PHOENIX — Ketel Marte, wearing a lime green cap in the Arizona Diamondbacks' clubhouse that read, "May the Bridges I Burn Light the Way," was caught by surprise by the hometown crowd’s response to him at Chase Field on Monday, Aug. 31.
Many in the crowd of 21,314 started booing the moment he began walking toward the plate Monday night, and it got louder as he stepped into the batter’s box and grounded out.
It was even louder in his next at-bat, before quieting down as the night progressed. The night ended with Marte standing in the on-deck circle with the Philadelphia Phillies winning, 2-1, temporarily knocking the D-backs out of the third National League wild-card position.
“I wasn’t expecting that type of reaction from the fans,’’ Marte solemnly
said. “It felt a little strange in my first at-bat, but that’s hopefully going to go away.’’
The Diamondbacks hope the drama slowly fades away, too, with Marte once again apologizing to his teammates in a brief team meeting before the game.
“Thank God they accepted my apology,’’ said Marte, who went 1-for-3 with a walk. “The most important thing is for me to help them out, to stay healthy and to be able to help this team out.
“I stood in front of them like a man, I asked for [forgiveness], and thankfully they accepted.’’
Well, not quite everyone of course.
He has burned enough bridges the past few years where some teammates might never accept him, but at least it was a start.
“It was good,’’ Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt siad. “There’s obviously missed feelings in the room, but for me personally, I’m glad that he’s back with us, and we can move on from it, and get the ball rolling.
“Hopefully, he can get hot for us and lead us to a playoff [berth].’’
The Diamdonbacks (73-66), trying to reach the postseason for only the second time in the last nine years, are one-half game behind the San Diego Padres for the third and final wild-card berth.
“It’s that time of year, man,’’ Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “September, it’s the best time of the year, and we’re in the race. I think we’re going to go out and play our finest month of baseball, and that’s what we’re going to try to prep for.’’
And to go where the D-backs want to go, Lovullo realizes, they need Marte, their three-time All-Star second baseman.
It was imperative that Marte apologize to his teammates, Lovullo said, saying it was “fast and simple,’’ but delivered the proper message.
Now, Lovullo hopes the fans eventually forgive him, too, saying he expected the booing, but was pleased with the way Marte handled it without cowering from the attention.
Certainly, from a public-relations standpoint, Marte did himself no favors when asked before the game whether he had a message to say to the fanbase, and shook his head no.
Afterwards, when the subject was brought up again, Marte said that he didn’t quite understand the question.
“Going back to the press conference when the question was made,’’ he said, “I didn’t really quite understand the word that was used at that moment. But I’m never going to stop loving my fans, and that’s what I want them to understand.’’
If Marte gets hot in September, and helps carry the D-backs to the postseason, they might understand him a whole lot better.
Who knows, maybe even forgive him.
Follow Bob Nightengale on X @Bnighengale.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ketel Marte, who went AWOL, surprised by D-backs fans' reaction
