Angels' Shohei Ohtani gives classy reaction to Jack Morris' controversial commentary

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Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani offered a respectful response to the controversial comments made by Detroit Tigers broadcaster Jack Morris during Tuesday night’s broadcast that resulted in his indefinite suspension. 

Ohtani said he later heard the remarks made by Morris while he was at bat, which imitated an Asian accent, and said he wasn’t offended by it, going so far as to compliment Morris as "a big influence in the baseball world."

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"I did see the footage and I heard it. Personally, I'm not offended and I didn't take anything personally," Ohtani said, according to The Athletic. "He is a Hall of Famer. He has a big influence in the baseball world. It's kind of a tough spot."

During the sixth inning of the Tigers-Angels game, Morris was asked by play-by-play announcer Matt Shepard how the Tigers should pitch to Ohtani, and Morris responded by saying: "Be very, very careful" in a mimicking accent. 

He later issued an apology on-air saying he has the "utmost respect" for Ohtani. 

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Tigers manager A.J. Hinch spoke out against Morris’ comments on Wednesday, calling them "unnecessary" and "unwarranted." 

"There is no place in the game for it," he said, via The Detroit News. "I love this sport. This sport is arguably the most diverse sport, certainly of our four major sports here in the U.S., and it should be celebrated … So we need to celebrate that and learn that comments like that are not only unnecessary but unwarranted."

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Morris was indefinitely suspended on Wednesday as a result. 

"Bally Sports Detroit is extremely disappointed with the remarks analyst Jack Morris made during last night’s Tigers game," the network said in a statement. "We have a zero-tolerance policy for bias or discrimination and deeply apologize for his insensitive remark."

Fox News’ Daniel Canova contributed to this report.