Boston ? Doug Mientkiewicz returned to Fenway Park on Monday wanting to get past the issue of the ball he caught for the final out of the 2004 World Series and instead was critical of Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino.

Mientkiewicz kept the ball before lending it to the team for one year the following February. Boston sued him in November but the suit was dismissed in December and the sides worked out an agreement to give it to the Hall of Fame, which now has it.

“Ever since I loaned it to the Red Sox, I thought that would be the best place for it,” the Kansas City first baseman said before the Royals’ first game of the season at Fenway. “I take responsibility it’s been so long. I always felt that if someone wants something, they’ll call. No phone call ever came.”

He praised Red Sox owners John Henry and Tom Werner, general manager Theo Epstein and the fans. But he criticized Lucchino.

“I just want to be remembered as a small piece (of the championship), not someone that stole a baseball. It’s not even the Red Sox. It’s just one person,” Mientkiewicz said. Lucchino “continually did the unprofessional thing. Everyone outside of Mr. Lucchino has been phenomenal.

“This could have been cleared up behind closed doors,” he said, but, “I’m not going to be bullied around. … Jabs from someone that never put on spikes, I’m not going to accept it.”

Lucchino learned of Mientkiewicz’s remarks after flying into Boston shortly before Monday’s game.

Dr. Charles Steinberg, the team’s executive vice president of public affairs who spoke with Lucchino, said Lucchino “was surprised because he didn’t believe there had been any acrimonious talks with Doug at all.”

Steinberg also said Lucchino felt he was doing his job as his “responsibility to the organization and the fans” to be able to see the ball. After borrowing it from Mientkiewicz, the Red Sox took the ball on their tour of Massachusetts’ cities and towns.

Werner said Monday night that he took exception to Mientkiewicz’s comments about Lucchino. He said that Lucchino was representing the Red Sox, and “we and Larry all agreed” on a course of action.

“I thought that Doug’s comments (Monday) were unwarranted,” Werner said.

Werner also said Red Sox vice president emeritus Dick Bresciani asked Mientkiewicz for the ball the night of the final game of the World Series.

“That never happened,” Mientkiewicz said after Monday’s game. “I never heard one person ask me for it the day of (the game) or the day after, the parade or anything.

“I don’t mean to upset (Werner), but I don’t think he has an inkling of what I went through. I know the toll it took on me for two years. I understand through this whole thing that you can’t please everybody. I hope today’s the last day we have to talk about it.”