Ex-MLB pitcher John Rocker rips New York City, swipes at Zohran Mamdani in scathing post

New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani responded to criticism from House Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025.

Controversial former MLB pitcher John Rocker offered an explicit critique of New York on Tuesday as the election for the city’s next mayor nears.

Rocker brought up the remarks he made to Sports Illustrated in December 1999 after the Atlanta Braves took on the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series. He wrote on social media that the city hasn’t changed much in his eyes.

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Atlanta Braves' closing pitcher John Rocker returns some compliments to unruly New York Mets' fans after the final out in Game 3 of the 1999 National League Championship Series at Shea Stadium. (Howard Earl Simmons/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)

"25 years ago I criticized New York for its rapid decline into a third world country," he wrote on X. "I was forced to undergo Psychological Counseling, as if I were the crazy one. 25 years later, the city is voting in a muslim socialist for mayor. F--- NEW YORK."

Rocker was referring to Zohran Mamdani, who is the favorite to win the election over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.

Rocker’s infamous remarks to the magazine came at the height of the Braves and Mets’ rivalry in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Mets finally got through the Braves in the 2000 NLCS and played in the World Series against the New York Yankees later that year.

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani greets supporters as he attends a "New York is Not For Sale" rally at Forest Hills Stadium, in the Queens borough of New York City, U.S., Oct. 26, 2025. (REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)

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