Salt Lake Telegram | 1940-03-06 | Page 13 | Ray Blades on Spot with Cards

Ray Blades On Spot With Cards i By HARRY FERGUSON United Press Sporh Writer ST. PETERSBURG. Fla, March (UP) There's a spot of sere, yellow yel-low grass In the outfield at Waterfront Water-front park and Manager Ray Blades ot the St. Louis Cardinals stood on It. That's where he is this season-on season-on the spot. Cards Touted People already are picking his team to win the National league pennant and are saying that this former minor league manager may be the one who puts together the combination that will end the reign of the New York Yankees In the world series. It wasat that way last year when Blades teak ever the Cardinals. Car-dinals. Nobody expected him to do much and everybody sras surprised sur-prised when he brought the Cardinals Car-dinals Into the stretch In a knoekdowa fight with the Cut- ' ClilHslH RdBdsT ffWsf ttW pt?aMlaMI" The Cards finished four aad a half games behind the Beds, but Blades' reputation was made made la spHe of the fact that many persons consider him the most unorthodox manager ta baseball. This Is his baseball philosophy, spoken as he squinted through the sun at fielding practice: "Tomorrow it may rain. Subs Freely He meant that he proceeded on the theory that the thing to do was to win todsy's ball game and let tomorrow take care of Itself. The result wss thst he was criticised criti-cised for hauling pitchers out of the game too fsst, for overworking veterans such ss Curt Davis, who won 22 games and lost 18, for benching Ducky Medwick In the late Innings of several games and sending Lynn King to left field on the theory that it strengthened the team defensively. In short, Blsdes would use every man on his squad. If necessary, to win today's ball game and tomor-row-swell, tomorrow It may rain. That's the way H's gstag to he this year, toe," bo said today. "I'm net trying to tell other maa-agers maa-agers that I have the best system ssirmSH trymg to tell thetn what to do. But Tve found out both here la the National league aad la the minor leagues that It yea throw everything Into today's to-day's ball game, the system will work II per seat of the time. If tt does, you're pretty likely to be ap there fighting for the pea- The skepticism over Blsdes' ability abil-ity last year extended even to some of his own players, notably Medwick, Med-wick, but there's no doubt this season sea-son who is running the St. Louis Cardinals. Blades is all over the field, Instructing a rookie how to bunt, criticising pitching motions, sending big Johnny Mize through long hot fielSing sessions st first base end seeing and hearing everything every-thing that goes on.