Though his playing career was a bit more distinguished, Roger McDowell, nicknamed "Jolly Roger" while pitching for the New York Mets, seemed a natural to follow in the footsteps of baseball funnymen like Bob Uecker and Max Patkin.
He lit firecrackers in the dugout and was a master at the hot foot. He once wore his uniform upside down -- pants over his head with shoes on his hands -- during a nationally televised game. Before a game in Los Angeles he performed with a mariachi band. And in 1992, the embattled Braves pitching coach had a cameo on a memorable "Seinfeld" episode that may prove prophetic if allegations leveled against him are verified.
Appearing as himself in a parody of the famous Zapruder film, McDowell spits on fictional Mets fans Cosmo Kramer and Newman after the portly postal carrier insults teammate Keith Hernandez.
Earlier this week he was accused of lobbing anti-gay remarks toward heckling fans at San Francisco's AT&T Park. Additionally, a Fresno man claims the six-year Braves coach threatened him.
The allegations don't jibe with the free spirit who longtime Cubs fan Jerry Pritkin remembers as "a truly great entertainer" and "good guy."
The self-proclaimed "Bleacher Preacher," who's openly gay, defended McDowell in an interview Thursday with the AJC's Carroll Rogers.
"He always had fun with people in the bleachers, no matter what ballpark he was in, but because Chicago had such a great bleacher crowd, they really looked forward to him coming whenever he came to town," Pritkin said.
Now, "Jolly Roger" finds himself being compared to John Rocker, who gained infamy following a Dec. 1999 Sports Illustrated interview in which he demeaned virtually every minority group, including homosexuals, while bashing New York City.
In a letter to Braves President John Schuerholz published by Georgia Voice, the gay rights group Georgia Equality called McDowell's actions "far too reminiscent of the actions of John Rocker over a decade ago. What is perhaps most troubling is that unlike John Rocker, Roger McDowell serves in a leadership position within the organization. Without firm disciplinary action, others will assume this his casual use of anti-gay speech and threats of physical violence is somehow tolerable."
But Pritkin said McDowell is no John Rocker.
"I understand why some people would be disturbed, as I was," he told the AJC. "But he made an apology and I accept that. I don’t believe Roger is that kind of guy."
McDowell, 50, retired from pitching in 1998 after three shoulder surgeries in 14 months. He briefly served as a pitching coach in the Chicago White Sox organization before retiring to California with dreams of joining the celebrity golf circuit. One problem: "My golf game stunk," he told the AJC's Mark Bradley in 2006.
He returned to baseball in 2001 with the Dodgers organization, serving as a pitching instructor with the South Georgia Waves and Las Vegas 51s. The call from the Braves to interview for the job vacated by coaching legend Leo Mazzone was unexpected, as was his hiring.
"It's kind of like an intern getting the job as vice president of U.S. Steel," McDowell said at the time. Five years later, he's established a solid reputation around baseball, drawing praise for his work with young pitchers. Now he's left wondering if he'll be allowed to return to work.
"Roger is hurting," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Friday. "He’s got to deal with a family and his reputation and no matter what the punishment is or whatever it is, he’s got to pay it to a little higher authority. He’s going to be okay."
