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| Jack Morris |
Jack Morris, a celebrated hero of the World Series-champion 1984 Detroit Tigers and a member of the team's broadcast team for much of the past decade, has been suspended "indefinitely" by Bally Sports Detroit following his use of a perceived Asian accent during Tuesday night's broadcast.
Bally Sports Detroit made the announcement Wednesday afternoon, less than 24 hours after Morris used an accent as Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani was coming to the plate.
Jack Morris has been part of the Tigers' broadcast team for much of the past decade.
Morris issued an on-air apology three innings later, but hasn't commented on the incident since. He did not return a message from The News seeking comment and clarification, and did not issue a statement Wednesday.
"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 Wednesday.
"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 issued a statement along with Bally Sports:
Morris was scheduled to do the entire three-game Tigers-Angels series. Craig Monroe was to replace Morris in the booth for Wednesday night's game, in which Ohtani will pitch for the Angels.
The incident happened in the sixth inning of Tuesday night's series opener between the Tigers and Angels at Comerica Park. With the game tied at 2 and a runner on second and two out, Ohtani, the two-way sensation who has become the face of Major League Baseball, was coming to bat.
Tigers play-by-play man Matt Shepard asked Morris how he would pitch to Ohtani with first base open. Morris responded, using a heavy accent: “Very, very careful.” The clip quickly made its way around social media, with some criticizing Morris for the perceived use of a heavy Asian accent, while others heard differently.
Morris, 66, has been part of the Tigers' TV booth since 2019, rotating in the analyst chair with Kirk Gibson, Dan Petry and Monroe, and before that from 2015-17. He was the ace of the 1980s Tigers, helping win the 1984 World Series championship, and he also won titles with the Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays (both of whom he's also done broadcast work for), in an 18-year career that finally earned him a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018.
The Tigers retired Morris' No. 47 in August 2018.
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