got him into enough trouble that he got a 14-game suspension from Major League Baseball.
In his latest column on WND.com, a Washington, D.C.-based web site that publishes content from the conservative and political right, Rocker takes on the Braves' proposed move from Turner Field to Cobb County and offers a perspective shared by many.
He writes:
"The crime and violence that has plagued the community since the 1970s – when the city wooed the Braves franchise from Milwaukee and built Atlanta Fulton County Stadium – wasn't just going to pack up and leave simply because a baseball stadium popped up, and the good residents of metro Atlanta weren't about to risk their lives by moving there, either.
When the Braves open up the new stadium in Cobb County for the 2017 season, you can bet big money that not one area business will require a 'heavy metal screen' at the counter."
His view was echoed today by radio commentator Neal Boortz on his daily rant on WSB Radio.
Boortz says Atlanta only has itself to blame for the safety and development around Turner Field and the Braves' desire to leave the area.
"You blew it!" he exclaims. "Around Turner Field now we have stores with burglar bars on the doors and windows. We have clerks who work behind steel cages."
