{"id":624043,"date":"2026-03-01T07:04:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T07:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/624043\/"},"modified":"2026-03-01T07:04:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T07:04:13","slug":"the-legacy-left-behind-by-negro-league-shortstop-youth-mentor-rufus-miller","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/624043\/","title":{"rendered":"The legacy left behind by Negro League shortstop, youth mentor Rufus Miller"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN ANTONIO<\/strong> \u2013 Family and friends gathered Saturday afternoon on the East Side to pay their final respects to former South Texas Negro League shortstop Rufus Miller.<\/p>\n

Miller\u2019s daughter, Khadijah Miller, said seeking so many people show up to the event and hearing their expressions of love helped her deal with the loss.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat just meant so much to me,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miller grew up on the West Side and took up baseball, falling in love with the game before playing shortstop for the South Texas Negro League.<\/p>\n

Many of his games were played at the field at Pittman-Sullivan Park<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While he rose to prominence on the baseball diamond, his legacy is enshrined in the young athletes he mentored as sports director for 23 years at Davis-Scott YMCA.<\/p>\n

Miller is remembered by many for coaching kids to work past their challenges, investing his time and sharing his wisdom, encouraging the next generation to excel in whatever they were passionate about.<\/p>\n

\u201cI watched him over at the YMCA with the kids, pointing out things to help them to be better not only on the court or on the field but also better at home,\u201d Tom Keyser said.<\/p>\n

Keyser said he met Miller more than two decades ago on the baseball field, becoming teammates and lifelong friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe played on the Rangers, the Black Sox,\u201d Keyser said. \u201cThe last team we played on was the Monarchs, named after the Kansas City Monarch, the black Negro League team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miller\u2019s daughter said he wanted youth to be on deck when life\u2019s opportunites called.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is his legacy. It\u2019s not just me, but it\u2019s for the whole city,\u201d she said. \u201cDon\u2019t give up on yourself. Try everything; try everything even if you feel like you\u2019re not good at it, keep trying anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

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