Sports fans are known to get out of control, and now, MLB is taking serious actions after a heckler at a Arizona Diamondbacks game did the unthinkable. Video of the hurtful interaction involving Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte has been released, showing the star athlete having a complete breakdown mid game on Wednesday (June 25).
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Marte was on the field during a game against the Chicago White Sox when television cameras caught the Dominican-born athlete with tears rolling down his face during the seventh inning. Turns out, he became emotional after a White Sox fan's words hit a soft spot.
Marte’s teammates and a coach rushed to console him in the moments following the breakdown. But soon after fans, announcers and at home viewers began speculating what could've possibly went wrong, TikTok video captured by a crowd member showed Arizona manager Torey Luvollo confronting a fan in the crowd. "His mom died, you dumb f**k," Luvollo yelled at the fan.
The heckler in question reportedly yelled insults about Marte's mother. Back in 2017, Marte's mother, Elpidia Valdez, died in a tragic car crash, according to the New York Post. Although it's unclear what exactly was said, the words were enough to call for the fan's ejection from the field.
The 22-year-old White Sox fan was quickly removed and indefinitely banned from all White Sox home games, the New York Post reported on Wednesday. The decision was jointly made by the league and the MLB team, showing a unified front against folks who take things way too far.
"We commend the White Sox for taking immediate action in removing the fan," MLB said in a statement. ESPN reported Marte declined to comment after the game, but that didn't stop his teammates from coming to his defense.
Shortstop for Arizona, Geraldo Perdomo, was one of the many Diamondbacks crew who rushed to comfort Marte on the field. "That can’t happen," Perdomo said referring to the heckler. "Everybody knows how Ketel is. He’s fun. He plays the game hard. I feel bad for him. I feel mad about it."
The player continued, "We can’t continue to do that sh*t here in MLB… he [the heckler] should be banned, for sure. Everybody knows Ketel lost his mom. She was the world to him."
A source told ESPN the White Sox heckler was "very apologetic and remorseful" and took full responsibility for the inappropriate comments. The White Sox pulled out a win against Arizona 7-3.
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