Today John Rocker went on an Atlanta radio station and told the world that he was a steroid user and that Bud Selig knew about it.Better yet, he told us in the third-person:

He also said that “Bud Selig is a clown and should do the entire world a favor and kill himself.” Rocker, no stranger to controversy, made those comments on Atlanta radio station Rock 100.5.Later Monday, he told Atlanta sports talk radio station 680 The Fan that “between 40 to 50 percent of baseball players are on steroids” and “in 2000 Bud Selig knew John Rocker was taking the juice.”

Now, we all know John Rocker is insane and about as credible as a stripper at a lacrosse party. And Rocker offers us no hard evidence to support his claim that he failed a 2000 drug test.But we here at Umpbump have long believed that Rocker was on steroids. Around this time last year, a friend and former boss, Creative Loafing News Editor Scott Freeman, offered a story about Rocker and steroids. Freeman penned Leo Mazzone’s autobiography, so he should know.Here’s what he had to say: 

According to Leo, Rocker was so muscular that if he pitched more than one inning they’d have to take him down to the hallway leading to the dugout, lay him on the floor on his belly and stretch his back. Otherwise, he’d be too cramped up to pitch. He says Rocker became “high maintenance physically” because Rocker was so muscular from lifting weights. And I can remember walking past his locker and seeing a poster of Goldberg, the WCW heavyweight champ, hanging there.

It’s not hard to believe Rocker was on steroids. Hell, I’d believe he was on a lot of different drugs. And I’d argue that he belongs on a number of different prescription medications.Why is it that it’s only the John Rockers and Jose Cansecos of the world who come forward to spill their guts about baseball’s steroid problem? When is Cal Ripken, Jr. or Derek Jeter going to take a stand?

In the wake of John Rocker named in an HGH bust and his subsequent denial, then admission (via his publicist), then denial, I asked a friend and former boss, Creative Loafing News Editor Scott Freeman, to chime in on the Rocker controversy. Freeman penned Leo Mazzone’s autobiography. Here’s what he had to say:

In reading about John Rocker and the HGH controversy, I was reminded of a story that Leo Mazzone told me a few years back when we were collaborating on his autobiography: Leo Mazzone’s Tales From The Mound.

According to Leo, Rocker was so muscular that if he pitched more than one inning they’d have to take him down to the hallway leading to the dugout, lay him on the floor on his belly and stretch his back. Otherwise, he’d be too cramped up to pitch. He says Rocker became “high maintenance physically” because Rocker was so muscular from lifting weights. And I can remember walking past his locker and seeing a poster of Goldberg, the WCW heavyweight champ, hanging there.

Of course, Rocker’s outbursts were also noteworthy, not that it would have been ‘roid rage or anything.

Sometimes one plus one plus one equals three; sometimes not. It’s impossible to know at this point. But I do expect this latest HGH scandal to go beyond the scope of BALCO.

Thanks Scott. I just can’t get over the list of guys who have been exposed as steroid or HGH users. It’s the usual suspects (Canseco, Rocker, Giambi, McGwire), the sons of former players (Barry Bonds, David Bell, Gary Matthews, Jr., Jerry Hairston, Jr.) and the nobodies (Ryan Franklin, Jason Grimsley). Who will be next?