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6 hours ago
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NEED TO KNOW
- Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte broke down in tears during a game after a fan heckled him about his late mother
- The baseball game took place against the White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago
- Teammate Geraldo Perdomo said the fan should "be banned" for life
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte broke down in tears during Tuesday night’s game against the Chicago White Sox after a fan reportedly yelled something about his late mother, who died in 2017.
Television cameras caught Marte, 31, with tears running down his face during a pitching change in the top of the seventh inning during Arizona’s 4-1 win over the White Sox on June 24. Marte’s teammates and coach consoled him during the break in the action, as announcers speculated about what was wrong.
After the game, a Diamondbacks spokesperson told the Arizona Republic that Marte was upset because a fan had heckled him about Elpidia Valdez, who died in a car accident in the Dominican Republic.
Marte declined to comment about the incident after the game, according to the Arizona Republic and ESPN, though his teammates and coaches spoke out against sports fans verbally abusing players during games.
Arizona manager Torey Lovullo told reporters that he saw Marte “put his head down” and “could tell it had an immediate impact on him,” according to the Arizona Republic.
"I could see he was sobbing. It hurt," Lovullo told the outlet. "[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.' "
Geoff Stellfox/Getty
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ESPN reported that teammate Geraldo Perdomo was “incensed” after the game. “That can’t happen,” Perdomo, who plays shortstop alongside Marte, said. “We can’t continue to do that s--- here in MLB.”
The outlets reported that the fan was immediately removed from Chicago's Rate Field after Lovullo requested security to respond to the situation in the seventh inning.
PEOPLE has learned the fan was a 22-year-old man who apologized following the incident. However, a spokesperson for the Arizona Diamondbacks confirmed with PEOPLE that the fan has been “banned” from Chicago’s Rate Field.
On social media, a growing number of White Sox fans called for those attending Thursday's game to give Marte a standing ovation to show their support.
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