Belize’s First MLB Player, Chito Martinez, Dies at 59

The first and only Major League Baseball player born in Belize, Chito Martinez, died at the age of 59. His death was confirmed by the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday, 22 April, in a tribute posted on social media.

“We mourn the passing of former Orioles outfielder Chito Martinez, the only native of Belize to play in the majors,” the team wrote.

Martinez passed away on Sunday following a heart attack in Lake Cormorant, Mississippi. An official cause of death has not yet been released, but he had recently undergone several hospitalisations, according to a GoFundMe page set up to support his family.

Martinez moved to New Orleans when he was two years old and became a baseball standout at Brother Martin High School. Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 1984, he later joined the Orioles, making his MLB debut in 1991. He played three seasons with the club, batting .259 with 18 home runs.

His younger brother, Robbie Martinez, told Crescent City Sports, “They called Chito ‘Mex’ and called me ‘Little Mex.’ He introduced me to baseball. I worshipped those guys in 1983 and 1984 at Brother Martin. Even more, he taught me about life, about how to be a dad, about golf, above and beyond baseball.”

Chito’s high school coach, Barry Hebert, praised him as “a once-in-a-lifetime young man to coach. He led by example.”

Martinez is survived by his wife Millie, three children, and extended family. A funeral service will be held Friday, April 25, at Coleman Funeral Home in Southaven, Mississippi.