On Tuesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field, this moment transcended the score. The Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks were facing off. Then, something happened during the game that reminded everyone that words carry power. And how it can hit harder than any fastball ever could.

In the seventh inning, Ketel Marte, the heart of the Diamondbacks’ infield, stepped up to the plate. But even before the pitch, a brutal comment came from a White Sox fan. It was not about a slump, a stat, or performance. It was extremely personal. He brought out Marte’s late mother, who tragically had passed in a car crash in 2017.

Marte, listening to this, seemed visibly shaken—and why not? No matter how long it has been, losing a parent hurts, let alone making a mockery out of it. So when he stepped out of the batter’s box, he was in a pool of tears. But then came a familiar face to help him. Manager Torey Lovullo.

The Arizona Diamondbacks manager walked out not for a pitching change but to be there for his player as a human being. “I just reacted as a dad would… I could see he was sobbing. It hurt.” But it had a deeper meaning. What he told Marte meant, “I love you, and I’m with you. You’re not alone.” And this gesture did not go unnoticed.

Ryne Nelson mentioned, “It’s one thing to say you care, but it’s another to show it…. Torey didn’t do what he had to. He did what he felt was right…… That’s the guy you want to run through a brick wall for.”

But Lovullo wasn’t the only one standing high and tall for his slugger.

Teammate Gedraldo Perdomo also didn’t hold back. “That can’t happen..We can’t continue to do that s— here in MLB.” And this support came not just from within the boundaries. The wives of Freddie Freeman and Will Smith also posted emotional messages in support of Marte.

Baseball, for sure, thrives on rivalry, emotion, and passion. But when it crosses into cruelty, the game becomes toxic. What happened to Marte was wrong, but it also highlights the importance of a good team rapport and its potential to go a long way. This time, everyone saw it with Alex Cora and his players, too.

Also, it was clear from the moment Marte’s incident happened that this was no ordinary heckle. And the aftermath ensured it.

MLB takes swift action against Ketel Marte’s heckler

Manager Torey Lovullo didn’t hesitate to alert the stadium security as soon as he heard his player getting heckled verbally. The fan was escorted out right. Also, by the next morning, MLB confirmed what fans had hoped for—a complete ban. So, yes, thankfully and well deservedly, the fan is banned from 30 ballparks across the league and won’t be coming back anytime soon.

MLB, in a statement commending the Sox for quick action, said, “There’s no place for that in baseball.” This is not damage control; it was a clear message.

Sure, trash talk is part of the game, but this was not just a playful jab. If Mookie Betts getting hurled at by the fans was physically a huge pain, this was emotionally tearing. Sadly, this isn’t the first time. Back in April, a fan in Cleveland was banned after targeting Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran with a cruel comment about his mental health.

Plus, when you make a player like Ketel Marte, one of the grittiest, break down – that’s a line one can’t uncross. Now, sources close to the team say that the fan has shown remorse. But that’s the thing about words—once spoken, they cannot be undone. While Marte has chosen not to speak about it publicly, one of his teammates sided with him. “For him to be that affected… it shows how out of line it was.”

And even though the comment has not been made public, it doesn’t have to be.

On Wednesday, Sox fans showed love to Marte with a warm round of applause. Surely the gesture meant something. Because it’s not only about the at-bats, it’s about how one shows up for one another when the game turns cruel.