Alex Rodriguez will be returning to baseball this season and is hoping to get back in fan’s good graces. In his first step in that process, he has issued a formal apology to the New York Yankees, Major League Baseball and the fans.
Rodriguez’s statement was accompanied by a hand-written version, just to prove that it wasn’t put together by a representative. In it, he takes “full responsibility for the mistakes that led to my suspension for the 2014 season,” adding, “I regret that my actions made the situation worse than it needed to be.”
“I accept the fact that many of you will not believe my apology or anything that I say at this point,” Rodriguez I understand why and that's on me. It was gracious of the Yankees to offer me the use of Yankee Stadium for this apology, but I decided that next time I am in Yankee Stadium, I should be in pinstripes doing my job.”
Rodriguez noted that he did serve the longest suspension in MLB history for PED use and that the league, Players Association and the Yankees are all ready to move on so he can play baseball.
“This game has been my single biggest passion since I was a teenager,” he concluded. “When I go to Spring Training, I will do everything I can to be the best player and teammate possible, earn a spot on the Yankees and help us win.”
According to ESPN, despite mentioning that the Yankees did give him the opportunity to read the statement at Yankee Stadium, Rodriguez decided not to.
The Yankees owe him $61 million over the last three years of his contract. He met with top team executives last week to apologize in person and will report to spring training early. The team’s first full workout is set for Feb. 26.
Meanwhile, The New York Daily News reports that Anthony Bosch, who supplied Rodriguez with steroids and was behind the Biogenesis ring, was sentenced to four years in prison.
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