Jack Morris suspended for using accent to describe Shohei Ohtani

Jack Morris, the former Twins great and ex-Twins broadcaster now working as a Tigers TV analyst, drew sharp rebukes Tuesday for describing an impending Shohei Ohtani at bat with what sounded to many like an Asian accent.

A clip of the broadcast made the rounds on social media, and Morris issued an on-air apology later in the game. He was suspended indefinitely from Tigers broadcasts on Wednesday with the team saying, "We are deeply disappointed by the comments made by Jack Morris during the broadcast last night."

Bally Sports, which broadcasts the Tigers games on television, said Morris will undergo bias training to learn how he can "be a positive influence in a diverse community."

First, the incident: When asked on-air how he would pitch to Ohtani in a tight spot, Morris replied with an accent, "Be very, very careful."

Morris' on-air apology, per the Detroit News, was this: "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. I did not intend for any offensive thing, and I apologize if I did (offend anyone). I certainly respect and have the utmost respect for this guy."

The greater problem, of course, is that this isn't isolated — a sentiment that is better expressed in a statement from the Asian American Journalists Association's Sports Task Force that was released Wednesday.

"The Asian American Journalists Association Sports Task Force is disappointed and disturbed by Morris' attempt to provide analysis on a live broadcast in this manner, especially at a time when Asians in the United States are experiencing a sharp increase in anti-Asian hate, which is resulting in harassment and attacks," the association's statement read. "In his analysis, would Morris have used an accent for an African-American player? A Hispanic or Latin player? An Irish or Italian player? Morris, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, should be held to a higher standard while serving a regional and national audience."

The statement, per the Detroit News, also said that Morris' apology itself was "insensitive and ignorant, referencing only the words he chose but not the stereotypical, racist accent he used."

We're less than two weeks removed from Packers WR Devin Funchess using a slur and gesture (and then apologizing to the Asian community), while this post also details some of the other recent history of similar incidents.

Ohtani, who is Japanese, has endured other commentary as well — including ESPN's Stephen A. Smith saying last month of Ohtani's popularity as it relates to baseball, "I don't think it helps that the No. 1 face is a dude that needs an interpreter."

Ohtani is in the midst of one of the greatest seasons in recent baseball history with a 1.008 OPS at the plate and a 2.93 ERA on the mound.