Detroit Tigers TV analyst and Hall of Fame pitcher Jack Morris has been suspended indefinitely by his employer, Bally Sports Detroit, after he used a racist accent when discussing Shohei Ohtani during Tuesday's game against the Angels.
Bally Sports Detroit also announced that Morris "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 statement reads.
The incident occurred in the sixth inning of Tuesday's game when Tigers play-by-play announcer Matt Shepard asked Morris how the team should pitch to Ohtani, the home run leader due up later in that inning. Morris replied "be very, very careful" in a mocking Asian accent.
In the ninth inning, with Ohtani back at the plate, Morris apologized for the comment on air.
"Well folks, Shohei Ohtani is coming to the plate, and it's been brought to my attention, and I sincerely apologize, if I offended anybody, especially anybody in the Asian community for what I said about pitching and being careful to Shohei Ohtani," Morris said.
"I did not intend for any offensive thing and I apologize if I did. I certainly respect and have the utmost respect for this guy. And I don't blame a pitcher for walking him."
Morris — a Hall of Fame pitcher who won 254 games during his 18-year MLB career and captured two World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays — has worked as a broadcaster since retiring in 1995, including on Sportsnet 590 The Fan's Blue Jays broadcasts in 2013.
The Tigers released a statement on Wednesday in support of Bally Sports Detroit's decision to suspend Morris.
"The Detroit Tigers take immense pride in honouring the diverse cultures that make up our players, coaching staff, front office, fan base and community," the team statement says. "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."
With files from The Associated Press.
