As He Returns From Season-Long Suspension, Alex Rodriguez Says 'Sorry'

By Eyder Peralta / NPR

Published February 17, 2015 at 7:59 AM PST

This story was published more than 9 years ago.

Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez in September of 2013 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Just as he prepares to return after a one-season suspension, Major League slugger Alex Rodriguez is saying he is sorry.

"I take full responsibility for the mistakes that led to my suspension for the 2014 season," Rodriguez says in a hand-written letter. "I regret that my actions made the situation worse than it needed to be. To Major League Baseball, the Yankees, the Steinbrenner family, the Players Association and you, the fans, I can only say I'm sorry."

If you remember, Major League Baseball accused Rodriguez of being involved in a doping scheme involving a Miami clinic called Biogenesis.

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Rodriguez denied wrongdoing and sued Major League Baseball and the Players Union. The drama played out for months and ultimately ended in the longest suspension ever handed out for doping.

Rodriguez missed the entire 2014 season. As Yahoo sports has reported, Rodriguez is set to return this season, so he launched an apology tour. First, he said sorry to MLB executives and then to Yankees executives.

With this letter, he writes, he wants to put all of his problems behind him. He writes:

"I served the longest suspension in the history of the league for PED use. The Commissioner has said the matter is over. The Players Association has said the same. The Yankees have said the next step is to play baseball. "I'm ready to put this chapter behind me and play some ball."

Here is the full text of his letter: