Tigers Broadcaster Jack Morris Suspended Indefinitely for Racist Shohei Ohtani Remark
Baseball Hall-of-Famer and veteran broadcaster Jack Morris has been suspended indefinitely from his role as a Detroit Tigers TV analyst following his racist remark about Shohei Ohtani.
During Tuesday night’s Bally Sports Detroit broadcast featuring the Tigers and Los Angeles Angels, play-by-play voice Matt Shepard asked Morris how he would go about pitching to Ohtani.
“Be very, very careful,” Morris replied of facing the MLB superstar from Japan. But Morris altered the “r” sounds in a way that appeared to mock an Asian accent. While others on social media questioned if Morris was attempting an Elmer Fudd impression, that excuse was not leaned on by the broadcaster or his employer Bally Sports Detroit, who swiftly handed him an indefinite suspension.
“Bally Sports Detroit is extremely disappointed with the remarks analyst Jack Morris made during [Tuesday] night’s Tigers game,” the network announced in a statement. “Jack has been suspended indefinitely from Tigers broadcasts and will be undergoing bias training to educate him on the impact of his comments and how he can be a positive influence in a diverse community. We have a zero-tolerance policy for bias or discrimination and deeply apologize for his insensitive remark.”
The Tigers echoed the statement by Bally Sports Detroit, supporting their decision to suspend Morris.
“The Detroit Tigers take immense pride in honoring the diverse cultures that make up our players, coaching staff, front office, fan base and community,” the franchise stated. “We are deeply disappointed by the comments made by Jack Morris during the broadcast last night. We fully support Bally Sports Detroit’s decision and their on-going commitment to ensure that all personnel are held to the highest standards of personal conduct.”
Ohtani seemed unbothered by the remark from Morris. “I did see the footage and I heard it. Personally, I’m not offended and I didn’t take anything personally,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “He is a Hall of Famer. He has a big influence in the baseball world. It’s kind of a tough spot.”
Ohtani’s performance was not bothered by Morris either, hitting his 40th home run on Wednesday and dominating the Tigers with eight strong innings on the mound.
