Jarren Duran heckled about suicide attempt, Cleveland Guardians fan ejected
A Cleveland Guardians fan was ejected from Progressive Field Sunday after Boston Red Sox player Jarren Duran said they said "something inappropriate" about his suicide attempt to him in the seventh inning.
Duran has found plenty of support from his Red Sox teammates and others outside baseball since he revealed in a Netflix documentary that he attempted suicide three years ago. His openness has also exposed him to hecklers, though.
Jarren Duran heckled in Cleveland
Duran said a fan in the front row Sunday near the Red Sox dugout in Cleveland said "something inappropriate" to him after the All-Star left fielder flied out in the seventh inning of a 13-3 victory over the Guardians.
Duran stayed on the top step of the dugout and glared at the fan as the inning played out. During the seventh-inning stretch, before the singing of "God Bless America," Red Sox teammates and coaches kept Duran away from the area as umpires and Progressive Field security personnel gathered to handle the situation.
The fan tried to run up the aisle, but was caught by security and taken out of the stadium.
"The fans just said something inappropriate. I'm just happy that the security handled it and the umpires were aware of it and they took care of it for me," Duran said.
Guardians apology to Jarren Duran
After the game, the Guardians released a statement apologizing to the Red Sox and Duran.
"We are aware of the situation that took place during today's game between a fan and one of the Red Sox players that violated our fan conduct policy. We recognize the gravity of the behavior at issue here and take very seriously conduct of this nature. We apologize to the Red Sox organization, the player involved, fans in the area and are addressing the situation. We have identified the fan in question and will work with Major League Baseball regarding next steps. We strive to provide the best experience to visiting players and fans, and that fell short today," said the Guardians in a statement.
Duran said it was the first time he was heckled by a fan about his suicide attempt and mental health struggles since the Netflix series "The Clubhouse: A Year With the Red Sox" was released on April 8.
"When you open yourself up like that, you also open yourself up to the enemies. But I have a good support staff around me, teammates, coaches. There were fans that were supporting me, so that was awesome," he said.
"Him admitting that and talking about it in such detail, I think, is important," said Red Sox fan Blake Stone. "So someone coming at him for that I think is just pretty disrespectful."
Boston manager Alex Cora was in the opposite corner of the Red Sox dugout but lauded security for how the incident was handled.
Cora was even prouder of Duran's restraint. Duran was suspended for two games last season when he directed a homophobic slur at a heckling fan at Fenway Park when the fan shouted that Duran needed a tennis racket to hit.
"There's a two-way street. That's something I said last year. We made a mistake last year and we learned from it. We grew up, you know, as an individual and as a group," Cora said.
Red Sox fans disappointed in fan's behavior
Red Sox fans who spoke to WBZ-TV said they were shocked by the fan targeting Duran about his mental.
"It was really shocking," said Red Sox fan Jasper Pearman. "Overstepping that line, just trying to talk to someone about how they should end their life is just really gross."
"I would never think of doing something like that," said Red Sox fan Sam Resnik.
Mental health resources
If you need help with depression, suicide prevention, substance abuse or other issues, there are several resources available here.
You can also call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can have a free, confidential conversation with a trained counselor anytime.
