Jack Morris has been suspended indefinitely by Bally Sports Detroit after he used a racist accent while talking about MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani during Tuesday night’s game between the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels.
In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, Bally Sports Detroit called Morris’ comments “extremely disappointing,” adding that the Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher-turned-broadcaster will undergo bias training.
“Bally Sports Detroit is extremely disappointed with the remarks analyst Jack Morris made during last night’s Tigers game,” the network said 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 incident happened during the sixth inning of Tuesday’s game after Bally Sports Detroit’s play-by-play announcer asked Morris how the Tigers should pitch to Ohtani.
“Be very, very careful,” Morris said while affecting a stereotypical accent, making the Rs in “very, very” sound like Ls.
In the ninth inning, Morris apologized and said he didn’t intend to offend anyone.
“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 don’t blame a pitcher for walking him.”
Jack Morris apologies before Shohei Otani's at-bat in the ninth inning. pic.twitter.com/WdCjfyfSvX
— Spencer Wheelock (@SpencerWheelock) August 18, 2021
The Detroit Tigers also issued a statement Wednesday:
“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 team said in a statement. “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 ongoing commitment to ensure that all personnel are held to the highest standards of personal conduct.”
Morris was inducted into Cooperstown in 2018. Thirty years ago he pitched a 10-inning shutout to lead the Twins over the Atlanta Braves 1-0 in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series.
Bring Me The News has reached out to Bally Sports North to find out if Morris’ suspension with Detroit will impact his status as a Twins broadcaster.
