Former Orioles outfielder Chito Martinez, the first and still only MLB player from Belize, has died, the team announced on Tuesday.
He was 59.
“We mourn the passing of former Orioles outfielder Chito Martinez, the only native of Belize to play in the majors,” the Orioles said in a statement on X.
1991 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. Getty Images
Though an official cause of death was not announced, Crescent City Sports reported that Martinez suffered a heart attack.
A GoFundMe page set up to help his family said Martinez had a “series of hospitalizations” over the past few weeks and died on Sunday.
“As a ballplayer myself growing up, I never had his talent but I always looked up to him,” his brother, Robbie, 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.”
Martinez, born in Belize in 1965, immigrated to New Orleans with his family when he was 2 years old.
He starred at Brother Martin High School and was then drafted by the Royals in the sixth round of the 1984 MLB Draft.
Sox on May 13, 1991 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. Getty Images
After six years in the minor leagues with Kansas City, he caught on with the Orioles and made his MLB debut in 1991.
During his rookie season, he smacked 13 homers with 33 RBIs and an .817 OPS.
Sox on July 8, 1992 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. Getty Images
Martinez played two more seasons in the big leagues, finishing with a .259/.330/.445 slash line and 18 long balls.
“Our hearts go out to the family of Crusader Baseball legend Chito Martinez ‘84,” Brother Martin’s baseball program wrote on X..
“Please pray for them during this difficult time.”
