Rocker

ST. LOUIS -- John Rocker intentionally bumped into a TV cameraman Friday, according to the cameraman and a TV reporter.

The incident occurred about 3½ hours before a game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Cameraman Tom Stasiak and reporter Frank Cusumano, who work for KSDK, both said the minor collision was purposeful on Rocker's part.

The station played the incident prominently during its early evening newscasts, running footage of Rocker in street clothes apparently going out of his way to cause the contact.

The Atlanta reliever then said "excuse me" on his way down the tunnel to the Braves' clubhouse, Cusumano said.

Cusumano said he and Stasiak were waiting to get footage of Rocker because this was the Braves' first trip to St. Louis this year. When the camera light went on, Cusumano said, Rocker veered from the center of the hallway toward Stasiak.

"He saw that light and made a beeline," Cusumano said. "I was just amazed after what he's been through that he would create something like this."

After the game, Rocker told Fox Sport Net it was an accident and that he "wasn't paying attention."

"I was turning around, talking to somebody," he said. "I bumped into the guy and apologized and said, 'excuse me."'

Manager Bobby Cox didn't want to talk about it. "I don't know a thing about it and I don't want to know right now," Cox said.

Rocker was suspended for the first two weeks of the season by commissioner Bud Selig following a magazine interview in which he was critical of New Yorkers, foreigners and gays.

Rocker was demoted to the minors earlier this season, in part to work on control problems. He has only one save since June 23 and has 39 walks in 31 2/3 innings.