“I want to apologize to all those who I inadvertently offended as a consequence of my immaturity like members of the radio, television, and press,” Mercedes wrote in his post.
Mercedes, 28, earned AL Player of the Week to open the season and hit .415 with five homers and 16 RBIs in 22 games in April, but he struggled after that.
“I understand you’re in Triple-A, away from the big leagues, you can get emotional,” La Russa said.
Mercedes wore his emotions on his sleeve, playing with swagger as an older rookie, but he was the subject of controversy in May when La Russa criticized him for swinging at a 3-0 pitch late in a blowout victory over the Minnesota Twins; Mercedes responded that he wasn’t going to change.
There’s so much video and tape, and they start making adjustments.