Eric Prisbell

USA TODAY Sports

IRVING, Texas --- In his first public comments since abruptly resigning Sept. 5, former Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington said he was embarrassed and at a "very low time in my life" after not being true to his wife after 42 years of marriage.

"I am embarrassed more than I have ever been in my life," Washington said during a nearly four-minute-long statement he made at a Dallas-area hotel. Afterward, he did not take questions from the dozens of reporters in attendance and slowly exited through a back door of a ballroom with his arm around his wife Gerry, who married Washington on Sept. 16, 1972.

"I don't run when I make a mistake," Washington said. "When you put yourself in situations, you own it. Those are the types of things my wife always says to me. I was not true to my wife. After 42 years, I broke that trust. I'm here to own that mistake and to apologize to her and to those who have trusted in me. I let them down."

Washington, the only manager to lead Texas to the World Series, had informed Rangers GM Jon Daniels of his decision to step down on the morning of Sept. 5. He met with his team and coaching staff in the afternoon and then left.

The Rangers had said that Washington, 62, had resigned because of personal reasons. Daniels, who made clear that the Rangers intended to bring Washington back in 2015, had said "Ron has given us permission to say this is not drug related."

On Thursday, Washington did not elaborate on specifics of what he called his "mistake."

"I'm sorry for breaking the trust I had with my wife and for disappointing my players, disappointing my coaches, disappointing Major League Baseball, disappointing the Texas Rangers," he said. "All I ask is for your forgiveness and your understanding."

Washington said he was looking forward to "getting back in the game and continuing my career." Washington called the matter "personal," requested privacy and said "we are trying to put it behind us."

Washington entered the ballroom with his wife and attorney Jason Lewis of the Dallas-based Greenberg Traurig LLP.

He appeared to speak without prepared notes. His voice never choked with emotion, but his eyes were reddened throughout.

In 2010, Washington admitted to testing positive for cocaine before the All-Star break in July 2009. He offered to resign as manager, but he remained in the position and was not subject to any discipline by Major League Baseball, which administered the test, or by the Rangers.

Washington was in his eighth season as the manager of the Rangers, having amassed a 664-611 record and winning the American League pennant in 2010 and '11. Under Washington this season, the Rangers struggled with injuries and sunk in the AL West standings. They entered play Thursday 59-92 - the worst record in baseball, but completed a sweep of the Oakland Athletics.

"It's hard to make any comment because it's his personal life, but of course we'll always support him because he was our manager for several years and he had our back in good times and bad," Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus said Thursday. "We'll do the same for him.''

Contributing: Jorge L. Ortiz in Oakland