Braves Relieved to Split From New York

John Rocker’s holiday weekend in company with about 600 members of the New York Police Department ended uneventfully Sunday. The Atlanta Braves had 17 hits, Tom Glavine pitched stylishly and Rocker wasn’t needed except for when he briefly warmed up left fielder Reggie Sanders and stirred up a crowd of 45,261 in the eighth inning of his team’s 10-2 victory over the New York Mets.

In gaining a split of the four-game series and retaining the two-game National League East lead they took in, the Braves reaffirmed that they will not give up their division dominance easily. They may also have defused some of the long-running Rocker distraction now that this long anticipated series--which brought Rocker to Shea Stadium for the first time since he ridiculed a large segment of the city, including gays, foreigners and minorities, in a December article in Sports Illustrated--is behind them.

“I don’t think the fans will give it up, and that’s fine, but a lot of the extra emphasis seemed to die down the last couple days,” Glavine said. “I think the perfect thing that could have happened here happened. [Rocker] got in the first game, there were 300 media here for it, half were gone the next day, and it’s actually been kind of fun. People have been talking more about the teams, how important the series is. That’s what we all want. I mean, we’re conditioned to deal with just about anything, but there hasn’t been a day go by that we haven’t been asked about Rocker and that’s been tiresome, a nuisance.

“I know that every time we go into a new city they’ll want to cover it in their own way, but I think the more we put it behind us it will be less and less a topic of discussion. At least, I hope so.”

Wishful thinking? Time will tell.

Rocker talked about his insignificance in the grand scheme in issuing another apology prior to the first game of the series. He then pitched a perfect inning in that game, but was unavailable as the Mets rallied to win the second game because of a callus on his thumb. Rocker was not needed in the last two games--one a blowout by the Mets, the other by the Braves.

As his team took batting practice Sunday, Rocker signed balls and gloves tossed to him from the bleachers. He did not appear again until he emerged from the bullpen to warm up Sanders in the left-field corner. A Shea security man stood behind Rocker, watching the stands, as were three plainclothes police officers on the warning track. As play was about to resume, Rocker walked back to the bullpen and tossed a ball in the bleachers and another in the grandstand seats. The second ball was immediately thrown back on the field, and the person who threw it was arrested, according to stadium officials.

“New York did a great job with security,” Atlanta outfielder Brian Jordan said, “The fans could have gotten out of hand, even with the security, but they’re just normal fans who love their Mets.

“I also think John did a good job of handling the situation here. He did nothing to inflame it, and he tried to make a statement by apologizing on the big screen [before the first game]. I don’t know how it went over, but it was a good gesture.”

Glavine made another Sunday, coming up a big effort after the Mets took advantage of the Braves’ injury-depleted bullpen to score 10 runs in the eighth inning of Friday’s stunning 11-8 victory and rapped Greg Maddux for seven runs in Saturday’s 9-1 win.

Glavine gave up three hits through six innings and shut out the Mets until Mike Piazza and Todd Zeile hit consecutive homers in the seventh. The homer was Piazza’s 24th, extending two streaks. He has hit in 20 consecutive games and driven in at least one run in the last 15, two shy of the major league record.

Javier Lopez hit two homers for the Braves, who scored four runs off Glendon Rusch in the second inning, a quick response to the Mets’ assaults of the previous two games. It’s only July, but a message is a message, and the resolute Braves, who have won eight consecutive division titles, got in the final word.

“I don’t think we need reaffirmation,” Glavine said. “I don’t know how much we have to say as a team anymore. Our record speaks for itself. At the same time, we have a lot going on right now, a lot of guys hurt, in the bullpen and otherwise, so to step up again today definitely helps psychologically.

“We have a solid club on the field and a club that’s been tested mentally in a lot of ways over the years, and this was more proof of that.”

Having survived their latest magnified test, Glavine, Rocker and the Braves headed for the team bus, and a police escort to nearby LaGuardia Airport.