Baseball: ‘Much more than baseball’ — Retiring Belo leaves impact on and off diamond

Many coaches preach family.

But Palatine’s Paul Belo is truly the embodiment of it.

For 26 seasons, Belo has been at the helm of Palatine and Fremd’s baseball programs. He will step down as head coach at the end of this season and retire as a dean at Palatine High School at the conclusion of this school year.

But it is not just the success of coaching baseball that has made Belo a legend. It is his willingness to take that extra care in ensuring that his players, and the students that he counsels, are becoming successful.

Greg Grana, who was a star player at Palatine for Belo, has seen it not just as a player, but as a student at Palatine. He has also seen it from both dugouts including from the other side of the diamond as an assistant baseball coach at Conant.

“Playing for a hall of fame coach is not something everyone can say that they did,” Grana said. “Coach Belo makes every experience for every kid a unique one and a positive one. I had such an amazing time here. And I am not on my own with that. There are hundreds of my fellow teammates, guys before me, guys I played with and guys that were after me have said the same thing. He is a hall of famer for a reason.”

Brent Carroll has been coaching with Belo since 2003. He said he applied to be with Belo when Belo was at Fremd. But Belo told Carroll to wait because he was moving over to Palatine.

“We have become lifelong friends,” Carroll said. “We have gone through adversity together with the passing of my father. He has always been there for me, so it has been more than baseball. That is why I have never left.

“It is much more than baseball. He is a special person.”

During his years as a coach at Palatine, Belo has garnered respect from other programs. That was fully demonstrated this season when Belo was given tokens of appreciation from schools including Hoffman Estates.

Belo was a star second baseman for the Hawks and helped lead the team to the state quarterfinals in 1985.

“That presentation really, really shook me up.,” Belo said. “It was unreal. That’s where it all started for me. That was the first team in Hoffman history to go downstate. We had some tremendous, tremendous ball players on that team.”

Belo went on to play at Miami-Dade junior college. But home was calling, so he transferred to Harper and then accepted a scholarship to play at UIC.

“I chose UIC because my mother was such a strong proponent of it,” Belo said. “It was also close to home. She's amazing. I wanted her to have the ability to come and watch me play.”

Belo said his mother Joaquina, who is an immigrant from Spain, had a strong influence on his life.

“She has always been a fan and just a strong, strong force in her family and a strong component of me,” Belo said. “I just believe in people. We just have a really strong identity with family, and we connect well. We make sure that when we choose a young man to wear a uniform, that they have those same characteristics. And we feel like if we have that, then we've got a chance to make them a pretty good baseball player.”

Belo, who was 479-401 in 25 seasons coming into this year, began his coaching career in 1991 as an assistant coach at Palatine. He became the sophomore head coach in 1994.

Things began to take shape when Belo was named the head coach at Fremd in 1998. In his five seasons on the west side of town, Belo went 111-73 and led the Vikings to a fourth-place finish in the state in 1999. His teams also won a pair of MSL West titles.

Belo came back to Palatine in 2003 when he took a dean’s position at Palatine. He also became the Pirates baseball coach, succeeding Jim Koller.

In his 20 seasons as head coach at Palatine, Belo has gone 368-328 with a pair of MSL West titles. Despite his team’s record of 14-19 this season, Belo had them in the hunt for the MSL West title until the final week of the season.

“That's a tribute to the young men who put on the uniform,” Belo said. “They've decided that this was going to be something special, and they've worked hard to make it something special.”

Belo has been a past president of the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association for three tears. He was also selected to the IHSBCA Hall of Fame in 2020. But Belo said he could never have accomplished this without help and support.

“I'm fortunate that I've got the support of in this community and the administration and other teachers in this building.” Bello said. “I've learned from great coaches in this building as well. But, you know, we believe in what we believe in and the kids buy in. And, you know, we don't ever believe that we don't have a chance to do some great things on the field and off the field.”

On Friday, the community, administration and teachers, along with over 150 former players, feted Belo before his final home game against Huntley. Belo was also surrounded by his family with wife Debbie and daughters Maddie and Taylor. His son Bryan, who plays baseball at George Washington, was not able to attend.

“Paul was born to coach,” Debbie Belo said. “He has always put these kids first. Our kids understood that. When he walked in that door, he was dad. My kids grew up on this field.”

Paul Belo said he was overwhelmed by the support at the event.

“Every one of my former alumni said ‘Coach, take this one,’” Belo said. “It has never been about me. So, for them to say that to me, to take it in, it meant the world to me. So that I could let my emotions go. I could not believe the crowd and the support, it was unbelievable.”

“I dd not do this alone,” Belo said. “I had tremendous assistant coaches who bought in on what we are trying to do for kids. It has always been about the kids, and they put that first. And sometimes we are guilty about putting that first ahead of some things that might have been a bit more important. But I think our kids appreciate that. Obviously, the demonstration of support today says that.”

And true to Belo form, there were lessons and success at the very end.

The Pirates rallied to score two runs in the bottom of the seventh to win it. Sean Wasserman singled with the bases loaded and Jett Greiwe’s sweet slide at home just beat the throw with the game-winner.

A 4-3 walk-off win.

At home.

Just like it should be.