Tigers Suspend Hall of Famer Jack Morris After Culturally Insensitive Remarks
The Tigers have placed Hall of Famer Jack Morris on suspension after a culturally insensitive remark he made during Wednesday nights game against the Angels.
The timing could not have been worse for Morris to make his comments considering every baseball fan is watching Detroit right now hoping to see history. Miguel Cabrera is one homerun away from 500. The games have been packed and everyone has been watching on TV to try and catch history live. That means more people than usual were watching when Morris made his comments during Wednesday nights game.
So what exactly did Jack Morris say?
The Tigers were facing the Angels slugger Shohei Ohtani when Morris was asked how the tigers should pitch to him. Ohtani is a Japanese born player for the Angels, and Morris used an Asian accent when answering the question.
Once Morris made the comment, he quickly apologized for it on air, but the damage was done in the eyes of the Tigers.
The Tigers and Bally Sports responded quickly, suspending Morris indefinitely.
Since the announcement that Morris has been suspended there have been strong reactions from fans on both side of the coin.
Many people have commented online that this is just another case of our society making a big deal out of something harmless. I don't know if I think that's the case though, and have a simple message for those that do.
Just because it doesn't offend you doesn't make it ok.
We're living in a time where people are being held accountable for their public missteps, and while it may seem over the top to some, it will eventually lead to a better community.
I will say that I don't think Morris should be fired over these comments. He realized what he said was out of line and immediately gave a heartfelt apology. Suspension and making sure that Morris is open to talk about the incident will do much more good than firing him and moving on to the next person.
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