Manny Ramirez with the White Sox. (File photo)By Mark Gonzales
BOSTON -- Manny Ramirez arrived at Fenway Park just minutes after Friday night's game between the White Sox and Boston was postponed because of rain.
A reflective Ramirez spoke remorsefully about his eight productive but controversial seasons in Boston and his favorable impressions in his first week with the White Sox.
"It was my fault, right. I already passed that stage. I'm happy. I'm on a new team. When I went to first base (two months ago with the Los Angeles Dodgers), I told (Kevin) Youkilis, 'what happened between you and me, that's my fault. I'm sorry.' It takes a real man to go and tell a person it was my fault, and that's what I did."
Ramirez wasn't sure what he would have done differently before he was dealt to the Dodgers in July of 2008."I don't know," Ramirez said. "That's in the past. I'll just leave it there. I would have been more relaxed, more patient.
"In life, you pass every stage. I passed that stage and you keep growing. You look back and say I did this wrong, but what's done is done. All you can do is go and play the game and finish your career (well)."
Since joining the White Sox on Tuesday, Ramirez has been greeted warmly.
"Why not?" Ramirez said. "Why would I be miserable here? "I'm blessed to be in this situation. I could have been in a worse situation then being on a team trying to be in the playoffs."
Ramirez said part of his comfort is playing on other teams with Juan Pierre, Ramon Castro, Andruw Jones and Joey Cora.
Ramirez emphasized that he didn't want to leave the Dodgers.
"They put me on waivers," Ramirez said. "It's the same thing they did with Johnny Damon. He got put on waivers. A lot of guys from my team were on waivers. Everybody was on waivers."
Ramirez wouldn't speculate on why Damon declined to leave Detroit for Boston, which claimed him.
"You have to talk to him," Ramirez said. "He's his own man."
Ramirez also shared a story about when he relayed the news to one of his children about his departure to the White Sox
"Let me tell you, you guys are going to freak out," Ramirez said. "I called my kid and said, 'Daddy is going to Chicago right now.' He told me, 'What? You are going to Chicago? What are you going to do out there? You are not going to Boston?
"I said, 'no, I'm going to Chicago.' "
Ramirez would have had no problems if Boston -- not the White Sox -- had claimed him.
"What I did here in the past is in the past," Ramirez said. "But if they claimed me, why should I say no?"
Ramirez wasn't sure what he would have done differently before he was dealt to the Dodgers in July of 2008."I don't know," Ramirez said. "That's in the past. I'll just leave it there. I would have been more relaxed, more patient.
"In life, you pass every stage. I passed that stage and you keep growing. You look back and say I did this wrong, but what's done is done. All you can do is go and play the game and finish your career (well)."
Since joining the White Sox on Tuesday, Ramirez has been greeted warmly.
"Why not?" Ramirez said. "Why would I be miserable here? "I'm blessed to be in this situation. I could have been in a worse situation then being on a team trying to be in the playoffs."
Ramirez said part of his comfort is playing on other teams with Juan Pierre, Ramon Castro, Andruw Jones and Joey Cora.
Ramirez emphasized that he didn't want to leave the Dodgers.
"They put me on waivers," Ramirez said. "It's the same thing they did with Johnny Damon. He got put on waivers. A lot of guys from my team were on waivers. Everybody was on waivers."
Ramirez wouldn't speculate on why Damon declined to leave Detroit for Boston, which claimed him.
"You have to talk to him," Ramirez said. "He's his own man."
Ramirez also shared a story about when he relayed the news to one of his children about his departure to the White Sox
"Let me tell you, you guys are going to freak out," Ramirez said. "I called my kid and said, 'Daddy is going to Chicago right now.' He told me, 'What? You are going to Chicago? What are you going to do out there? You are not going to Boston?
"I said, 'no, I'm going to Chicago.' "
Ramirez would have had no problems if Boston -- not the White Sox -- had claimed him.
"What I did here in the past is in the past," Ramirez said. "But if they claimed me, why should I say no?"
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