John Rocker takes a step toward shedding his Public Enemy No. 1 label by autographing a ball for a young fan Thursday.

Shyam Das, making his first decision as baseball's independent arbitrator, also cut Rocker's $20,000 fine to $500 in a decision announced Wednesday. Das upheld the order for Rocker to attend sensitivity training.

"I think it's fair," Braves pitcher Tom Glavine said. "It allows him some of spring training to get ready for the season. ... If not, you run the risk of John ruining his career. No one wants that. That would be unfair."

The reliever, punished for disparaging foreigners, homosexuals and minorities in a magazine interview, is expected to address teammates Thursday in Kissimmee, Fla., then hold a news conference.

Rocker originally was suspended for all 45 days of spring training and the first 28 days of the regular season by commissioner Bud Selig.

"I disagree with the decision," Selig said. "It does not reflect any understanding or sensitivity to the important social responsibility that baseball ... has to the public. It completely ignores the sensibilities of those groups of people maligned by Mr. Rocker and disregards the player's position as a role model for children."

Atlanta city councilman Derrick Boazman, leader of a coalition of minority groups that has called for the Braves to release Rocker, also was unhappy with the decision.

"Hate and bigotry and homophobia and racism have a place, evidently, and that place is in Major League Baseball," he said.

Rocker agrees to deal

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- John Rocker has agreed to a one-year contract with the Atlanta Braves. Terms of the agreement, reached Tuesday, were not available. The 25-year-old left-hander was one of the Braves' lowest-paid players last year at $217,500. Rocker had 38 saves, one short of the franchise record, but does not have enough major league service to be eligible for contract arbitration. That severely limited his bargaining power and meant a contract of about $300,000. The Braves also signed outfielder Freddy Garcia to a one-year deal. He has a chance to make the team as a bench player. Atlanta has yet to reach agreements with five other players, including 18-game winner Kevin Millwood. General manager John Schuerholz planned to cut off negotiations after Wednesday, automatically renewing the unsigned players to one-year contracts.

Former NL president Len Coleman, who had been the sport's top minority official, echoed that view.

Braves general manager John Schuerholz, who noted there was interest from other teams in acquiring Rocker, said Atlanta was prepared to accept Rocker back.

"We don't anticipate there will be a problem," he said. "I think John realizes he needs to mend his place in this team with his teammates."

In his Jan. 31 decision, Selig said Rocker's comments in a December issue of Sports Illustrated "offended practically every element of society."

Rocker will wind up missing the first 13 days of spring training and, if no games are postponed by weather, the first 12 games of the regular season. Atlanta's first game after the suspension is against Philadelphia at Turner Field on April 18.

"I think this is good all the way around," Braves reliever Rudy Seanez said. "Everybody is ready to get past it and move on."

Rocker told the magazine he would never play for a New York team because he didn't want to ride a subway train "next to some queer with AIDS." He also mocked foreigners and called a Latin teammate a "fat monkey."

Randall Simon, who believes he was the target of Rocker's "fat monkey" comment, said Wednesday he is ready to forgive.

"If he comes to me and apologizes, everything will be all right," Simon said. "He's one of my teammates. Everybody makes mistakes."

Simon said he hopes Rocker will address the team as a whole, as well as offer him a personal apology.

"I think he should because of what happened and what he said about me," Simon said. "He should give me some respect. I think I deserve an apology so we can move on."

In an exclusive editorial for Thursday's editions of The Atlanta Constitution, Rocker apologized to those he offended and said comments about his teammates were "totally unprofessional and out of line."

"He has to be more mature dealing with certain situations and dealing with his teammates," Jordan said. "He has to learn to control his anger. I think that's a big reason he said what he said."

The players' association filed a grievance against Selig, arguing the penalty was too great when compared with past discipline by the commissioner's office. The union repeatedly has succeeded in convincing arbitrators to overturn or reduce suspensions.

Selig's original penalty was believed to be the longest against a baseball player for an action not related to drug use since Lenny Randle of Texas got 30 days in March 1977 for punching his manager, Frank Lucchesi.

Rocker, 25, was heavily criticized by Atlanta civic officials and even teammates. But since training camp opened, some Braves have said they would be willing to forgive Rocker if he showed remorse through his words and actions. Braves owner Ted Turner said he deserved a second chance.

"My feeling is I would rather deal with it now, when the outcome of the games doesn't matter, than have it drop on us right dab in the middle of the season," Glavine said. "We still have to exercise some patience. It's already getting old, and even if he gets here tomorrow or Friday, it's not going to go away for a while."

Rocker was repeatedly taunted by New York Mets' fans during the pennant race and NL championship series, and then by New York Yankees' fans during the World Series. Several fans threw objects at the pitcher and some spit at him.

In his most extensive comments since the furor began, Rocker told ESPN in December he had lost his cool in the magazine interview and said things he didn't mean about New York fans because he wanted "to inflict some emotional pain in retaliation to the pain that had been inflicted on me."

"We want to give him a chance to explain himself," said Glavine, among the Braves players who met in January to discuss Rocker's plight. "The mind-set of the group was John should have a chance to explain himself and show that the way he was portrayed in the article was not his real mind-set."