Ketel Marte reveals banned fan joked about texting his late mother during D-Backs-White Sox game
Ketel Marte received immediate support from the Diamondbacks and MLB after an emotional night on the field Wednesday. (Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)
Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte has provided his own account of the incident that left him in tears on the field on Wednesday.
In an Instagram Live interview with Spanish-language journalist Yancen Pujols, the two-time All-Star revealed that a fan at a Chicago White Sox game yelled something along the lines of "I sent your mom a text last night." Marte's mother, Elpidia Valdez, died in a car accident in 2017.
Advertisement
Marte said the heckle hit especially hard because Marte was in Chicago when he learned his mother had died. His comments, as interpreted by the @dannybeisbol Instagram account.
"I want to thank all of the fans who have been concerned about me. What happened was, seventh inning, I came to bat. I'm ready at the plate. I hear this fan shouting, he was on top of the dugout. He yelled at me, saying stuff about my mom. He was like, 'I sent your mom a text last night.'
"When everything happened with my mom, I was here in Chicago. I was in this city. My manager had my back. They kicked the fan out. I don't think he'll be allowed back in the parks."
It's unclear what else the fan, who was banned indefinitely from all MLB parks the next day, said anything else or was even aware of Marte's past with his mother. Per ESPN, the fan was very apologetic and remorseful when reached, calling his comments "very inappropriate and stupid."
After the heckle, Marte was seen visibly crying on the field during a pitching change and was upset enough that Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo came out to comfort him. Both Lovullo and shortstop Geraldo Perdomo stood by Marte after the game, with Perdomo calling for the fan to be banned.
Both teams involved in the incident showed their support for Marte, as did MLB. The White Sox posted a message reading "The White Sox community supports Ketel Marte" on the scoreboard at Rate Field during their game on Thursday. The team was also the first to ban the fan from its park, with MLB commending the decision and following suit for the league's 29 other stadiums.
Advertisement
Marte said he was praying for the fan involved and that he hadn't heard any heckles about his mother before Wednesday:
"Yes, I think something needs to be done about the fans. It's getting out of hand. People always yell stuff at me, but never about my mom. People know that my mom passed away in an accident. But anyways, we're praying for him and his family too. May God protect them and help him heal his heart.
"They're always yelling things at me, but I don't mind. But when it comes to my mom that's where the line gets crossed."
Marte is currently on pace for the best season of his career and is among the contenders for the NL MVP award after finishing third in voting last season. The reigning Silver Slugger at second base is currently slashing .313/.416/.596 with 15 homers, but went 0-for-4 against the White Sox on Thursday. He is the longest tenured member of the Diamondbacks, going back to 2017.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Wings' Paige Bueckers makes WNBA history with performance vs. Fever
The post Wings' Paige Bueckers makes WNBA history with performance vs. Fever appeared first on ClutchPoints. Paige Bueckers made incredible WNBA history during Friday's matchup between the Dallas Wings and Indiana Fever. Advertisement In 36 minutes of action, Bueckers lit up the nets against the Fever's defense. She put up a stat line of 27 points, six assists, two steals, two blocks, and a rebound. She shot 9-of-18 from the field, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, and 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. Her efforts helped her set a new WNBA record, per Polymarket Hoops. She became the first player to have a stat line of 25 or more points, five or more assists, two or more steals, two or more blocks, and zero turnovers. How Paige Bueckers, Wings played against Fever Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Despite Paige Bueckers' historic night, it wasn't enough as the Wings suffered a 94-86 loss to the Fever at home. Advertisement Despite missing Caitlin Clark due to injury, the Fever jumped out to a 33-13 lead and never looked back. Even though the Wings cut the deficit to single digits as time went on, they were unable to recover from their slow start. Indiana was highly effective with its shot selection, making 59.3% of their total attempts. This is in significant contrast to the 42.6% shot accuracy from Dallas' end. Rebounding also played a role as the Fever beat the Wings 32-23 in that area. Three players scored in double-digits on Dallas' behalf, including Bueckers. Arike Ogunbowale finished with 15 points, a rebound, an assist, a steal, and a block. She shot 5-of-12 overall, including 1-of-4 from downtown, and 4-of-4 from the charity stripe. Aziaha James came next with 14 points and two assists, Myisha Hines-Allen had nine points and three assists, while NaLyssa Smith and Li Yueru provided seven points each. Dallas fell to a 4-13 record on the season, remaining at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. They are 1.5 games behind the Los Angeles Sparks and four games behind the Las Vegas Aces. The Wings will look to bounce back in their next matchup, remaining at home. They host the Washington Mystics on June 28 at 8 p.m. ET. Related: Wings' Paige Bueckers reveals how Kyrie Irving inspired 'unguardable' motivation Related: Paige Bueckers reacts to Caitlin Clark missing Fever-Wings game with injury
CBS News
40 minutes ago
- CBS News
Immigration agents detain father after chase through Burbank parking lot
The family of Carlos Chavez is trying to determine their next steps after immigration agents detained the father of five following a chase through a Home Depot parking lot in Burbank. Chavez's family and friends said he immigrated to the United States 20 years ago to provide for his relatives and had no criminal record. They described him as a person who would always be there to help others. Federal agents detained him more than a week ago while he was buying supplies for a home project with his son, Jonathan. "Is there pleasure in doing that stuff?" Jonathan said. "Honestly, what's the problem with that?" Jonathan said his father was taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles. Jonathan added that his father did not have his medication while he was being held at the facility. "They're just targeting people that are trying to work hard for their families," Jonathan said. "They're not providing for us. They take them and they don't provide us anything." Since his father's arrest, Jonathan has taken over the family business to help support his mom and siblings. During their last talk on Thursday, Carlos told his family that he might be transferred to a detention center in Houston. "He might get his phone back and stuff on the way over there, but he doesn't know," Jonathan said. "He told me he doesn't know if he's going to be able to talk to us again." As of Friday, family and friends don't know Carlos' exact location. His loved ones said they have tried several times to get more information from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security and other federal officials, but have not received a response. "He's a loving father," neighbor Mia Hopkey said. "He's a caring husband, and he's a good person that doesn't deserve this." While the family waits for answers, close friends like Hopkey and Alex Meiners are doing what they can to help Carlos' relatives. They organized a fundraiser to help with legal expenses and keep the family afloat. They said Carlos has always helped them when they needed it. "We'll be there to help support his family, because like we said, every time you see him, he gets out of the car, I give him a big hug," Meiners said. "He's my buddy. He's my friend." Jonathan said he can find a way to bring his dad home. "The only thing I want to see is him come back, to be able to see his daughters and make my mom happy again," Jonathan said. "She hasn't been happy this whole time.
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Will the NFC East finally have a repeat division winner?
Knowledgeable Commanders fans know the statistic: It's been since 2004 that an NFC East team has repeated as divisional champion. Yes, it was the Eagles; in fact, it was the last of Philadelphia's four consecutive NFC East titles. Strange as it sounds, it's true, no NFC East team has repeated since. Advertisement Kevin Sheehan of Team 980 discussed the phenomenon on Friday. Sheehan pointed out that four writers covering the four NFC East teams had a dialogue/story this week discussing the NFC East in 2025. John Keim, Washington's ESPN beat reporter, predicted that the Eagles will break the string and win the division. Keim basically said, How can you go against the Eagles after the season they had last year? Keim did point out that the Commanders do have the quarterback to threaten the Eagles, but remaining objective, had to admit what we all know is the major question mark for Washington in 2025. Will their defense make a large enough jump to challenge the Eagles for the division title in 2025? Sheehan cautioned Commanders fans not to overlook the fact that the Cowboys do have good offensive talent in quarterback Dak Prescott, receiver CeeDee Lamb, and, now this offseason, they added receiver George Pickens. The best Cowboy is Micah Parsons, and they drafted a highly regarded pass rusher and signed former Commanders edge rusher Dante Fowler. The Giants will be very strong on the defensive line. Their defense has been good, and they added Abdul Carter (EDGE) in the draft. Can Russell Wilson bring them steady play at quarterback? If Wilson doesn't get the job done, will Jameis Winston prove to be adequate? Or, do the Giants turn to rookie Jaxson Dart? Receiver Malik Nabers (LSU) exhibited enough last season to prove he is the real deal. The Eagles have stud defensive tackles, the best linebacker in the division, the best running back, the best offensive line and perhaps the best duo of wide receivers. They ran the ball down Washington's throat in the NFC Championship game and entirely dominated the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Can the Commanders overtake the Eagles to keep NFC East streak intact
