How can one describe the sports scene in the Virgin Islands during 2020?
There’s plenty of words that would be appropriate — maddening, uplifting, disappointing, exciting, upsetting, incredible, frustrating … and interesting. Those words also describe the mix of items that make up The Daily News’ top 10 stories from the last year, in descending order:
10 U.S. Virgin Islands native Horace “Hoss” Clarke, who spent a decade playing in the major leagues for two different teams, passed away Wednesday, Aug. 5, in Laurel, Md. He was 81.
Clarke, who played in the same era as the late Elrod Hendricks and the late Elmo Plaskett, holds the record for the most games played in the majors by a Virgin Islander at 1,272.
Clarke was born June 2, 1939, in Frederiksted on St. Croix, graduating from the old Christiansted High School. Soon after, he was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1958. Clarke made his major league debut early in the 1965 season, and became the Yankees’ starting second baseman in 1967 with the retirement of veteran Bobby Richardson.
Clarke soon became one of the Yankees’ most popular players during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, but his tenure ended midway through the 1974 season when his contract was sold to the San Diego Padres. He went on to retire after the season.
He also spent 10 seasons (1958-1968) in the Puerto Rico Winter League with three different teams. A two-time league All-Star, he hit .270 with 12 home runs, 140 RBIs and 52 steals in his career.
After retiring from the major leagues, Clarke returned to St. Croix and became a baseball instructor with the V.I. Sports, Parks and Recreation Department until 1997, and an assistant scout with the Kansas City Royals during the mid-1980s.
In 2001, Clarke was one of the first inductees into both the Virgin Islands Sports Hall of Fame and the International African American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame (now called the Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame). He also had the ballpark beside Arthur A. Richards Junior High School named in his honor in 2014.
Sanes named All-America in COVID-shortened season
9 St. Croix native Adriel Sanes was one of four University of Denver swimmers who were named to the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America’s All-America team, which was released Wednesday, April 8.
Sanes, who was finishing up his junior year with the Pioneers when the season was stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic, earned CSCAA All-America honors in two events — the men’s 100-meter breaststroke and men’s 200-meter freestyle relay. He was a first-time qualifier for the NCAA Championships in those events, as well as four others — the men’s 200-meter breaststroke, men’s 200- and 400-meter medley relays, and men’s 400-meter freestyle relay.
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