Boston Red Sox star Jarren Duran has been open about his struggles with mental health, even revealing his 2022 suicide attempt on the documentary 'The Clubhouse: A Year with the Red Sox'. By getting that personal in such a public setting, Duran took a risk.
“The whole purpose of me sharing it is just to get it out there and let people know that they're not alone,” Duran said at the time. “Even if I can just help one person, it's meaningful. I'm just trying to let people know that there's always help and to make sure that they're reaching out.”
Duran is thankfully in a much better mental space these days, but that hasn't stopped some fans from crossing an unspeakable line. During the Red Sox game in Cleveland on Sunday afternoon, a Guardians fan called Duran out with what the outfielder described as an 'inappropriate comment'. Duran waited until after his teammate Rafael Devers' at-bat, and then went to confront the fan.
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Jarren Duran handled postgame questions about heckling Guardians fan with class
Said fan was eventually ejected by security, as fellow Guardians supporters were quick to point them out. The fan allegedly comments on Duran's 2022 suicide attempt, which right set the Red Sox star off.
“When you open yourself up like that, you’re also opening yourself up to the enemies, but I have a good support staff around me along with teammates and coaches, which is awesome,” Duran said. “Security was aware of it and took care of it for me.”
Duran is right in that he unfortunately has opened himself up to criticism. Baseball fans can often take heckling a step too far, but there is no scenario where joking about suicide is acceptable, period. The Guardians issued a statement echoing just that after the game.
“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," the Guardians wrote.
Cleveland is working with MLB to take next steps, which could involve a permanent ban from Progressive Field for said fan, or worse.
Duran is far from perfect either – he was suspended for using a homophobic slur towards a fan just last year – but his past demons shouldn't be used against him, especially considering how personal they are.