There are two versions of John Rocker. The one you think you know from the headlines, and the one who sat down for this conversation.

In Part 2, John takes us back to a cheap hotel room off I-295 in Jacksonville, Florida. He was demoted, pitching scared, and counting ERA percentages in his head mid-inning just to cope. Most people would want to forget a moment like that. John built his whole career on top of it.

Not because a coach pulled him aside. Not because he discovered some magic pitch. But because he made a conscious decision to stop being afraid.

What followed was a run that still doesn't get talked about enough. From a 4.5 ERA to 2.1 over 270 innings. From mop-up guy to one of the most electric closers in the game. From Double-A Jacksonville to the World Series at Yankee Stadium.

John also opens up about what it really feels like to close a game, the adrenaline, the pacing in the bullpen like a bull in a gate, how you bounce back from a blown save, and why the mentality of a closer is something you either have or you develop the hard way.

And yeah, the media stuff comes up too. John explains what it was like to have words pulled from a 10-hour conversation and turned into a national headline, and why he stopped doing print media entirely.

This is a conversation about adversity, self-belief, and what happens when a person finally bets on themselves. Whether the listener is in sports, business, or anything in between, there is something real and useful in this one.

Available on all major audio platforms.

Subscribe and leave a comment if this one resonated with you.