Jack Morris is back in the lineup.
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The Hall-of-Fame pitcher is set to return to his job Friday as a TV analyst for the Detroit Tigers, according to USA Today.
Morris was suspended 23 days after making an insensitive comment about Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani, who currently leads MLB with 43 home runs.
Last month, as the Japanese slugger batted in a game against the Tigers at Comerica Park, Morris used an Asian accent when answering a question from his Bally Sports Detroit play-by-play partner Matt Shepard on how the Tigers should pitch to the All-Star.
“Be very, very careful,” Morris said.
The reaction to Morris’ offensive accent was swift and strong on social media, so much so that he issued an apology later on in the broadcast when Ohtani returned to the plate.
“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.”
The day after the game, Morris was suspended indefinitely and ordered to undergo bias training, according to a statement from Bally Sports Detroit.
The network also stated it was “extremely disappointed with the remarks” and has “a zero-tolerance policy for bias or discrimination and deeply apologize for his insensitive remark.”
The Tigers released a similar message.
“We are deeply disappointed by the comments made by Jack Morris during the broadcast last night,” the franchise said in an Aug. 18 statement. “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.”
Watch the video of both his offensive accent and his subsequent apology here.
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Ohtani, for his part, did his best to make it a non-issue, when he spoke about Morris to the media through an interpreter, according to TMZ:
“I’m not offended and I didn’t take anything personally. ... He is a Hall of Famer. He has a big influence in the baseball world. It’s kind of a tough spot.”
Morris, a former MLB pitcher who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018, is in his second stint as a TV analyst for the Tigers. His initial stretch went from 2015-2017, then he returned in 2019 and has remained in the position since.
(NJ Advance Media’s Brian Fonseca contributed to this report.)
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Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com.
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