History of Baseball in the US Virgin Islands

Introduction

For a small and low-key place, the U.S. Virgin Islands have made a distinct contribution to baseball. The sport found a pocket of passionate support on St. Croix and St. Thomas, taking on a different creole flavor. Call it Afro-Anglo-Caribbean with a Latin twist!

In the major leagues, there have been 10 true Virgin Islanders, as well as two Puerto Ricans with strong ties to the islands. Since 1957, there has been at least one V.I. ballplayer active in the majors in every season but 1985. Although none have been Hall of Famers -- at least yet -- most of them have had respectable careers. Several have also stayed active as coaches and scouts. In addition, there was one Negro League player, and even a 19th century black baseball manager.

St. Croix and St. Thomas are only 84 and 32 square miles apiece (St. John does not figure in this story). The USVI’s population is about 115,000 now, and in 1960 it was just 32,000. Not quite San Pedro de Macorís, but still an unusual concentration of talent!

Less noticeable to Stateside fans is the marked impact of V.I. players in the Puerto Rican Winter League -- including four Rookies of the Year and a Triple Crown winner. Without this league to showcase their skills, most likely none of these men would have come to the attention of big-league scouts. Fortunately, Virgin Islanders long enjoyed an exemption from the roster limits on non-Puerto Ricans. This was a friendly gesture and practical too. Along with nearly all of the players discussed above, several more names come to light from the annals of el béisbol profesional boricua. The interchange between these next-door neighbors is an integral part of this story.

Today this outpost of the U.S. colonial empire occupies a peculiar economic and political niche. This uneasy status has had a bearing on the recent history of the sport in the islands and its outlook for a new century. Overall, however, the focus should be on a group of players--some outgoing, some quiet, but typically affable personalities--and their genuine fraternity.