Indians Get Little Relief From Rocker

The Atlanta Braves, back leading the National League East, aren’t fooling anyone when they say it’s merely coincidence they have enjoyed their most consistent streak of the season since John Rocker was traded, taking all that baggage with him.

The Braves, who intend to work John Smoltz into the closer’s role when he comes off the disabled list today, are clearly at peace, no longer having to answer for someone else.

The other certainty is that Rocker isn’t fooling anyone either, especially American League batters.

He has been so ineffective since his acquisition by the pitching-needy Cleveland Indians that he has been moved out of the closer’s role and will be used in a setup position, a less stressful assignment that “will allow him to get his stuff and confidence back,” the Indians’ hopeful manager, Charlie Manuel, said.

In Rocker’s last 14 appearances, four with the Braves and 10 with the Indians, he has six losses, four blown saves and an earned-run average of more than eight.

Rocker led the NL in saves when traded, but he was an adventure on the mound, a distraction in the clubhouse.

The Indians took a gamble, trading two veteran relievers, Steve Karsay and Steve Reed, who are eligible for free agency when the season ends, for a younger, stronger closer signed through 2004.

Maybe the Indians should have read those clubhouse signs that say there is no gambling in baseball.

Not only has Rocker been ineffective in key situations, but he continues to march to his own music--most often heavy metal. He recently flew from Cleveland to Atlanta, for example, to attend a Black Sabbath concert, then flew back to Cleveland the next morning for a day game in which he gave up a ninth-inning run, drawing the loss.

Manuel said it was not his job to monitor players in their free time. The key is how Rocker performs on company time.

How long will he get to acclimate? Good question, Manuel said, adding: “I just think he needs some time to clear his head and get used to where he’s at, but it’s also July. You start giving people time, and you look up and the season is over.”

Agent Scott Boras registered his biggest score when he got the Texas Rangers to guarantee Alex Rodriguez $252 million last winter.

For the Rangers, however, it seems to have been a case of throwing good money after bad, considering Boras had already worked his magic, getting Texas to commit $37 million from 2000 through 2002 on suspect southpaws Darren Oliver and Kenny Rogers.

Oliver, who was 2-9 in his return to the Rangers last year, has now won only nine of 36 starts under his new contract, and Rogers will take a 5-7 record and 6.19 earned-run average into season-ending shoulder surgery next week.

Of course, it was also Boras who lured the Dodgers into a $55-million deal with Darren Dreifort, despite his sub-.500 career record and reconstructed elbow. Dreifort is now out until midseason of 2002 after a second elbow operation.

Despite the recent signing of Gerald Williams, the New York Yankees remain dissatisfied with their left-field situation and are willing to move Chuck Knoblauch, who was almost traded to Seattle recently and continues to have his worst offensive season while playing irregularly and batting .250 beginning the weekend. Manager Joe Torre has been looking for the “hot horse,” but Williams has had only two starts since joining the Yankees on June 28, and Shane Spencer is batting .234 with four homers and 13 RBIs.

A complicating factor in the left-field situation is David Justice’s two stints on the disabled list for a groin injury, although the Yankees would prefer to use Justice as the designated hitter when sound.

Owner George Steinbrenner was heard from again the other day, accusing the Yankees of underachieving despite leading the AL East. General Manager Brian Cashman has already traded for relievers Jay Witasick and Mark Wohlers but is under pressure from the Boss to strengthen the offense. The Yankees are looking in several directions, but the most intriguing may be Anaheim, where Garret Anderson could be available if the package is big enough.