John Rocker & Girlfriend to Compete in 'Survivor: San Juan del Sur - Blood vs. Water'

John Rocker, a retired MLB pitcher, is set to participate in the upcoming season of the CBS show Survivor called "Survivor: San Juan del Sur - Blood vs. Water" along with his business-owner girlfriend Julie McGee.

His career in the MLB, according to CBS Sports, ended over a decade ago and Rocker became known for his "racist and bigoted" remarks during a 1999 interview with Sports Illustrated. He reportedly threw negative comments to his teammates, gay community, foreigners and other people who are unable to speak English.

Entertainment Weekly quoted Rocker as saying during the interview: "I'd retire first. It's the most hectic, nerve-racking city. Imagine having to take the 7 train to the ballpark looking like you're [riding through] Beirut next to some kid with purple hair next to some queer with AIDS right next to some dude who just got out of jail for the fourth time right next to some 20-year-old mom with four kids. It's depressing... The biggest thing I don't like about New York are the foreigners. You can walk an entire block in Times Square and not hear anybody speaking English. Asians and Koreans and Vietnamese and Indians and Russians and Spanish people and everything up there. How the hell did they get in this country?"

When asked if he worries that other show contestants will take his previous statements against him, Rocker said that the subject is one of his least concerns now.

"I see these folks that I'm getting ready to play this game with as very similar to the 13 years of professional baseball that I played, and the teammates that I played with. Some of my biggest supporters after that SI debacle were my current and past teammates," he told Entertainment Weekly.

USA Today noted that the NFL player was "unsuccessful" during most of his MLB career as his mouth and dirty words more or less did the work than his hand as a pitcher. The report added that he was not able to make any good career move since he left Atlanta in 2001.

The player last made his appearance in the league in 2003 where he made a couple of pitches.

Filmed in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, the new Survivor is set to start on Sept. 24 with contestants coming in pairs vying for the $ 1 million cash prize. According to Yahoo Sports, Rocker will be joined by McGee who is a model and owner of a spray tan business.

Joining Rocker and his beau are "The Amazing Race" twin sisters Nadiya and Natalie Anderson, who according to Entertainment Weekly, also participated in "The Amazing Race: All Stars."

"I think this is a couple of notches up from The Amazing Race. You're taking away the human basics and the things you yearn for the most, which is comfort and warmth and food," Natalie said.

Broadway couple, Reed Kelly and Josh Canfield, who have appeared in a few musicals and productions in the United States, will also join the show.