For Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte it was a potential crushing moment during Tuesday night’s game against the Chicago White Sox. It bled into a really difficult on-field experience for him. The controversy boiled over at the top of the seventh inning. One passionate and ill-informed fan even screamed a tragic insult regarding Marte’s late mother, Elpidia Valdez, who lost her life in a car crash in 2017 in the Dominican Republic.
Marte, who was understandably shaken up by the comment, was comforted in the dugout by his teammate Geraldo Perdomo, who provided emotional support to Marte during Wednesday’s game. The emotional impact of the tragedy was heavy. Marte, unable to run from the comment overheard at the park, took to the field with a burden that would consume his performance. Marte didn’t allow the incident to stop him. He’d end up hitting that home run and closing out the game with an even more apocalyptic looking 2-for-4 batting line, as his Diamondbacks would win 4-1.
Torey Lovullo, the Diamondbacks’ manager since 2017, observed the incident as a father and tried to intervene. As soon as he heard it, he called security at Rate Field and told them to eject the fan who made the remark. Lovullo shared his fatherly concern for Marte, saying that, “I was just reacting as a father would. I could see he was sobbing. It hurt. I said to him, ‘We all love you and we’re with you and we’re all together and you’re not alone. Regardless of what he does, regardless of what was said, regardless of what you heard, that dude is a moron. It shouldn’t have an impact on you.’
Perdomo reinforced Lovullo’s thoughts, calling the fan’s actions disrespectful. “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,” he stated to reporters after the game.
Marte is enjoying a career-year, with a .320 batting average. The emotional cost of the incident was evident, as he declined to speak with reporters following the game. The Diamondbacks’ victory was marred by this unfortunate event, highlighting the challenges players face both on and off the field.