TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums US VI and Puerto Rico Virgin Island Baseball

Now that spring training has begun in Florida, I am feeling the urge to go to a couple games down south with snow in the forecast for NY. Off the top of my head, I can only think of a couple ballplayers from the VI. Horace Clarke, who played 2nd base for the Yankees in the 60s and 70s was from St. Croix. Ellie Hendrix was from St. Thomas and played I think in the 1970s. Not sure if anyone else from the islands (other than Cuba, the D.R. and Puerto Rico) has played ball. The Mets had a guy from Charlotte Amalie pitching the other day in Florida, Akeel Morris.

I can't help you with that, but I do know there is a strong presence in senior leagues. Virgin Islanders are very familiar with Arizona.

Horace "Hoss" Clarke was one of my favorite Yankee players while I was growing up in the late 60's and early 70's when the Yankees were permanently ensconced in 4th place. As a Little Leaguer, I tried to emulate his very wide open batting stance! I remember the game when he hit 18 or so straight foul balls then homered.

Other USVI MLB ballplayers per Wikipedia:
This is a chronological list of baseball players from the United States Virgin Islands who played in Major League Baseball between 1959 and 2008.
Joe Christopher (1959–1966)
Al McBean (1961–1970)
Elmo Plaskett (1962–1963)
Horace Clarke (1965–1974)
Elrod Hendricks (1968–1979)
José Morales (1973–1984)
Henry Cruz (1975–1978)
Jerry Browne (1986–1995)
Midre Cummings (1993–2005)
Calvin Pickering (1998–2005)
Callix Crabbe (2008)