Two-time National League All-Star Ketel Marte was left in tears on Tuesday night in Chicago after a White Sox fan allegedly mocked the Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman’s deceased mother.
Marte, 31, was seen weeping on the mound at Rate Field on Chicago’s South Side after the distressing interaction in the seventh inning.
With a reported attendance of just 13,001 on Tuesday, and likely fewer in the stands, whatever was said was plainly evident to Diamondbacks players and coaches. The fan was later ejected, according to multiple reports.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Luvollo consoled Marte during a pitching change in Arizona’s 4-1 loss. Later, with reporters, Lovullo said he heard what the fan said but refused to repeat it for media.
‘I looked right at [Marte] when I heard,’ Lovullo said. ‘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.
‘I just reacted as a dad would when I went out to change pitchers,’ Lovullo continued. ‘I could see he was sobbing. It hurt.’
All-Star Ketel Marte was left in tears on Tuesday night in Chicago after a White Sox fan allegedly mocked the Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman’s deceased mother
Marte is seen alongside his mother before her 2017 death in the Dominican Republic
Marte’s mother Elipidia Valdez died in a car accident in the Dominican Republic in 2017
‘[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,” said Lovullo, who has managed Marte since their first year together in Arizona in 2017.
It was later that year that Marte’s mother Elipidia Valdez died in a car accident in their native Dominican Republic.
‘I’ve known Ketel for nine years, and he’s had some unbelievably great moments and some hardships, as well,’ the Arizona manager continued. ‘Some really, really tough moments in his life, and I know those. At the end of the day, we’re human beings and we have emotions. I saw him hurting, and I wanted to protect him.’
A versatile player and fan favorite in the Phoenix area, Marte comes from a baseball family and is actually married to Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s cousin. Marte regularly posts about his late mother on Instagram, including annual Mother’s Day messages.
He was particularly good against Chicago on Tuesday, homering for the 15th time this season and adding a single to improve his average to .320 on the year.
Marte declined to speak to reporters after the game.
‘It was a terrible moment,’ Lovullo said in his place. ‘Fans are nasty, and fans go too far. I love my players, and I’m going to protect them.’
