A 22-year-old fan who heckled Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte during a game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on Tuesday night has been banned indefinitely from the South Side ballpark.
Marte was seen in tears on the field after the spectator yelled a derogatory comment about Marte’s late mother during a seventh-inning at-bat in Arizona’s 4-1 win over Chicago.
According to a White Sox spokesperson, the security staff at the ballpark relayed that the fan was “very apologetic and remorseful after the fact, and admitted to being very inappropriate and stupid with his comments.”
Arizona manager Torey Lovullo and bench coach Jeff Banister asked for the fan to be removed from the game. Before Wednesday’s series finale, Lovullo said he “had little bit of an interaction with the fan” as he was yelling at Marte.
“He wasn’t getting it and was very pompous, and it didn’t sit right with me,” Lovullo said. “It was just a gross comment you wouldn’t say about anybody, let alone someone who lost their mom.
“We need better baseball fans. Baseball deserves better.”
Marte’s mother, Elpidia Valdez, died in a car accident in the Dominican Republic in 2017. Marte, who hit a solo home run in the first inning Tuesday night, was seen visibly upset during a pitching change in the bottom of the seventh.
The 31-year-old All-Star heard the taunt during his at-bat in the top of the seventh inning and was consoled by teammates and his manager Torey Lovullo as he fought back tears when he took the field for the bottom of the inning.
“I just reacted as a dad would when I went out to change pitchers,” Lovullo said, according to the Arizona Republic. “I could see he was sobbing. It hurt.”
“(I told him): ‘I love you and I’m with you, and we’re all together and you’re not alone. No matter what happens, no matter what was said or what you heard, that guy is an idiot. It shouldn’t have an impact on you.’”
After the game, Lovullo said he heard what the fan said during Marte’s at-bat.
“[Marte] put his head down, and I could tell it had an immediate impact on him, for sure,” Lovullo said, via the Arizona Republic.
Marte declined to comment on the incident through a team official. Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo said the fan “should be banned, for sure” and called for Major League Baseball to intervene.
“That can’t happen,” Perdomo said. “We can’t continue to do that … here in MLB.”
As the Diamondbacks returned to Rate Field on Wednesday, the White Sox sent a clear message on the incident.
“Baseball is family,” a message on the scoreboard read. “The White Sox community supports Ketel Marte.”
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