It was an ordinary day. The year was 2007 and Carol and I along with traveling friends Jere and Just Sue are about to arrive on the Caribbean island of Belize. It was to be one of several ports-of-call while on our Caribbean Cruise we had planned about half a year before. During our day in Belize we made a visit to the local zoo before heading back to the Belize City ship dock for a bit of shopping. One of the items that I noticed the most during our walk through the shops was the large amount of trinkets and souvenirs that featured the Chicago Cubs baseball team. I just assumed that someone on the Cubs had come from Belize, but it isn't until a few days ago that I found the real reason for the love affair the island of Belize has with the Chicago Cubs baseball team.
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| Map showing the location of the island of Belize |
It was back in the early 1980s that a local island couple formed their own television station. Seemed to be a good idea to them until they realized they had very little to broadcast to the island's residents and their television sets. They did figure out how to pirate a few United States stations as well as WGN, a local Chicago station that aired the Chicago Bulls, a few soap operas and the Chicago Cubs. No one really knew why WGN was chosen, but perhaps it was because there were quite a few Belizeans living in Chicago at the time as well as Chicago was in the same time zone as Belize. For years after, WGN was the only channel that was available in homes, bars and restaurants around the island. All 162 Cubs baseball games were there for Belize's watching. And, watch them they did. They loved their new found baseball team to cheer on every spring, summer and fall. Didn't matter that they lost most of their games, they were still watching their Cubbies and USA baseball. Just as I did, they had their favorite players and waved their Cubs flags and fell in love with announcer Harry Caray. I read that when the 7th inning stretch began and Harry began his vocal rendition of "Take Me Out To The Ball Game," everyone up and down all the town's streets could be heard singing along with Harry. And, the Cubs knew about all this happening. During Spring training in 1985, star outfielder Gary Matthews was told by his manager, Jim Frey, that he was being sent to Belize! |
| Parade through the town with Gary Matthews in uniform. |
Seems the ownership had gotten word that Belizians had developed a strong Cubs fan base and the Cubs wanted to send him on a goodwill visit to the island. Wasn't long before he was greeted by a hugh mass of people. The crowd followed him through the town with plenty of handshakes, cheers and giant signs. Matthews later said that the Pope and the Queen visited Belize in the past and he was second to the Pope in the parade they gave him.  |
| Gary Matthews as seen today. |
Gary wondered where all these people came from...and why. He then found out that their love affair with the Cubs began in 1981 when television came to the island and it was the only station they had to watch. Back then, the Cubs that the Belize fans followed the most were Ryan Sandberg, Mark Grace and "The Hawk" Ken Harrelson. Finally the Cubs began to win and in 1984 they made the playoffs for the first time in 39 years. Didn't make the World Series, but their fans in Belize were going crazy. Gary, who finished in the top five in the '84 MVP voting stayed a few days with the U.S. Ambassador to Belize and delivered bats, balls and gloves he had brought with him for the kids on the island. He later said it gives him chills to think about it now. Hard to believe how ecstatic the fans were to meet him and tell him how much they loved to watch the Cubs. Then in 2016 the impossible happened for both Chicago and Belize. The Cubs broke their 108-year drought and finally won the World Series.  |
| Signs such as this appeared in Belize after the Cubs won the World Series. |
By now most of the original players that were viewed on TV every night had moved on or retired, but another generation of players had been invited into homes in Belize. A new generation of fans had also developed. And, during one of the World Series games a power blackout on the outlying island of Ambergris Cay occurred. They believe it was due to every TV on the island being tuned in to the game. Matthews became a Phillies broadcaster after his playing days and is now retired and out of the game. He recently said that after he is able to get his COVID-19 vaccine, he and his son, another former big-league baseball player, Gary, Jr. plan to venture back to Belize to do some fishing and drop off another batch of bats, balls and gloves for the new crop of ball players on the island. Perhaps another welcome party and parade will greet them. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Go Phillies!
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