New York City’s mayoral election seems to have only reinforced John Rocker’s negative feelings about the Big Apple. The former Braves relief pitcher took to X on Tuesday to voice his opinion on the state of the race, in which democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani is favored to win.
Rocker, who made headlines with his incendiary comments about New York during a Sports Illustrated interview in 1999, once again expressed his dislike of the city.
“25 years ago I criticized New York for its rapid decline into a third world country,” Rocker began his post. “I was forced to undergo psychological counseling, as if I were the crazy one. 25 years later, the city is voting in a Muslim socialist for mayor. F-K NEW YORK.”
During his 1999 interview with journalist Jeff Pearlman, Rocker didn’t hold back his disdain for New York and its residents. He bashed New York and Mets fans and openly expressed his discomfort with “foreigners.”
“I’d retire first. It’s the most hectic, nerve-wracking city,” Rocker said when asked if he’d ever play in New York. “Imagine having to take the 7 Train to the ballpark looking like you’re riding through Beirut next to some kid with purple hair, next to some queer with AIDS, right next to some dude who just got out of jail for the fourth time, right next to some 20-year-old mom with four kids. It’s depressing.”
He continued: “The biggest thing I don’t like about New York are the foreigners. You can walk an entire block in Times Square and not hear anybody speaking English. Asians and Koreans and Vietnamese and Indians and Russians and Spanish people and everything up there. How the hell did they get in this country?”
Following widespread backlash to the article, Rocker publicly apologized and was mandated by MLB to undergo psychiatric counseling before being suspended for 28 games—a ban that was later reduced by half.
When the Braves came to New York for the first time during the 2000 season, hundreds of NYPD officers provided extra security at a packed Shea Stadium. Many angry fans were ready to voice their displeasure toward Rocker.
In June of this year, Rocker recalled that game on social media, sharing a message similar to his recent post about the election.
“25 years ago today I pitched at Shea Stadium for the first time since the Sports Illustrated article released,” he wrote on X. “More than 700 NYPD were on site. Police escorted one person out of the stadium for throwing a beer bottle at me. We ended up winning that game. F-K NEW YORK.”
https://nypost.com/2025/10/28/sports/john-rocker-blasts-nyc-again-with-zohran-mamdani-favored-to-win-mayoral-election/