NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez extended his apology tour to include the fans Tuesday, releasing a handwritten letter in which he said he is sorry for his mistakes that led to his suspension for performance-enhancing drug use.

In the letter obtained by ESPN on Tuesday afternoon, Rodriguez called the New York Yankees "gracious" for offering him the chance to use Yankee Stadium for a news conference. But Rodriguez chose to forgo a formal media session.

"I take full responsibility for the mistakes that led to my suspension for the 2014 season," Rodriguez said in the statement. "I regret that my actions made the situation worse than it needed to be. To Major League Baseball, the Yankees, the Steinbrenner family, the Players Association and you, the fans, I can only say I'm sorry.

"I accept the fact that many of you will not believe my apology or anything that I say at this point. I understand why and that's on me. It was gracious of the Yankees to offer me the use of Yankee Stadium for this apology but I decided the next time I am in Yankee Stadium, I should be in pinstripes doing my job."

Commissioner Bud Selig suspended Rodriguez for 211 games in August 2013, citing conduct from 2010 to '12 uncovered during MLB's investigation of Biogenesis, which was based in Coral Gables, Florida, not far from Rodriguez's home. That clinic's founder, Anthony Bosch, was sentenced to four years in federal prison Tuesday morning for posing as a doctor and illegally supplying steroid injections and other PEDs.