Shelley Curtis White was an umpire’s umpire. An imposing figure behind the plate, his love of baseball and respect for the game was evident to anyone who knew him over the 60 years he called balls and strikes.
This spring, his legacy continues, thanks to a mural now being created with images of the umpires who White mentored over the years at the baseball field where he often worked. It’s part of the ongoing effort to recognize those who helped shape the future of young Black men at the Little League field in Southcrest.
“One of our themes for opening day this year is to honor the exceptional umpires trained by Mr. White,” said Dwayne Hill, director of the White Legacy Youth Baseball Community Complex Fund. Those “exceptional” umpires includes Joe Harris, Richard Miner and Mark Burstein, among others.
“What we’re trying to do is really build a safe, positive environment, to respect the past history and help players just like our elders have, to have a safe place to come and play,” said Hill.
Last spring, White was honored by the renaming of the Southcrest Recreation Center diamond as the Shelley Curtis White baseball field. Joining that celebration were former players, some in their 60s and older, who were also celebrated for their leadership in the community.
They in turn praised White for the example he set for them years ago. As if looking out at the baseball field, a large likeness of White was painted on the top of the one-story refreshment stand and announcer’s booth.
Now his image will be joined with a mural of the umpires he helped develop and who in turn were a positive role model for players through the decades. The umpires’ mural is a work in progress, hopefully ready to go for opening day.
Daniel Dentlok Angeles is the artist, hired as part of the effort by the San Diego Southeastern Art District to create the umpire mural. He is also working with other artists to create vivid art enhancements around different parts of the ballpark.
Working off a photo of the umpires, Angeles wants to “memorialize the great umpires of the league. So we’re making sure they all get on the mural. I want to make sure people know who they were, the importance of the role that they had in the league.”
Hill, who played in the league in the 1970s, said the work isn’t done; the dream is to build a state-of-the-art baseball field. The nonprofit created for this has paid fees for under-served families and to buy baseball equipment to begin the 2025 season.
“Our motto is that kids should not have to pay to play, so we have been raising money to pay for kids’ registration,” Hill said. “It has been successful.”
Opening day ceremonies and games begin March 1 at 9 a.m.
