The professional baseball career of much-maligned relief pitcher John Rocker all but ended 17 years ago at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World following a brief and uneventful stint with the Orlando Rays, the Double-A affiliate of the then-Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Having briefly made a name for himself as a hard-throwing lefty with the Atlanta Braves, and perhaps more so while making racist and homophobic comments in a Sports Illustrated profile story, Rocker debuted with the O-Rays as a 28-year old on this date in 2003.
Rocker allowed one hit while pitching a scoreless eighth inning at Cracker Jack Stadium during a 15-3 win against the Birmingham Barons.