Red Soxs Willson Contreras speaks out after suspension, Yankees spat: Very emotional time

Willson Contreras fought back tears as he publicly apologized for his role in a turbulent week that included two bench-clearing incidents.These incidents led to multiple ejections and a seven-game suspension from Major League Baseball.Speaking to the media before the Red Sox’s 8-1 win over the Angels on Saturday, Contreras said he felt it was important to take responsibility for his actions, even though his suspension was still under appeal.“One thing I want to add, on the record, is an apology for all of the events from last week,” Contreras said through an interpreter.“All of the things that occurred with the Nationals and Yankees are very hard.

It was a very emotional time for me.”The veteran first baseman added, “People won’t understand why I’m apologizing now, but I think it’s something that’s important for me to do because I feel that it was an emotional time and those situations could have been avoided and controlled and handled better.”Contreras’ statement came after a week in which he repeatedly found himself involved in the middle of on-field confrontations.The first incident occurred during Boston’s weekend series against the Yankees.After exchanging words with Yankees starter Will Warren following an inside pitch, Contreras flipped his bat, and both benches emptied.Two days later, we had another incident involving the Nationals, when right-hander Cade Cavalli struck him out looking in the fourth inning, and television cameras captured Cavalli yelling, “Sit down, boy.”Contreras immediately turned back toward the mound after hearing the racially charged insult, and the confrontation quickly escalated into another benches-clearing incident.Contreras threw his helmet in Cavalli’s direction before he was ultimately restrained.For his troubles, he was ejected from the game, as well as Cavalli, who also received a seven-game suspension.Cavalli apologized the following day, saying he never intended his words to carry racial meani...