Detroit Tigers television analyst Jack Morris said he “did not intend for any offensive thing” on Tuesday night after using an accent when describing what the Tigers should do when pitching to the Los Angeles Angels‘ Shohei Ohtani, who was coming up to bat.
With the game tied at 2 in the top of the sixth inning, outfielder Juan Lagares had struck out and Ohtani, who is from Japan, was up next.
Bally Sports Detroit play-by-play announcer Matt Shepard asked, “Now what do you do with Shohei Ohtani?”
Morris said with an accent: “Be very, very careful.” Ohtani was then intentionally walked.
Before the start of the ninth inning, when Ohtani was set to bat, Morris addressed his remarks on the telecast.
“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 66-year-old Morris, a five-time All-Star pitcher who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018, is in his second regular stint on Tigers television broadcasts, having returned in 2019.
