Shohei Ohtani Unoffended By Jack Morris' Remarks, 'Didn't Take Anything Personally'
Shohei Ohtani Unoffended By Jack Morris' Remarks ... 'Didn't Take Anything Personally'
Shohei Ohtani says he was unbothered by the accent Jack Morris used on the broadcast during one of his at-bats Tuesday ... saying, "I'm not offended and I didn’t take anything personally."
"He is a Hall of Famer," the Angels superstar said of Morris through an interpreter on Wednesday night. "He has a big influence in the baseball world. It's kind of a tough spot."
If you missed it ... Morris -- a Detroit Tigers analyst -- was suspended indefinitely Wednesday after he made offensive comments during Detroit's tilt with L.A. on Tuesday.
Jack Morris apologies before Shohei Otani's at-bat in the ninth inning. pic.twitter.com/WdCjfyfSvX
— Spencer Wheelock (@SpencerWheelock) August 18, 2021 @SpencerWheelock
Just before Ohtani -- who is Japanese -- stepped to the plate in the 6th inning, Morris used an accent that many felt was mocking Asians.
"Be very, very careful," Morris said on the broadcast.
Morris eventually apologized three innings later ... but Bally Sports Detroit ultimately still decided to suspend him, calling the remarks "insensitive."
The Tigers, for their part, backed the decision, saying, "We are deeply disappointed by the comments made by Jack Morris during the broadcast."
California: 11pm on Aug. 18
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) August 19, 2021 @Angels
Michigan: 2am on Aug. 19
Japan: 3pm on Aug. 19
ShoTime: all the time #CarryTheFreight pic.twitter.com/T3QgGe7kTM
Ohtani -- who dominated the Tigers on Wednesday both on the mound and at the dish in a 3-1 win -- said he had "no say" in the decision to suspend the broadcaster.