June 25, 2025
The comment was made towards Arizona Diamondback’s second baseman, Ketel Marte
Major League Baseball player Ketel Marte was caught up in an emotional moment, caught by cameras after a baseball fan shouted derogatory comments about his deceased mother, Elpidia Valdez, who tragically died in a car accident in the Dominican Republic in 2017.
According to AZ Central, the rude fan, who was ejected from the game, disrespected the Arizona Diamondbacks’ player when he said things about the baseball player’s mother. The incident occurred between innings, but cameras captured the emotional reaction as several players and the team’s manager, Torey Lovullo, were at the pitching mound to console Marte.
Ketel Marte was in tears after a fan shouted something regarding his late mother that passed away in a car accident in 2017. Manager Torey Lovullo and Geraldo Perdomo consoled him after the incident
The fan was removed from the ballpark. pic.twitter.com/gSyJpElalx
— Barstool Baseball (@StoolBaseball) June 25, 2025
The scene took place during the seventh inning of the game between the Diamondbacks and the Chicago White Sox in Chicago at Rate Field on June 24.
The manager stated that the inconsiderate fan directed the comments to Marte while he was at bat at the top of the seventh inning. The incident upset Marte and several of his teammates and coaches. Diamondbacks’ shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, who was at the mound to help comfort Marte, called for officials at MLB to do something about the disrespectful ways fans have been speaking to and treating baseball players of late.
“That can’t happen,” Perdomo said. “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. I don’t know who it was, but they’ve got to do something. We can’t continue to do that s**t here in MLB.”
Stadium officials confirmed that the fan was ejected and will not be allowed to attend any more White Sox games.
The Associated Press reported that, according to a White Sox spokesperson, stadium security stated that the ejected fan was “very apologetic and remorseful after the fact, and admitted to being very inappropriate and stupid with his comments.”
The game started out great for Marte as he hit a home run earlier in the game that the Diamondbacks won, 4-1.
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