The Detroit Tigers fired pitching coach Chris Bosio on Wednesday for allegedly making "insensitive remarks to a team employee," but he believes it was a case of misunderstanding.
On Thursday, Bosio revealed to USA Today's Bob Nightengale that he was fired for using the word "monkey" after an African American clubhouse attendant overheard him. He explained that he did not use it in a racist manner, saying that he was referring to pitcher Daniel Stumpf, who is white, by his "Spider Monkey" nickname:
“Someone in our coaches' room asked me (Monday afternoon) about Stumpf.