Major League Baseball

Mets' K-Rod asks fans for second chance

Published Feb. 16, 2011 12:00 a.m. ET

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Francisco Rodriguez, aka "K-Rod," said Wednesday he is sorry and hopes Mets fans will give him a second chance.

The Mets closer arrived at spring training Wednesday promising to be a new man, six months removed from his arrest for assaulting the grandfather of his children outside a family area at Citi Field last season.

Rodriguez, 29, has undergone anger management classes and said they will continue during spring training and into the season. He also declared his right thumb healthy -- he tore ligaments during the scuffle -- and said he is ready to show fans and teammates he is still an elite closer.

"It was an unfortunate situation I put myself in," said Rodriguez, who forfeited $3.1 million in salary for the two months he spent on the disqualified list following the brawl. "I regret it 1,000 percent. I've got to move on and learn from this mistake.

"It made me grow up more as a human being and I'm truly sorry for the way I put my teammates and the organization and of course the fans in that spot in that situation. I'm just looking for Mets fans to give me one more opportunity to go out there and prove to them it's a different Frankie Rodriguez."

The Mets hold a $17.5 million option on Rodriguez for 2012 that triggers if he finishes 55 games this season. Rodriguez said neither general manager Sandy Alderson nor manager Terry Collins has spoken to him about that option.

"We're not talking about it," Rodriguez said. "We're talking about winning and getting this ballclub once again to the postseason. That's the mentality we have here. All I want to do is go out there and get three quick outs and save as many games I can."

What has Rodriguez learned in anger management?

"One second, one decision can change your whole life," he said. "And it really happened to me in a bad way, where you've had a lot of success, things going your way… you stop thinking about the opposite, and when [the arrest] happened to me it made me open my eyes that I'm not doing things the right way."
 

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