Manny Ramirez apologizes for behavior in Boston

Returning to Boston for the second time since being traded from the Red Sox to the Dodgers during the 2008 season, Manny Ramirez said Friday that he was to blame for the turn of events that led to his departure from the team he helped lead to two World Series titles. As he told ESPNBoston.com:

I think everything was my fault. But, hey, you’ve got to be a real man to realize when you do wrong. Hey, it was my fault. I’m already past that stage and I’m happy with my new team.

Ramirez, who declined to speak to reporters when he played in Fenway as a Dodger in June 2009, said he apologized to Kevin Youkilis in his last stop in Boston. The two players fought in the dugout prior to the trade that sent Ramirez to the Dodgers two years ago.

When I went to first base and saw Youkilis, I said, ‘Hey, what happened between you and me, I’m sorry. That’s my fault.’ So it takes a real man just to go and tell a person it was my fault. That’s what I did.

Far more talkative than usual, Ramirez also said today that he would have been willing to waive his no-trade clause to return to Boston had the Red Sox, rather than the White Sox, claimed him off waivers last month and that he’s not sure whether he’ll be back to play in 2011.