Tigers Announcer Suspended Indefinitely Over Racist Joke About Angels’ Shohei Ohtani
‘utmost respect’
Detroit Tigers announcer (and Hall of Fame pitcher) Jack Morris has been “indefinitely” suspended from Tigers broadcasts after making a racist joke about a Los Angeles Angels player. He will soon undergo bias training, Bally Sports Detroit announced Wednesday. “We have a zero-tolerance policy for bias or discrimination and deeply apologize for his insensitive remark,” the network announced. The Tigers said in a statement it backed the decision. “The Detroit Tigers take immense pride in honoring the diverse cultures that make up our players, coaching staff, front office, fan base, and community,” it wrote.
Morris apologized during Tuesday night’s game for a racist comment he made in the sixth inning as Los Angeles Angels pitcher Shohei Ohtani was about to bat. When asked “Now what do you do with Shohei Ohtani?” as the Japanese superstar stepped up to bat, Morris replied, “Be very, very careful” in a way that’s typically used to mock Asian accents. “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 Jose or Shohei Ohtani,” he 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.”