Marte 'almost cried' at winning All-Star vote
Chris Haft
SAN FRANCISCO -- If Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo is just partially accurate in his judgment of Ketel Marte, the second baseman's initial selection to the National League All-Star squad won't be his last.
"We're watching one of the up-and-coming stars of Major League Baseball," Lovullo said Thursday after Marte's election as an NL starter was announced. Marte, 25, captured 39.2% of the fan vote to outdistance the other two finalists, Atlanta's Ozzie Albies (34.3) and Milwaukee's Mike Moustakas (26.5). Pitchers and reserves are being named Sunday at 2:30 p.m. MST on ESPN.
Marte certainly accumulated All-Star-level credentials in 78 games entering Thursday, amassing 20 home runs and 51 RBIs to complement a .316/.364/.585 slash line. Such statistics, Lovullo insisted, are "not a fluke," citing the diligence Marte maintains.
"What sometimes happens with young players is, they reach that level and say, 'It's easy,'" Lovullo said. Not Marte, who prompted a lofty comparison from Lovullo. Marte, he declared, is one of those "Derek Jeter-type of guys who are good for 12, 15 years In a row."
Marte vowed to remain on the path that led him to become Arizona's first starter in the All-Star Game since first baseman Paul Goldschmidt in 2015 and the first D-backs second baseman to start in the Midsummer Classic since Jay Bell in 1999.
"I'm going to be the person I am right now. Stay humble," said Marte, a native of the Dominican Republic who converted from shortstop to second base in 2018. "I don't want [being an All-Star] to be one year. I want to be for the rest of my career."
Aware that he led the voting among NL second basemen after Wednesday's update, Marte endured a restless night.
"I couldn't sleep," he said. "I woke up at 6 a.m., just looking at everything."
Marte watched ESPN's All-Star selection show with his teammates in the visitors' clubhouse at Oracle Park.
"Pretty exciting for all of us to have that moment together," Lovullo said. "I know it meant a lot to him. It also meant a lot to us. We watched him grow and learn as a player and his teammates have seen him perform on a very high level. It's so well-deserved. It was a fun moment for all of us."
When Marte's name was called, the D-backs roared as one in boisterous appreciation. Except for Marte himself.
"I almost cried," he said. "But I'm happy for me, my family and my career. ... I want to thank everybody in the organization who helped me be the player I am now."
The 2019 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard will be played on Tuesday, July 9, at Progressive Field in Cleveland. It will be televised nationally by FOX Sports; in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS; and worldwide by partners in more than 180 countries. FOX Deportes will provide Spanish-language coverage in the United States, while ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide exclusive national radio coverage. MLB Network, MLB.com and SiriusXM also will provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage.