Morris Fires Back: Tigers Legend Calls for Kimmel Boycott in Wake of Kirk Firing Fury
By Jayson Stark, MLB Insider, The Athletic Detroit, MI – September 20, 2025
The crack of a bat against a fastball has a certain finality to it, a punctuation mark on drama that no microphone can match. But when Jack Morris, the gravel-voiced architect of the Detroit Tigers’ 1984 World Series rampage, stepped to his own invisible mound this week, his words landed with the thud of a 95-mph heater. The Hall of Famer, now 70 and still a fixture on Tigers broadcasts, unleashed a torrent of criticism against Jimmy Kimmel, the late-night host whose ill-timed monologue on the Charlie Kirk assassination has torched his career. “People who use the stage to spread hate do not deserve to have an audience or stay in America,” Morris thundered in a video posted to his X account Thursday, his finger jabbing the camera like it was a batter’s box. “We need to get rid of that toxicity from society.” It was a call to arms, urging fans to boycott Kimmel’s show – if it even survives the indefinite hiatus Disney slapped on it.
Kirk’s death last Saturday in Provo, Utah, remains a raw nerve, the 31-year-old conservative provocateur gunned down by suspect Tyler Robinson in what authorities call a politically fueled hit. Robinson, a 28-year-old with ties to far-left activist circles, allegedly confessed to viewing Kirk as a “symbol of fascist oppression.” The story dominated cable news, but Kimmel’s take on Monday’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” veered into satire gone sour. “Looks like the MAGA gang couldn’t wait for election night to start settling scores,” the host quipped, implying Robinson was chasing “political points from the mess he made.” Laughter rippled through the studio audience, but the clip went nuclear online, amassing 10 million views and a deluge of condemnation from Kirk’s Turning Point USA network and MAGA influencers. By Tuesday, FCC complaints piled up, affiliates like Nexstar threatened to drop the show, and Disney – parent of ABC – pulled the plug “indefinitely,” citing “brand safety concerns.”
Morris, whose three complete-game victories in the ’84 Series – including a 10-inning shutout in Game 7 – cemented his legend, wasn’t about to let it slide. A lifelong Michigan conservative who’s donated to GOP causes and sparred with progressive players over anthem protests, he saw Kimmel’s bit as the latest symptom of media malignancy. “I pitched in the big leagues, faced down hitters who wanted my head,” Morris told The Athletic in a follow-up call from his Florida home. “But using a murder like Charlie’s for jokes? That’s not comedy. That’s cowardice. Boycott him until he apologizes – or better yet, until he’s gone.” His video, raw and unscripted against a bookshelf lined with Cy Young trophies, racked up 500,000 views in hours, with replies flooding in from ex-teammates like Alan Trammell (“Jack’s right – clean house”) to anonymous trolls (“Stick to baseball, old man”).
The backlash boomeranged, of course. Kimmel’s defenders – a mix of Hollywood liberals and comedy purists – branded Morris a “has-been hypocrite,” dredging up his own ’80s hot takes on steroids in the clubhouse. Late-night rival Stephen Colbert took a swipe on his show: “Jack Morris wants to cancel Jimmy? Buddy, your ERA was higher than your moral high ground.” Disney stayed mum, but insiders whisper the suspension could stretch to 2026, with Kimmel eyeing a pivot to HBO specials or podcasts. Ratings for his show had dipped to 1.2 million viewers anyway, a far cry from Letterman’s heyday, and this scandal feels like the final nail. Kimmel himself hasn’t commented, but a source close to him says he’s “furious but reflective,” mulling a mea culpa that might salvage his brand.
For MLB, Morris’s salvo stirs an uncomfortable brew. The league, still smarting from politicized player stances during the 2020 BLM protests, treads lightly on culture wars. Commissioner Rob Manfred issued a bland statement: “We mourn Mr. Kirk and support free speech within bounds.” But in Detroit, where Morris is a god – the Tigers retired his No. 47 last year – his words carry weight. Fans at Comerica Park Friday night waved “Boycott Kimmel” signs during a 5-3 win over the Royals, and Tigers brass, while not endorsing, didn’t disavow. “Jack’s passionate; that’s the fire that won us a ring,” said broadcaster Dan Dickerson. Yet purists fret: Does a pitcher’s pulpit belong in prime time? “Baseball’s our escape,” one bleacher bum grumbled. “Don’t drag us into this swamp.”
Kirk’s orbit, meanwhile, laps it up. At a packed memorial in D.C. – 12,000 strong, with speakers invoking Morris by name – Turning Point’s Charlie Kirk Jr. (no relation) hailed the ex-ace as “the Tom Seaver of truth-tellers.” It fits a pattern: Sports icons like Aaron Rodgers and Curt Schilling have waded into politics with mixed results, their fame amplifying echoes but risking alienation. Morris, undeterred, doubled down in our chat: “I didn’t toe the rubber in ’84 to stay silent. America’s hurting – call it out or step aside.”
As Kimmel’s empire teeters and Morris’s clip trends, the intersection feels seismic: a murder in Utah, a monologue in L.A., a rant from the broadcast booth. Will the boycott bury Kimmel, or fizzle like a hanging curve? Can toxicity truly be “purged,” or does it just migrate platforms? In a nation where punchlines and fastballs both bruise, Morris’s stand is a reminder – heroes don’t always wear pinstripes. Sometimes, they just throw heat.
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