{"id":136209,"date":"2025-06-28T02:34:10","date_gmt":"2025-06-28T02:34:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/136209\/"},"modified":"2025-06-28T02:34:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-28T02:34:10","slug":"mlb-star-reveals-heckling-fans-comment-about-late-mother-that-sparked-tears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/136209\/","title":{"rendered":"MLB Star Reveals Heckling Fan’s Comment About Late Mother That Sparked Tears"},"content":{"rendered":"

Arizona Diamondbacks<\/a> second baseman Ketel Marte<\/a> is speaking out for the first time since a fan\u2019s comment about his late mother brought him to tears<\/a>, resulting in the fan being indefinitely banned from all MLB<\/a> ballparks.<\/p>\n

Marte \u2014 in an interview<\/a> with Yancen Pujols translated from Spanish in a post by Instagram\u2019s @dannybeisbol<\/a> \u2014 said the fan yelled about his mother Elpidia Valdez, who died in a 2017 car crash in the Dominican Republic, as he went to bat in the seventh inning of Tuesday\u2019s game in Chicago against the White Sox.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was like, \u2018I sent your mom a text last night,\u2019\u201d said the 31-year-old MLB All-Star, noting that he had also been in Chicago at the time of the crash.<\/p>\n

Marte shook his head in disgust during the at-bat and \u2014 after popping the ball out \u2014 looked toward the stands as he walked to the dugout.<\/p>\n

Later, in the bottom half of the inning, he broke down and wiped away tears on the field as shortstop Geraldo Perdomo comforted him and Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo put his arm around him.<\/p>\n

Lovullo told reporters after the game that he heard the fan\u2019s remarks but opted not to repeat them, emphasizing that fans can be \u201cnasty\u201d and \u201cgo too far sometimes,\u201d so he\u2019s got to protect his players.<\/p>\n

The emotional moment initially sparked mass outrage from the baseball world, with many saying the fan crossed the line. The extent of the fan\u2019s knowledge about Marte or his family is unclear.<\/p>\n

The fan, a 22-year-old who was reportedly later apologetic and remorseful<\/a> after making his comments, was ejected from the game at the request of members of Arizona\u2019s coaching staff.<\/p>\n

Ketel Marte was in tears tonight because a fan yelled something to him about Ketel\u2019s mom who passed away in a car accident 8 years ago. <\/p>\n

People are disgusting. This makes me sick to my stomach \ud83e\udd26\u2642\ufe0f<\/p>\n

pic.twitter.com\/SzpLYuVqnD<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Baseball King (@BasebaIlKing) June 25, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Marte told Pujols that \u201csomething needs to be done\u201d about fan behavior because it\u2019s \u201cgetting out of hand,\u201d adding that comments about his mother cross the line.<\/p>\n

He said people \u201calways yell stuff\u201d at him, but never about his mother, and said that people know she passed away in an accident.<\/p>\n

Still, he said, he\u2019s sending prayers to both the fan and his family.<\/p>\n

\u201cMay God protect them and help him heal his heart,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The incident led people to make over $11,000 in donations in Marte\u2019s mother\u2019s name, per MLB.com<\/a>, while the White Sox showed love to the Diamondbacks star with a message on the team\u2019s video board<\/a> during Wednesday\u2019s game. It read: \u201cBaseball is family. The White Sox community supports Ketel Marte.\u201d<\/p>\n