Braves reliever John Rocker has started to make a name for himself by shutting down the Mets so far in the NLCS. He is making just as much of a name for himself by his comments about New York and Mets fans. And while the Mets were not pleased with his trash talking, they wouldn’t fire back or even chastise the southpaw.
“It’s almost impossible to criticize him,” Mike Piazza said during yesterday’s workout at Shea. “I mean, not only is he talking, but he’s backing it up.”
Rocker is doing both of those things and it is difficult to tell what will make Mets fans hate him more.
After the Braves beat the Mets 4-3 in Game 2, Rocker said, “To hell with New York fans. They’re a bunch of stupid asses, anyway.”
That was just one of many verbal barbs Rocker has hurled at fans, which have been nearly as potent as the 97-mph fastballs he has used against Met hitters.
The 24-year-old shut down the Mets in both games. Rocker has pitched two scoreless innings, striking out four and picked up the save in Game 1. That goes a long way in being able to speak so freely. Even so, Bobby Valentine was taken aback when told of Rocker’s statements.
“How many Met fans has he met?” Valentine said. “That’s kind of interesting. I don’t know [if the comments will haunt him]. When you can throw 96 and throw it where you want it and have a hook like he has, I guess it’s easy to make any comment you want to make.”
And while you might figure Rocker’s attitude will alter the Mets’ approach to facing him, perhaps motivating them more than they already are, that isn’t necessarily the case.
“We just have to go up there and hit off of him,” Edgardo Alfonzo said. “Either you hit him, or you don’t. It doesn’t matter what he says or what anyone does. It’s up to us to do our job. We don’t need any more reason than that.”
Despite what Rocker has said and what he has done on the mound, the Mets remain sure that they will get the better of the loud-mouthed closer.
“I’m confident that we’ll get to him,” Piazza said. “It’s just a matter of time. That’s the attitude we have to have. We’re all professionals and we know our ability. He’s a tough pitcher, sure, but he’s not invincible.”