It’s a heartbreaking day for the New Orleans and Baltimore Orioles baseball community. Chito Martinez, a Brother Martin legend and the first and only Major League Baseball player born in Belize has passed away at the age of 59. He suffered a heart attack in Lake Cormorant, Mississippi.
Martinez was born in Belize, and he later moved to New Orleans with his family when he was just two years old. He then went on to make history, not just because of where he came from though. He made it big, for the way, he played the game. To date, he is the only one in MLB who has come out of Belize. But for those who knew him, he was more than just a player.
His younger brother, Robbie Martinez, who has also played baseball at the same Brother Martin, spoke about what Chito meant to him.
We mourn the passing of former Orioles outfielder Chito Martinez, the only native of Belize to play in the majors. pic.twitter.com/n4pE7dw2Nb
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) April 22, 2025
Chito, for him, was not just a ballplayer but a role model, a big brother. “As a ballplayer myself growing up, I never had his talent, but I always looked up to him. 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, and about golf, above and beyond baseball.”
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