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PHOENIX — Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, showing no emotion Monday, apologized for going AWOL for the fourth consecutive season, spoke to the media and apologized to his teammates, had no message to D-backs fans, didn’t find anything wrong with hanging out at a casino while his teammates played a game 30 minutes away, and then got ready to play against the Philadelphia Phillies.
He acted as if he did nothing more than commit a baserunning blunder.
“I’m going to stand in front of my teammates like a man,” he said. “I’m going to ask for forgiveness. We’re all human. We all commit mistakes.”
When asked directly if he had a message for Diamondbacks fans before the game, he shook his head no.
No harm. No foul. Back in the starting lineup, where he batted cleanup as the DH.
But, oh, the fans let him have it Monday night, loudly booing him when he walked to the plate, and even louder when he grounded out. It was the first time long-time D-backs observers can remember one of their players being booed coming to the plate.
This was the fourth consecutive season, dating back to Sept. 24, 2023 at Yankee Stadium, Marte did not show up for a game without an excused absence, this time two weeks ago on Aug. 17 at Fenway Park.
For the second consecutive season, he was placed on the restricted list for going AWOL.
And once again, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo was left publicly supporting his wayward star, despite the anger and frustration that Marte has caused inside the clubhouse and within the organization.
“I told him it’s going to galvanize the team,” said Lovullo, who sat in the back of the room during Marte’s 10-minute press conference. “It will bring everybody closer. That’s my gut feel.”
It’s absurd to believe that your star player can disappear for two weeks with a three-day unpaid stint on the restricted list and a 10-day paid stint on the injured list (inflamed knee) and believe that Marte’s return will be celebrated as if Randy Johnson, Luis Gonzalez and Mark Grace just walked through the door like it was 2001 all over again.
Time for a little reality, please.
Yet, Lovullo pushed back on the notion that the organization, and particularly himself, should crack down on Marte.
Lovullo tells you they must treat him this way if they don’t want to lose him, saying his psyche might be too fragile to accept ridicule, and apparently, discipline.
“I know you guys want me to sometimes bury him and make him feel even worse than he already does,” Lovullo said. “He doesn’t respond to that. But I feel like it’s my job to do that sometimes. When I do it, he retreats. When something doesn’t go well, he retreats. …
“He’s an emotional kid, a very emotional kid, and I think you guys are slowly understanding, right? So, for everybody that has kids in this [press conference] room, you understand that your kids have feelings that are different. And you can’t ram your fist down their throat or yell it into them. You know what I mean? Like you want to sometimes, but you just can’t.
“So, there’s a different way to handle every personality in this clubhouse. I know what he responds to, and there are times that I do [criticize], and it doesn’t end well. Sometimes, he does not respond to that. So, I just want everybody to be patient with him, care for him, and support him because he feels the energy from people.”
The Diamondbacks, who are battling for a wild-card berth, also realize they have no choice. They tried to trade him last winter, but never received an offer by the Boston Red Sox or anyone else that they came close to accepting. Now, he has 10-and-5 rights, meaning they can’t trade him and the remaining $94 million over the next five years on his contract without permission.
It would be different, of course, if Marte wasn’t one of the most talented second basemen in the game as a three-time All-Star who twice finished among the top five in MVP voting and was the 2023 NLCS MVP.
“In my opinion when he’s right,” Lovullo said, “he’s one of the best players in the National League.”
So, the D-backs put up with his antics and even though Marte vowed he wouldn’t go AWOL again, Lovullo was asked if he had a guarantee.
“I don’t, I don’t,” Lovullo said. “The other times this happened, I asked for it to never happen again. …It’s something that is a work of progress. We’ve all had bad moments and bad days, things that we regret. …
“But this one feels a little different. It feels different because he has come forward in this space with you guys, some of the conversations I’ve had directly with him, and the explanations, and the vulnerabilities. The conversations I’ve had with him over the past 24 hours were extremely difficult.”
While Marte apologized to Lovullo, saying that he “failed him for not showing up,” Lovullo wasn’t going to apologize for treating Marte differently than his other players.
“Ketel can be very complex,” Lovullo said. “You know he’s an engaged, caring human being, full of great intentions. He’s full of love … I love not just Ketel. I’ve had these conversations with players all the time, and it’s part of what makes me who I am. I don’t back away from them. I embrace those challenges and those conversations, good or bad.”
Now, Lovullo is left trying to make sure that Marte’s return doesn’t tear away at the fabric of the clubhouse. He wants to believe that Marte will be forgiven, and the D-backs players know that if they are going to seize a wild-card berth, they’re going to have a whole lot easier time doing it with Marte in the lineup and not at a casino.
They’re not all going to accept Marte, but then again, there’s no team in baseball in which everyone loves one another. There are disagreements. There are fights. But once the game starts, they have to pull together if they want to extend their season into October.
“I want everybody playing a different instrument, but one song,” Lovullo said. “Everybody’s different, and I want it to be a really well-played song. That’s my job.”
And it’s Marte’s job to show up and play.
Monday was a start.
Follow Bob Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale