Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte reduced to tears after heckler references late Mother
Photo credit: https://www.sportsnet.ca
Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Ketel Marte was visibly upset on the field Tuesday night after a spectator at Chicago's Rate Field heckled him about his late mother, who died in a car accident eight years ago. The incident left Marte in tears, and the fan was immediately ejected from the stadium.
«The fan was ejected and has been banned indefinitely,» the White Sox said in a statement to the media.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo and teammate Geraldo Perdomo both confirmed after the game that a fan had yelled something at Marte regarding his late mother during play.
Both Torey Lovullo and Geraldo Perdomo very emotionally confirmed that tonight a fan yelled something to Ketel Marte about his mother, who passed away in a car accident in 2017. The moment left Marte visibly upset on the field. The fan was ejected.
In 2017, when Marte was just 23 years old, his mother, Elpidia Valdez, was killed in a car accident in the Dominican Republic. The news came during his first season with the Diamondbacks, who had acquired him from the Seattle Mariners as part of the Taijuan Walker trade just months earlier.
Sending love to Ketel Marte who was in tears on the field after a fan yelled something at him about his mother, who passed away in a car accident in 2017.
Lovullo did not repeat exactly what the fan said to Marte, but was visibly shaken while describing the interaction to reporters.
"It was a terrible moment. Fans are nasty and fans go too far, sometimes," Lovullo told reporters. "I love my players and I'm going to protect them."
«I looked right at (Marte) when I heard,» Lovullo added. «I looked right at him and he looked at the person, as well. He put his head down and I could tell it had an immediate impact on him, for sure.»
The incident also angered Marte's teammates
«That can't happen,» Perdomo said after the game. «Everybody knows how Ketel is. He's fun. He plays the game hard. I feel bad for him. I feel mad about it. I hope MLB can do something with that guy. I don't know who it was, but they've got to do something. We can't continue to do that (expletive) here in MLB.»
Perdomo also said that the fan "should be banned for sure."
Amid the unfortunate incident, Lovullo made sure to remind Marte that his team will always have his back.
«I just reacted as a dad would when I went out to change pitchers,» Lovullo said. «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.'»
The Diamondbacks won the game 4-2 thanks in part to a solo home run from Marte in the first inning.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 25 | 329 ANSWERS Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte reduced to tears after heckler references late Mother Should this terrible fan be banned for life from all MLB stadiums? | ||
| Yes | 319 | 97 % |
| No | 10 | 3 % |
| List of polls | ||
TRENDING NOW
