Yorvit Torrealba Says "I'm Sorry"

Per Drew Davison:

"I wanted to express my sincere apologies to all parties for my actions during the Venezuelan Winter League game on Friday.  I have extended an apology to the Rangers organization as well.  I am embarrassed for my conduct, and personally relayed that feeling to the umpire after that night’s game.  On the field, I strive to be an example for children, especially those in my native Venezuela, and I regret my actions. I understand the reactions to the incident and will make every effort to set a positive example in the future."

Venezuelan League president Jose Grasso Vecchio handed down a 66-game suspension to Torrealba earlier today, which spans the remainder of this season and all of next season. I don't think Torrealba's publicly stated contrition is going to do much of anything to diminish that sentence, but I'm certain this was something that the Rangers wanted to see, and with this statement now out there, I find it hard to imagine that he's going to face any kind of stateside discipline.

If the Rangers do end up cutting bait with Torrealba at some point during the 2012 season, it's far more likely that we'll find the cause to be Torrealba not hitting well enough, or not catching well enough, or not working well enough with the pitching staff ... more likely than any residual fallout from this incident, anyway.