Dear Editor,
In the last few weeks I have read about Aruba and Sint Maarten youth making an entry into professional baseball. I must say to my great satisfaction, because I know how I felt in 2010 when my nephew was drafted by the Atlanta Braves.
Since then several more Antilleans have joined the Major Leagues and what makes it more satisfying is that all of them are on top of their game and are among the top players of their individual teams. They have either been on All Star teams, World Champion teams, or winners of Platinum and Gold Gloves.
What makes it more fulfilling is that of the 7 Antilleans playing in the majors three of them have roots in Saba and St. Maarten (grandparents), not to forget our ten-time gold glover Andrew Jones. Of the top eight shortstops in the American League four of them are Antilleans (including Bogaerts (Brown) and Simmons.
I am writing to you, hoping that you will opt to print this letter. Why? In the past, several Commissioners of government and lately Ministers of Sports and Members of Parliament have been directly and physically involved in volleyball, baseball, basketball, softball and even sportswriters and I dare say that on part of government very little – yes, very little – has been done to encourage our own youth.
So many coaches and visiting tourists involved in professional sports have commented on the raw sports talent of the youth of St. Maarten and, I will repeat, very little has been done to encourage and help our youth.
During the election campaign I was impressed and educated by the letters and articles in The Daily Herald by then-candidate Wycliffe Smith and I know that he will corroborate my statement that “Children who play sports and go to church very rarely end up in Jail.”
Minister Smith in his present position is the ideal person to fulfill my desire to see more hands-on attention be given to our youth in sports so that they can develop that raw talent and hopefully, during his tenure, he is rewarded with some of our youth being scouted to play professional sports. There is a lot in it for St. Maarten.
Russell A. Simmons
