| | WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- According to police reports, Braves reliever John Rocker was with friends who were accused of punching a woman at the Roxy nightclub in Orlando on Monday night, although police said there was no indication that Rocker was involved in any altercation.
Then, according to the Orlando Sentinel, as Rocker sat in the Braves' clubhouse
icing his elbow after pitching a scoreless seventh inning in Atlanta's 7-6
win over the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday, he lashed out at the media when asked about his possible involvement in the fight. Then he asked the clubhouse manager to remove reporters from the room.
"Why are you guys always asking me questions about my social life?" Rocker asked. "Everything is like a soap opera to you guys. I was in a club, a fight broke out. It's as simple as that. There were 500 people at that club. I didn't know any of the people (involved). It was just a bunch of random guys I didn't know. I left right after the fight broke out."
Police say an Orlando woman was struck on the nose when a fight between six people ensued in the VIP section of the club at about 1:45 a.m. The police report said the fight began when two women were arguing and Rocker's alleged acquaintances got involved.
Several witnesses told police they recognized Rocker but that he was not
involved in the altercation.
Braves players didn't seem surprised to hear of Rocker's latest brush with trouble.
"He just had a fight in New Orleans on New Year's," third baseman Chipper Jones said. "People will have to sit down with him and tell him he doesn't need to put himself in those situations. He doesn't need any more bad publicity."
Braves manager Bobby Cox, meanwhile, did seem surprised. When told, he turned and
stared at Rocker, who was about 15 feet away. Rocker glanced over but quickly looked away and returned to a conversation he was having with a teammate.
The latest incident comes amid trade rumors involving Rocker.
Possible trades have he and starting pitcher Bruce Chen going to Cleveland
for reliever Paul Shuey and starter Jaret Wright. A three-way trade that
would send Wright and Shuey to Atlanta, Rocker and Chen to Montreal and
Urbina to Cleveland also has been rumored, although the Expos flatly denied it.
Cox downplayed the rumors. "You never turn down a look at any trade, but I
just don't think this is serious," he said. | |
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