NEW YORK — Boston Red Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy has apologized for his on-air remarks that pitchers such as Yankees star Masahiro Tanaka shouldn’t be allowed translators on the mound.

Remy apologized on Twitter a day after he said during the NESN telecast of the game between Boston and New York that pitchers such as the Japanese-born Tanaka should “learn baseball language.”

Boston Red Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy works during the seventh inning of a game between the Yankees and the Red Sox on Tuesday in New York. Remy said pitchers such as Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka shouldn't be allowed translators on the mound. AP photo

His comments quickly drew sharp criticism on social media.

“I sincerely apologize to those who were offended by my comments during the telecast last night,” Remy tweeted Wednesday.

The Red Sox and NESN released statements distancing themselves from Remy’s remarks.

Remy has been a popular Red Sox announcer since 1988. He was a Boston infielder for seven seasons and is a member of the team’s Hall of Fame.

In 2013, Major League Baseball adopted a rule that permitted interpreters to join mound conferences.