Selig Orders Rocker to Face Psychological Tests for Comments

John Rocker was ordered by baseball to undergo psychological tests before deciding whether to punish the outspoken Atlanta Braves’ reliever for remarks he made disparaging gays, minorities and immigrants.

Commissioner Bud Selig said Thursday he will wait for the evaluation before deciding on any disciplinary action.

“Mr. Rocker’s recent remarks made to a national magazine reporter were reprehensible and completely inexcusable,” Selig said in a statement. “I am profoundly concerned about the nature of those comments as well as by certain other aspects of his behavior.”

Selig said he will take “whatever additional action that I consider to be necessary” after Rocker’s evaluation.

Brave President Stan Kasten said that he thought punishment was warranted, but said the commissioner’s office will decide, not the team.

“It’s important that John gets right with the organization, his teammates and the community,” Kasten said. “But we at least need to give the man an opportunity to demonstrate his heartfelt remorse and correct the problem.”

He said if the comments had been published during the season, Rocker likely would have been suspended indefinitely.

Kasten said the evaluation should begin within days. He said releasing Rocker remains an option but is unlikely.

In his comments to Sports Illustrated last month, Rocker said he would never play for a New York team because he didn’t want to ride a train “next to some queer with AIDS.” He also bashed immigrants, saying, “I’m not a very big fan of foreigners. . . . How the hell did they get in this country?”

While driving in Atlanta during the interview, Rocker spit on a toll machine and mocked Asian women: “Look! Look at this idiot,” he said. “I guarantee you she’s a Japanese woman. How bad are Asian women at driving?”

He also called a black teammate “a fat monkey.”

Rocker later apologized and said he was not a racist, but several advocacy groups said the written apology and baseball’s action thus far was not enough.

“We have asked for his termination and still stand by that,” Jeff Graham, executive director of Atlanta’s AIDS Survival Project, said Thursday. “This certainly falls short of what we asked for and think is appropriate.”

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The Baltimore Orioles have reached an agreement with free-agent pitcher Aaron Sele on a four-year deal worth about $29 million, the Baltimore Sun reported.

Sele, 29, was 18-9 for Texas last season. He turned down a four-year, $28-million offer from the Rangers.

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The Dodgers traded outfielder Terry Jones to the New York Yankees for a player to be named. The Dodgers made the move to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for reliever Gregg Olson, who signed with the team Wednesday.

Jones signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers as a free agent on Oct. 28 and was promoted to their major league roster on Nov. 18. He hit .262 last season at triple-A Ottawa.

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With his job about to become extinct, Gene Budig resigned as American League president and was appointed a senior advisor to Selig.

Budig’s counterpart, Leonard Coleman, announced Sept. 15 that he was resigning as National League president, effective Oct. 31. Coleman also became a senior advisor to Selig.

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Baseball’s umpires could know by the end of January which union will represent them in their next contract talks.

Testimony concluded Thursday at a National Labor Relations Board hearing to determine whether major league baseball illegally interfered in a vote among umpires to start a new union.

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The Houston Astros signed former Cy Young Award winner Dwight Gooden to a minor league contract. . . . Former Philadelphia Phillie manager Nick Leyva was hired as manager of the Chicago White Sox’s triple-A team.