Suspended Cubs SS Russell apologizes for his actions

Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell apologized for his actions that led to a 40-game domestic violence suspension, answering questions Friday for the first time since his suspension in September. Russell was punished after his ex-wife, Melisa Reidy, detailed allegations of domestic violence against him in a blog post, alleging he abused her during their 2½-year marriage. “I know there’s been a lot of things said and reported over the last few months,” Russell said during a news conference at spring training in Mesa, Arizona. “I don’t want to get into the details, but I want to say I take responsibility for my past actions. I’m not proud of who I was. But I do want to take responsibility for this issue and the pain that I caused Melisa. And for that, I apologize.” Russell did not deny the accusations against him during the 20-minute session. He initially pleaded innocent last September before being suspended for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy. Russell, 25, said he has become a better person since the end of last season. “These past few months have been productive months,” Russell said. “I’ve been through mandatory league treatment, and I’ve also been participating in voluntary counseling. “Through that counseling, I’ve learned to better recognize my feelings and emotions, and I’ve learned to deal with adversity and challenges whenever I face them.” Russell was placed on administrative leave on Sept. 21 and later received a 40-game ban. The Cubs decided to give him another chance this offseason, signing him to a one-year, $3.4 million contract. He will miss the first 28 games of this season to complete his suspension. And Russell is fully aware that he needs to rehabilitate himself. “I know I’m still early in this process, and I know in this process that I’ve let a lot of people down,” Russell said. “I let Cubs fans down, my organization down, my teammates down, my family down, and myself down. I’m doing everything I can to be a better person, father, teammate, partner and provider.” Chicago manager Joe Maddon watched Russell’s news conference from the back of the room. “It’s one step at a time,” Maddon said. “Everything is a process, and today is the beginning of that process (with a press conference). “We’re going through this too. This is new for us too. … It’s not even about baseball right now.” Russell has a .242 career average with 51 homeruns and 230 RBIs in 533 career games. He was an All-Star in 2016, when he set career highs with 21 homeruns and 95 RBIs. –Field Level Media