Belize and the Chicago Cubs: A love story

By Aaron Humes: Remember Gary “Sarge” Matthews?

Perhaps not offhand, but anybody living here in 1985 probably does, if we add that he was a left fielder for the Chicago Cubs.

He was also a visitor to Belize that year after the improbable ride the North Siders took to the 1984 National League Championship Series, which they lost heartbreakingly to the San Diego Padres.

1984 is known as the year all of Belize fell in love with Cubs (save for a few diehard fans of other teams).

Matthews recalls the story for Major League Baseball’s official site, admitting that as with most Americans, he had no idea of what Belize was, never mind where it was (Belize City is roughly 2,800 miles from Chicago).

But team ownership had gotten word that a strong fan base had developed and responded by sending one of their players on a goodwill visit.

Matthews said he was “shocked” by the crowd that greeted him at the Philip Goldson International Airport in Ladyville, which followed him into town with cheers, handshakes and signs. He said he was later told that the size of his parade was second only to that of Pope John Paul II, who had visited three years earlier. He addressed fans on the Yarborough Green, brought down bats and balls for kids and had a great time.

But the love affair between the Cubs and Belize began in the year of Independence in 1981, when Arthur and Marie Hoare set up the first television signal and chose to pirate American television “superstation” WGN-TV. Belizeans could watch, more or less for free, Cubs games, Bulls games when that team became popular later on and other American programming.

Converted Cubs fan Michael Finnegan wrote back in 2013, “As [WGN’s] signal was relayed into Belize City by the Hoares, ‘world and country’ were glued to their television sets to see the mighty Cubs win or lose (mostly lose).”

The love affair continued, off and on, through good seasons and bad, up to that magical night the Cubs won the World Series in 2016. Television signal had vastly improved (though mostly still pirated), and many Cubs fans got to see the big moment (except for Ambergris Caye which according to MLB suffered a blackout right after Cleveland’s Rajai Davis tied the game late). The Tourism Board offered player, now manager, David Ross a free trip to Belize which is still outstanding, and there was a little motorcade on the island in the Cubs’ honour.

Matthews wound up a Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster after his playing career finished. He says he still fondly remembers his 1985 visit and is planning a return after getting the COVID-19 vaccine, perhaps with his son Gary Jr who also played in the big leagues, or former Cubs and current Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker. He wants to do some fishing and drop off some more baseball equipment — maybe to the kids of the kids he met in that friendly little plot of land he’d never heard of, but quickly fell in love with, decades ago. (Baseball in the country has just about disappeared though there are efforts to revive it).

As for the team, a new season starts on April 1 against the Pittsburgh Pirates pending COVID-19 protocol, while spring training begins in February.

Until then, go, Cubs, go!

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