Arizona Diamondbacks fans at Chase Field on Friday night gave Ketel Marte quite the warm welcome in the team's first game at home since a fan in Chicago heckled Marte regarding his deceased mother on Tuesday.
A fan on Tuesday shouted classless remarks at Marte about his mother who died in 2017 in a car accident. Marte was seen in tears on the field, and his Diamondbacks teammates and manager Torey Lovullo consoled him. The fan has since been banned indefinitely at all MLB ballparks.
Diamondbacks fans found special ways to show their support to Marte. Ahead of his first at-bat on Friday night, the crowd gave him a huge standing ovation. Marte tipped his hat to the crowd as a thank you. Many fans wore shirts that said "Ketel is my MVP," and the broadcast captured some fans who created homemade signs to show love to the second baseman.
Watch the heartwarming scene here.
We love you, Ketel 🩷 pic.twitter.com/ztWoOuO2Ov
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) June 28, 2025
Marte said in an interview this week that the fan "crossed the line" by yelling vicious taunts about his deceased mother, but he still sent prayers to the fan.
It's clear Marte is grateful for all the love and support he's received this week. Baseball can be a really special sport.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte Receives Ovation in First Home Game Since Heckling Incident.
