Chicago Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts apologized to the team's players and coaching staff at spring training for any distraction caused by offensive racist emails written by his father.

Tom Ricketts said he was surprised by the emails because "our family was never raised that way. I've never heard my father say anything remotely racist."

Joe Ricketts' emails were published by Splinter News and included Islamophobic comments, such as "Islam is a cult and not a religion." Other emails included conspiracies about former President Barack Obama's birthplace and education.

The Cubs and the Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, announced Monday that Tom Ricketts had met with leaders of several Muslim groups to take "genuine, meaningful and visible steps toward combating Islamophobia, bigotry and racism."

Joe Ricketts, who founded TD Ameritrade, apologized. Tom Ricketts said in statement that his father's emails don't reflect the values of the Cubs, insisting Monday he can't do anything about the emails now but can use this situation as an opportunity to do more positive things.