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Controversial former Braves closer John Rocker to compete on 'Survivor'

John Rocker. (PHOTO: Erik S. Lesser/AP Photo)

John Rocker. (PHOTO: Erik S. Lesser/AP Photo)

Retired MLB pitcher John Rocker, a less endearing version of Kenny Powers who had about three good seasons in a career that ended over a decade ago, will compete on the CBS show Survivor this season, according to Entertainment Weekly. It makes sense, because John Rocker absolutely will not go away.

While serving as the Braves’ closer, Rocker became an infamous baseball villain after a hateful 1999 interview with Sports Illustrated in which he seemed to haphazardly spew racist and bigoted remarks in every direction possible, targeting — among others — foreigners in general, an African-American teammate, gay people, people with dyed hair, young mothers, and people who don’t speak English.

Rocker somehow had even less control of his pitches than he did of his mouth, and never found any success in three separate Major League stops after leaving Atlanta in the 2001 season. He last pitched in the big leagues in May, 2003, and yet he still apparently gets reality-TV calls. Somewhere, Matt Mantei is probably kicking himself and wishing he said a bunch of outlandish stuff to extend his life in the public eye.

The pitcher told EW that he is not concerned his fellow Survivor contestants in Nicaragua will hold the comments in Sports Illustrated against him. He did not say if he’s worried how they’ll feel about his “Speak English” campaign, or his belief that the Holocaust could have been avoided if only European Jews had more guns.

Rocker will compete alongside girlfriend Julie McGee, a professional in the spray-tan industry in which many of baseball’s seediest characters often seem to traffic.

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