The '80s cross-dressing metal band has asked that the Atlanta Braves' relief pitcher John Rocker stop using one of its songs, "I Wanna Rock," as a means of introducing the athlete when he enters a game from the bullpen.

Rocker began using the track, taken from Twisted Sister's 1984 album "Stay Hungry," last season, when he saved 38 games for the Braves, who won the National League pennant before being swept in the World Series by the New York Yankees.

The pitcher is continuing to draw fire for several xenophobic and homophobic comments he made in an interview with "Sports Illustrated" magazine in late December, although Rocker appeared on ESPN with baseball analyst Peter Gammons last week to apologize and attempt to explain himself.

The explanation apparently wasn't enough for Twisted Sister, as the (currently defunct) group has now formally requested that the Braves stop using the song until Rocker

further clarifies his statements directly to the band.

On Tuesday morning, former Sister frontman Dee Snider spoke with Jay Mariotti of the One-On-One Sports Radio Network and said that he was particularly taken aback because of the group's own ethnic combination.

Myself and the guys in the band spoke [about Rocker] and we said, 'We're from New York,'" Snider recalled on the air. "One guy's a Puerto Rican, another's an Italian, another's a Jew, another's a Polish guy, and we can't stand here [and not do anything]. 'Cause if we don't say anything, it looks like we support what he does.

Snider mentioned that the group's lawyers had contacted the Braves organization about using the song and would attempt to keep "I Wanna Rock" from being used by the club by exerting control of the song's copyright protection.

The singer did, however, leave open the possibility that Rocker might be allowed to resume using "I Wanna Rock.

Maybe if there was a sincere apology,"

Snider told Mariotti, "or if there was something that showed that he really spoke out of line. People do screw up. He is a young guy. Hey, I'd hate to be held responsible for every single thing I did in my youth -- including wearing women's stockings.

Snider currently hosts his own radio show out of WMRQ in Hartford, Connecticut, and produces a nationally syndicated program, "House Of Hair." He is also working on the screenplay to the sequel of his 1998 horror flick, "Dee Snider's Strangeland," which he hopes to have in theaters by the fall.

To hear Mariotti's complete interview with Snider, check out the audio vaults located at One-On-Sports.com.