Baseball announcer Jack Morris suspended indefinitely for racist remark about Shohei Ohtani

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Detroit Tigers television analyst Jack Morris has been suspended indefinitely by a regional sports network for using an offensive accent on the air in reference to Los Angeles Angels player Shohei Ohtani.

Bally Sports Detroit, which broadcasts Tigers games, announced the decision after Tuesday night’s game between the Tigers and Angels.

As Ohtani, 27, who is the first player to be named All-Star as a designated pitcher and hitter, came to bat early in the sixth inning, Tigers announcer Matt Shepard asked Morris: do with it. Shohei Ohtani? “

Morris, 66, mimicked an accent and replied, “Be very, very careful.” Ohtani, who is from Japan, was then intentionally walked around.

Before the start of the ninth inning, Morris apologized on the air for his comments.

“Well, folks, Shohei Ohtani is coming to the plate, and it’s been brought to my attention, and I sincerely apologize if I’ve offended anyone, especially anyone in the Asian community, for what I said about pitching and watching out for Shohei Ohtani, “said Morris, a former Tigers star pitcher who is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. “I didn’t mean to do anything offensive, and I apologize if I did. I respect and have the utmost respect for this guy and I don’t blame a pitcher. to have accompanied him. “

Despite its apologies, Bally Sports Detroit said in a statement Wednesday that it was “extremely disappointed.”

“Jack has been suspended indefinitely from Tigers shows and will be taking prejudice training to educate him on the impact of his comments and how he can be a positive influence in a diverse community,” the statement said. “We have a zero tolerance policy for prejudice or discrimination and we deeply apologize for his callous remark.”

The Tigers shared similar sentiments and said they “fully support Bally Sports Detroits decision and their continued commitment to ensuring that all staff are held to the highest standards of personal conduct.”

Neither Morris nor Ohtani immediately responded to requests for comment on Wednesday.

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Cynthia Silva reports for NBC Asian America, NBCBLK, NBC Latino and NBC Out.

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