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Manny Ramirez talks and talks: Everything that went wrong in Boston was my fault

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Manny Ramirez talked Friday back in Boston. Then he talked and talked. Almost talked like he was trying to make up for the last five months when he never said a word in Los Angeles.

He said this all, surprise, in English. Just like the old days.

He met with a group of reporters prior to his Chicago White Sox playing the Red Sox at Fenway. Here’s a transcript provided by the White Sox, so the evil Los Angeles press can’t be accused of twisting his words.

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The biggest revelation comes at the end when he admits everything that went wrong during the end of this time in Boston was his doing.

Question: You weren’t happy in L.A.? The fans loved you.

Manny Ramirez: I was happy all the time.

Q: Can he still be happy in Chicago?

M: Why not? Why would I be miserable here?

Q: I didn’t say miserable.

M: Well, why?

Q: Are you happy about the circumstances?

M: I’m blessed to be in this situation. I could have been in a worse situation than being on a team trying to be in the playoffs.

Q: Been getting along with teammates?

M: Good, I’ve played with almost everybody. Juan (Pierre), (Ramon) Castro, (Andruw) Jones, Joey Cora, we played together in Cleveland.

Q: Looking forward to seeing reception Chicago fans give you?

M: Now, I’m just taking it a day at a time. I’m just trying to play the game right now and I’m not worried about that.

Q: Plan on playing next year?

M: Only God knows if I’m going to stop or be playing.

Q: In Boston, you said you would be done when your contract was up.

M: That’s in the past. You pass every stage in your life. I’m leaving everything to God. He’s going to guide me, and let me know if it’s over.

Q: Playing the outfield keeps you loose, what about now as a designated hitter?

M: I’m going to have to wait and see. They have really good outfielders out there. I haven’t played for so long, so it’s a good move for me to DH and see what I could do.

Q: Do you think it could extend your career?

M: Just take it day by day and see how everything goes.

Q: Have you thought about how long you want to play?

M: Like I said, I don’t know. Only God is going to tell me when I have to stop. He’s going to tell me, `That’s it. It’s over for you.’ I’m not going to go out and say this is my last year.

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Q: Suspect if you win another World Series title, will God tell you to hang it up?

M: I don’t know about that. I’m just living day by day and see what happens.

Q: What’s it like to be back in Boston?

M: It feels great. The first time, all the guys came up and said ‘hi’ to me. It was fun.

Q: What did you think of the reception you got from the Fenway fans when you came in earlier this season with the Dodgers?

M: It was great. I don’t have nothing to say. They received me very good and I was happy.

Q: How do you look back on your time in Boston?

M: It was great. They have a great team on the other side. They have a bunch of great guys who like to joke around. But when it’s time to play, they go out and play.

Q: Can they come back and make the playoffs?

M: Hey, the sky is the limit, man. They have great guys and such great pitching. They can do whatever they want. They still have a month left and anything can happen.

On how things ended in Los Angeles:

M: I blame myself because I didn’t stay healthy.

Q: Why did you want to be traded from L.A.?

M: I never said I wanted to be traded from L.A. They put me on waivers. It’s the same thing they did with Johnny Damon. He got put on waivers. A lot of guys from my team were on waivers. Everybody was on waivers.

On whether Boston also put in a claim on him:

M: What I did here in the past is in the past. But if they claimed me, why should I say no?

Q: How do you feel about the way things ended here two years ago?

M: Everything was my fault, but you have to be a real man to realize when you do wrong. It was my fault, right? I already passed that stage. I’m happy. I’m on a new team. When I went to first base, I told (Kevin) Youkilis, ‘What happened between you and me, that’s my fault. I’m sorry.’ It takes a real man to go and tell a person it was my fault and that’s what I did.

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Q: What would you have done differently here?

M: I don’t know. That’s in the past. I’ll just leave it there. I would have been more relaxed, more patient.

Q: Are there a few things you regretted doing in Boston?

M: In life, you pass every stage. I passed that stage and you keep growing. You look back and say I did this wrong, but what’s done is done. All you can do is go and play the game and finish your career good.

-- Steve Dilbeck

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