United States Virgin Islands
The United States Virgin Islands are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea that the United States acquired from Denmark in 1917. They are part of the Virgin Islands group, which also contains the British Virgin Islands, an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. They are volcanic islands and are very mountainous, with little flat ground.
There have been fourteen major league players born in the V.I. through 2019, the two most recent being Jabari Blash and Jharel Cotton who both made their debut in 2016. Six of them got over 1,000 at-bats in the majors, however - and from 1957 through 2005, there was only one year in which a Virgin Islander did not appear in the majors. That was 1985, in between José Morales (career ended June 1984) and Jerry Browne (debut September 1986).
The list below, however, needs to be qualified. Valmy Thomas, who is not on the list, was arguably the first V.I. major-leaguer, as although he was born in Puerto Rico, it was merely a technicality. His parents were both from St. Croix, and his mother went to the neighboring island to deliver Valmy simply because it had better medical facilities. She then came straight home. The inverse is true of Henry Cruz. He was born on St. Croix but moved to Puerto Rico when he was an infant.
Pitcher Julio Navarro is another special case. He moved from Vieques, Puerto Rico to St. Croix as a young boy and learned baseball there. However, he considers himself a Puerto Rican.
The earliest visible record of baseball in the Virgin Islands discovered to date comes from 1900. On August 9 that year, the U.S. cruiser Dixie stopped in St. Thomas, and sailors played on shore leave. The man generally recognized for introducing the game there - with local players, and seeing it take firm root - was William Lewis of St. Thomas. The event took place on April 17, 1917, and it was in the same spot in Charlotte Amalie where Lionel Roberts Stadium stands today.
Major league players who were born here[edit]
Others born here[edit]
- Roland Adams, minor league pitcher
- Junior Antoine, drafted outfielder
- Timothy Brewer, drafted pitcher
- Deshaun Brooks, minor league infielder
- Dennis Brow, minor league outfielder
- Terry Byron, minor league pitcher
- Alfred Christopher (brother of Joe Christopher), signed catcher
- Mel Civil, minor league outfielder
- Jason Clarke (son of Horace Clarke), minor league infielder
- Jeff Clarke (son of Horace Clarke), minor league infielder
- Jamaine Cotton (brother of Jharel Cotton), minor league pitcher
- Roger Cropper, minor league outfielder
- Candtobal Encarnacion, Virgin Islands national team pitcher
- DeGold Francis, minor league catcher-first baseman
- Atmore Frederick, minor league pitcher
- Jahseam George, minor league pitcher
- Alfonso Gerard, Negro League and minor league outfielder
- Rocetto Gordon, minor league pitcher
- Cos Govern, Negro League manager
- Lincoln Gumbs, Jr., minor league infielder
- Emile Henderson, minor league pitcher
- Elrod Hendricks, Jr. (son of Elrod Hendricks; half-brother of Ryan Hendricks and Ian Hendricks), signed player
- Roy Hodge, Jr., minor league outfielder
- Kenny Jackson, minor league outfielder
- Walter James, minor league pitcher
- Tom Johnson, minor league infielder
- Glen Joseph, minor league pitcher
- Kevin King, minor league outfielder
- Deshorn Lake (drafted in 2011, but has not yet turned pro)
- George Lewis, minor league pitcher
- Ellerton Maynard, minor league outfielder
- Victor McBean (cousin of Al McBean), minor league pitcher
- Geronimo Newton, minor league pitcher
- Kimani Newton, minor league infielder
- Sean Nolan, minor league infielder
- Lloyd O'Bryan, pitcher who played locally and in Puerto Rico
- Kelvin Pickering (brother of Calvin Pickering), minor league catcher
- Norbert Pickering, minor league infielder
- Lionel Richards, pitcher who played locally and in Puerto Rico
- Mumba Rivera, minor league pitcher
- Mackeel Rodgers, minor league infielder
- Norbert Rodgers, minor league pitcher
- Jackie Ross, minor league outfielder
- Randy Ross, minor league outfielder
- Mike Santos, minor league outfielder
- Junior Simmonds, minor league infielder
- Roberto Smalls, minor league pitcher
- Carmelo Torres, minor league infielder
- Preston Tutein, minor league pitcher
- Steve Walker, minor league infielder
- Richard White, minor league pitcher
- Eddie Williams, minor league catcher
- Kurt Wilkinson, Virgin Islands national team outfielder
We're Social...for Statheads
Every Sports Reference Social Media Account
Site Last Updated:
Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction?
Subscribe to our Free Email Newsletter
Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE
Your All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database
Do you have a sports website? Or write about sports? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Find out more.