A video has surfaced showing Diamondbacks manager Tory Lovullo confronting a 22-year-old White Sox fan who made comments about Arizona’s Ketel Marte, whose mother recently passed away.
The clip was shared on TikTok by a user named SmartAsskris, where you can see Lovullo yelling at the fans.
“Silly f—,” Lovullo seemed to shout, pointing at the spectators. “His mom has passed away, you f—. Stupid f—.”
The TikTok user was also reportedly ejected by the White Sox security team.
In the video caption, SmartAsskris elaborates on the incident at Chicago’s Guaranteed Rate Field, mentioning that Marte was visibly emotional following a 4-1 victory against the White Sox.
The incident marks their first game at that ballpark, and those seated nearby noted that the heckling intensified as the game progressed, leading Marte’s teammate to defend him before Lovullo called for security’s intervention.
The White Sox security’s response was praised for understanding the seriousness of the situation. While it was tough to see Marte distressed, it served as a lesson in sportsmanship, highlighting the empathy and maturity that young athletes can possess.
Marte became visibly upset during the seventh inning, reminded of painful comments regarding his mother, Elpidia Valdez, who tragically died in a car accident in the Dominican Republic in 2017.
Reports indicate that the fans responsible for the comments have since been indefinitely banned from all MLB parks, a decision made collectively by the league and the White Sox.
Shortstop Geraldo Perdomo called for accountability after the match, expressing his disappointment over the situation.
“That won’t happen again,” Perdomo stated. “Everyone knows how special Ketel is. He plays with so much passion. I really feel for him. It’s infuriating.”
