The Chicago White Sox have banned a fan from Rate Field indefinitely after he made comments toward Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte during Tuesday’s game, the team told ESPN on Wednesday.
Marte was seen in tears on the field after a spectator yelled a derogatory comment about his late mother during an at-bat in Arizona’s game against Chicago on Tuesday night.
Arizona manager Torey Lovullo and bench coach Jeff Banister asked for the person to be removed from the game, a Diamondbacks spokesperson told the Arizona Republic, and Lovullo later said he heard what the fan said as Marte was batting in the top of the seventh inning.
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 of Arizona’s 4-1 win, was seen visibly upset during a pitching change in the bottom of the seventh as Lovullo put his arm around his player and consoled him.
“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.’”
Ketel Marte hit a home run before the incident with a fan occured in Tuesday’s game. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)
The fan was later identified as a 22-year-old man. He admitted to making inappropriate comments toward Marte, which he regretted, according to ESPN.
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.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
