MLB managers, umpires, players coming to V.I. for coaches' clinic

Dennis Brow is on a mission to change the way U.S. Virgin Islands youth baseball players learn the game. With some help from Major League Baseball, he may get his wish.

The USVI Baseball Federation will host two coaching clinics with former MLB players, managers and umpires on St. Croix and St. Thomas this month. Local coaches of every age group are invited to attend the free clinics.

"We have coaches from the men's leagues all the way down to Pee Wee in the territory, and there's no question about their passion or commitment," said Brow, who is the USVI Baseball Federation president. "My hope is that we can get everyone together and find out how to properly train our young players and instill some consistency."

The free coaches clinics will be held on St. Croix from Feb. 13-15 at D.C. Canegata Ballpark and on St. Thomas from Feb. 16-18 at Emile Griffith Ballpark. Some of the MLB officials who will be in attendance include Elias Sosa, Jim Lefebvre and Vincent Scott.

Sosa pitched for eight different clubs over a 12-year professional career and was in the running for National League Rookie of the Year in 1973. Lefebvre was an infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers for eight seasons and received National League MVP votes in 1965 and 1966. Scott has been an umpire for over 50 years and is the MLB Envoy to Latin America and Umpire Development.

"We've done different coaches clinics before but nothing of this magnitude or involving MLB," Brow said. "All coaches are invited. We're looking for all current coaches and basically anyone that is developing the younger players. We usually take about 25 per clinic, but I'm hoping even more will be interested."

Brow encountered the MLB program and some of its clinic coaches during a visit to Guatemala. He was impressed with the program and immediately invited them to visit the islands.

Sosa is used to taking his show on the road. In 2008 and 2009, the U.S. Southern Command baseball team held baseball clinics for Little League players, conducted outreach events, and played exhibition matches against military, police and local professional teams.

"It was an extreme pleasure to work with the U.S. Military, and I know everyone in Latin America was more than happy with the tour's success," said Sosa, who managed the SOUTHCOM team during its visits to the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

"I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and I know that in certain parts of Latin America, the U.S. military isn't seen in the best of light. But because of tours like this, people got to see the military men with their own eyes. Wherever we went, we left a legacy of respect for the Latin American people."

Sosa has no military background but is an expert when it comes to playing baseball in that region of the world. He is MLB's Latin American coordinator and it is his mission to develop the sport through baseball seminars, clinics, sending equipment and setting up exhibition games.

Now his mission has stretched into the Caribbean.

"MLB knows every coach has his or her own style and concept and in most cases, it may be totally wrong," Brow said. "They have made the commitment to go all over the world and present the game at the level it should be taught and played at. We need proper training and conditioning."

Brow stressed the importance of achieving consistency among the different age levels in the territory.

"Sometimes, coaches are just confusing kids," Brow said. "Concepts change from one age group to the next and we need to be more consistent so our young players learn the game effectively."

For more information about the free clinics or to participate, call Brow at 332-3827 or Renee Hansen at 643-9969.

- Contact sports writer Aaron Gray at 714-9102 or email agray@dailynews.vi.

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