NEW YORK — The Mets' Francisco Rodriguez stood before more than two dozen TV cameras and reporters and apologized to his teammates and fans on Saturday for a physical altercation at Citi Field that resulted in his arrest and a team-imposed two-game suspension.
Rodriguez rejoined his team before the Mets played Philadelphia, three days after he was arrested and charged with third-degree assault on his girlfriend's father following a loss to Colorado. He recited a contrite statement but did not take any questions.
"First of all, I'm extremely sorry," Rodriguez said in a small room across the hall from the Mets' clubhouse at Citi Field. "I want to apologize to (owners) Fred Wilpon, Jeff Wilpon and Mr. (Saul) Katz for the incident that happened Wednesday night. I want to apologize also to the Mets fans, to my teammates. I want to apologize, of course, to the front office for the embarrassing moment that I caused. I'm looking forward to being a better person.
"Right now, the plan is I'm going to be going to an anger management program," Rodriguez said. "I cannot speak no farther about the legal stuff that we're going through right now."
The 28-year-old reliever is accused of grabbing 53-year-old Carlos Pena, hauling him into a tunnel near the family lounge beneath Citi Field, and hitting him in the face and banging his head against the wall. Pena was taken to a hospital with a scrape and swelling above his eyebrow, and Rodriguez was held at the ballpark by authorities.
He appeared at a Queens courthouse on Thursday, though he did not speak or enter a plea. Judge Mary O'Donoghue issued orders of protection for him to stay away from his girlfriend — Daian Pena, the mother of their 1-year-old twins — and her father.
The Mets put Rodriguez, a four-time All-Star, on the restricted list without pay for two days, costing him more than $125,000. He is due back in court Sept. 14.
Mets manager Jerry Manuel said that Rodriguez had apologized to him and planned to talk to his teammates individually, rather than speak to them as a group. He also said that he doesn't believe the issue will be a distraction for a team that has already had a trying season.
"I knew that, knowing him, there would be an apology," Manuel said. "I'm not a psychologist or anybody like that, but from what I know of him and the experiences I've had with him, I take it to be a very sincere apology."
The same temper that often serves Rodriguez so well on the mound, where he emphatically punches his fist after saves, has gotten him into trouble off the field before.
Last year, he got into a verbal altercation with former Yankees reliever Brian Bruney during batting practice at Yankee Stadium, then he had a clash with former Mets executive Tony Bernazard on a team bus during a road trip. Earlier this year, the fiery closer got into an argument with Mets bullpen coach Randy Niemann during a game.
General manager Omar Minaya said before Friday night's game that Rodriguez's behavior "is not acceptable" and that the two-game suspension levied by the team was an appropriate punishment.
