It’s a tough day for the New Orleans Orioles, or rather the whole baseball community, and anyone who had the honor of knowing Chito Martinez. The former Brother Martin veteran and the first and only MLB player born in Belize has passed away.

He was 59 years old and passed after suffering a heart attack in Lake Cormorant, Mississippi. Chito was someone more than just a baseball player. He was a symbol of hope and joy for so many across the world. It is true, he made it to the majors, but his biggest impact, for sure, is off the field, where he touched so many lives.

Chito Martinez’s journey in the world of baseball started in New Orleans. Born as Reyenaldo Ignacio “Chito” Martínez on December 19, 1965, in Belize City, he and his family moved to New Orleans when he was just 2. And there he found the game of baseball and fell in love with it.

At the Brother Martin High School, where Martinez studied, he was a star. In 1983, he helped the school American Legion team to a regional title. He also got the trip to the American Legion World Series. Then Chito was named the Louisiana American Legion Player of the Year of the season. He earned this title not just this one time, but the following year too.

In 1984, Martinez helped Brother Martin to its first-ever state baseball championship. That moment is still etched in sports history. The roster was stacked with huge names like Tookie Spann, Brian Muller, Nick Macaluso, and Keith Schmitt. Given that Martinez clearly was the heartbeat of the team, he got noticed a lot, and hence, it was no surprise that he made it to the Kansas City Royals in the MLB Draft in the same year.

Then after seven years of patience and hard work, he got the call that every player waits for. He made his entry into MLB with the Baltimore Orioles in 1991. And in the first season itself, he was lights out, smashing 5 home runs in 33 games. He played three seasons in the big leagues, and while he was good, his legacy is not just because of his power at the plate.

This Orioles MLB veteran leaves a bigger legacy

For many, Martinez was not just an MLB player. He was like their big brother, like their mentor, and his brother Robbie Martinez really summed up what Chito meant to him. “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.” Even Brother Martin’s coach Barry Hebert, echoed the same thing.

Hebert mentioned how coaching Chito was simply easy, as he didn’t have to tell him much. “He was a natural with his swing, his power. He was very quiet… never said a lot… was always there when you needed him. He led by example. He was a once-in-a-lifetime young man to coach.” And well, as much as he adores Martinez, he did the same. Because even after years of walking out of cleats, Martinez would return for the reunions. He always talked a lot and shared all his knowledge.

Chito is survived by his wife and their three children, along with his mother and her husband. He even has a sister and stepchildren. And talking about his children, Drew played at the University of Memphis and now is a coach in the Giants organization. Dalton played at Georgia State and now coaches high school baseball in Atlanta. The game is in the bloodline now.

A funeral service will be held at the Coleman Funeral Home in Mississippi on Friday, April 25.