As manager Torrey Lovullo stood on the pitcher’s mound at Rate Field to make a pitching change on Tuesday night, Diamondbacks superstar Ketel Marte broke down in tears.
It was the bottom of the seventh inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks were turning to the bullpen to clinch a road series win against the Chicago White Sox.
But at that moment, Marte was still thinking about what had occurred an inning prior.
When Marte was up to bat in the top half of the seventh, one boisterous White Sox fan heckled him and took things way too far.
Sending love to Ketel Marte who was in tears on the field after a fan yelled something at him about his mother, who passed away in a car accident in 2017, per @CDrottar19 pic.twitter.com/I14Zc1gkV1
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) June 25, 2025
Fan makes personal jab at Ketel Marte
According to reports from after the game, the White Sox fan in question said something about Marte’s late mother, who passed away in a car accident back in 2017.
Understandably, Marte was both enraged and emotional. As was Diamondbacks manager Torrey Lovullo.
“Terrible moment. Fans are nasty and fans go too far sometimes,” said Lovullo after the game.
“I love my players and I’m going to protect them. I’ve known Ketel for nine years. He’s had some unbelievably great moments and some hardships as well and some really tough moments in his life. And I know those”…”At the end of the day, we’re human beings and we have emotions. I saw him hurting and I wanted to protect him.”
Here’s the initial explanation from @Dbacks Manager Torey Lovullo re the incident in Chicago where a @whitesox fan verbally abused Ketel Marte. pic.twitter.com/UZnwssmxfz
— Todd Walsh (@ToddWalsh) June 25, 2025
A bad look for White Sox fans
The “fan” was kicked out of the stadium after the incident and has since been permanently banned from Rate Field.
The White Sox did the right thing. But that hasn't stopped the baseball world from bad mouthing the team and fanbase on social media.
Hey @whitesox, tell your fans to do better. This is disgusting. https://t.co/Yu1R3cDle4
— Tana Hughes (@TanaHughes) June 25, 2025
No more sympathy White Sox deserve absolutely NOTHING I hope your stupid team sucks for eternity https://t.co/I10tf9WhMR
— Sarah Anne ⚾️ (@sarahanne1212) June 25, 2025
Disgusting for sure, but par for course with White Sox fans. They like to run on the field and start fights with 1B coaches too!
— Toby Green (@tdg_2150) June 25, 2025
One fan just made all White Sox fans look bad, even though this is far from a White Sox fan issue.
Sadly, this sort of thing is not unique. Sports fans around the world feel entitled to say whatever they want to professional athletes just because they purchased a ticket to the game. As if the players taking the field are characters in a game, but not human beings with histories and emotions.
Most Sox fans have expressed support for Marte on social media, and there is even a campaign for White Sox fans at the ballpark on Wednesday afternoon to give Marte a standing ovation. It would be a gesture to show Marte that the South Side stands with him, even if one jerk took things too far.