Emile Henderson

From BR Bullpen

Emile Alphonso Henderson, Jr.
(Gravy)

  • Bats Left, Throws Left
  • Height 5' 10", Weight 175 lb.

BR Minors page

Biographical Information[edit]

Pitcher Emile Henderson was signed by Howie Haak out of one the tryout camps that Haak held in the Virgin Islands. Local baseball observers recalled that Henderson had a good fastball in the area of 90 miles per hour, and that he also held hitting records on St. Croix.

Henderson pitched in six games with a 13.50 ERA in 1967 (walking 13 and allowing 12 hits in 8 innings), split between the rookie league Salem Rebels and Class A Gastonia Pirates. His pro career then appears to have ended, although he was part of the Virgin Islands All-Star squad that faced Puerto Rican winter leaguers in a pair of exhibition games at Paul E. Joseph Stadium and Lionel Roberts Stadium in February 1968. For quite a few years, this was an annual tradition. The 1968 edition featured such prominent big-leaguers as Orlando Cepeda, Tony Perez, Jose Pagan, and Felix Millan for the Puerto Ricans (Perez, a Cuban, was playing in Puerto Rico at the time). The V.I. squad also included big-leaguers Al McBean, Elrod Hendricks, Julio Navarro, Joe Christopher, Elmo Plaskett, José Morales; their manager was Valmy Thomas.

Henderson remained active at home in local leagues. However, his playing days were cut short in an accident. In a heroic act in October 1968, Henderson swept two children out of the path of a speeding car, but his legs were crushed. Nonetheless, "Gravy" was still umpiring local games in St. Croix many years later. He also made it to the Little League Senior World Series as an umpire in 1991.

Henderson died in 2007 at the Duke University Medical Center. Not long afterward, the legislature of the Virgin Islands named a set of recreation courts (for tennis and basketball) in Henderson's native Frederiksted after him.

Related Sites[edit]

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