Rocker Says He Might Quit Baseball

John Rocker might not go to the minor leagues. He’s even considering whether to walk away from baseball altogether. And how would he make a living?

“I would be a stockbroker, probably,” the outspoken reliever said Wednesday.

In his first public comments since being demoted to triple-A Richmond, Rocker told radio station WKLS-FM in Atlanta that he’s upset about the way he was treated by the Atlanta Braves. He also said he never threatened Sports Illustrated reporter Jeff Pearlman, who wrote the story exposing Rocker’s offensive comments against gays, minorities and foreigners.

The Braves fined Rocker $5,000 for inappropriate conduct and said he was sent to the minors to work on his pitching control.

“I don’t know if I’m even going down or not . . . ,” Rocker said during a 30-minute appearance on “The Regular Guys” morning show. “I got a pretty raw deal of raw deals this time. There’s plenty of things I can do besides dealing with the headaches of this garbage.”

The Braves downplayed Rocker’s comments, saying he was just frustrated. Manager Bobby Cox said the pitcher even stopped by Turner Field on Wednesday to pick up his gear.

“He’s going to report,” said Cox, who didn’t speak with Rocker. “Absolutely.”

Rocker said he blames Pearlman for causing the public outcry and believes he should get an apology from the reporter for “the pain and suffering he caused.”

“I scold this guy for a minute and a half and instead of standing there and taking it like a man, he has to run back and say, ‘John Rocker yelled at me,’ ” Rocker said. “. . . The only repercussions that guy got to face was to get scolded for a minute and a half, instead of being a man and saying, ‘I’m sorry for everything you’ve been through.’ ”

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Cleveland Indian pitcher Jaret Wright was put on the 15-day disabled list for the second time this season with a sore right shoulder. Indian General Manager John Hart said the 24-year-old Wright has fluid in his shoulder that is causing pain.

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Philadelphia Phillies’ pitcher Andy Ashby is hinting strongly that he won’t sign a contract extension with the team. Ashby, who could be a free agent at the end of the season, told reporters he and General Manager Ed Wade have talked about the possibility of a trade before the July 31 trading deadline.

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New York Yankee Manager Joe Torre selected Seattle’s Lou Piniella and Tampa Bay’s Larry Rothschild to join him on the American League’s coaching staff for this year’s All-Star game.

Atlanta Brave Manager Bobby Cox picked his National League staff, adding Houston’s Larry Dierker and Arizona’s Buck Showalter.

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Pete Rose, under a lifetime ban from baseball for gambling, will manage an old-timers game July 15 in the triple-A Buffalo Bisons’ ballpark, the Buffalo News reported.

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Randy Johnson, who missed one start because of tenderness in his left shoulder, will start Friday for Arizona against the visiting Angels. . . . Chicago Cub third baseman Shane Andrews underwent successful back surgery and is expected to be out a minimum of eight weeks. . . . The San Diego Padres put right-hander Brian Boehringer on the 15-day disabled list with tendinitis in his throwing shoulder. The hopes of Cuban baseball star Andy Morales for a major league career in the U.S. were dashed when the Coast Guard repatriated him and 30 others, five days after they were picked up at sea while trying to flee. . . . Former major league manager Phil Regan and former major leaguer Reggie Smith were picked as coaches for the U.S. Olympic baseball team that Tom Lasorda will manage.