Chito Martinez, the only MLB player to ever hail from Belize, has died, the Baltimore Orioles announced on Tuesday. He was 59.
Martinez played three years in the majors for the Orioles as an outfielder from 1991 to 1993. He played in 158 career games, hitting .259 with 18 home runs, 58 RBI and 22 doubles.
“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 post on X.
Dalton Martinez, Chito’s son, wrote on X that his father passed away on Easter.
“Sunday night on Easter, my dad was taken away off this earth unexpectedly,” he wrote. “We desperately need help in this time. My father was one of the best men. Taught the game of baseball the right way. Taught young men how to be better. His presence in my life can never be replaced. As I pick up the pieces to my life, please consider helping.
“A kind soul has left us too soon.”
