05/10/2016
Those who knew Raymond “Rum” Blue can vouch for his competitive nature that surfaced in different ways.
They saw it in his card-playing when he would, on occasion, rattle off pitch points so fast that his ‘high, low, jickety, jack and the game’ sounded more like an auctioneer than a friendly card game at Blue’s Tavern or, later in life, at the Motor Inn. Before any questions could be asked about his counting, he was dealing cards for the next hand.
They saw it in his estimation of rain in his gauge north of town. The Shelton Cafe was the scene of numerous rain comparisons following a healthy downpour and Blue was quick to ‘one-up’ any stated amount of rain from the night before.
They saw it in his support of high school and college athletics when he cheered for Shelton teams and for his beloved Huskers. There were few fans more vocal in support of or in their criticism of Nebraska football. Family members recall Blue abandoning tv coverage and hopping in his pickup to tour the countryside when things weren’t going well for the Huskers.
They saw it in his farming for more than 50 years as he and others in the Shelton area battled through drought, crop diseases, low prices and other agricultural woes that made the profession a daily challenge.
But for those who watched him play baseball, they saw a competitive edge that reached a new level. His teammates grew to appreciate the often-times outspoken and hard-working second baseman.
Blue grew up with a glove and bat in his hands during a time when baseball was truly an escape from the rigors of life on the farm in the 1920s. When the 1930s hit, he was a teenager who aspired to play on Shelton’s town team.
Like several other friends, Blue didn’t have to wait long to secure a spot on the squad. His playing career started at age 15 and it continued into his 40s when he switched gears and took over as player/manager.
Blue played on two Mid-States League championship teams and managed another team that won the league title.
Like his Shelton Colts teammates, Blue developed a deep respect for the game. That respect never stopped him, at times, from criticizing the game or those who played professionally. If anything, it sharpened his strategies that would shape him as the manager of Shelton’s town team.
He reserved most of his commentary for the professional ranks.
“I can’t understand how players who are getting paid have trouble laying down a bunt,” Blue once said. “It’s not difficult to bunt. They need to work on the basics.”
Blue rarely minced words when baseball discussions would surface, especially if it concerned hitting. Family members and others can recall his rather colorful language when stating that he could hit better than some major leaguers with the bat someplace else than in his hands.
Blue played second base for years and was known for his speed that allowed him to cover a lot of area. Many stories from the Shelton Clipper show multiple double plays, a testimony to the strength in the middle of the Shelton infield. Later in his career, Blue moved to right field as he took on duties of managing. At the plate, his strong wrists allowed him to drive the ball to the opposite field and he relished hitting down the line for doubles as Clipper accounts show.
When his playing and managing days were finished with the town teams, Blue helped out for many years as a manager of the Lions in Shelton’s Little League program. After ending his managing duties there, he umpired Little League games and tournaments for several years. He delighted crowds with his unique strike call which, like most umpires, somehow never included saying the word ‘strike’. Through hand and body language, however, there was no mistake as to what Blue called.
Blue died in March of 1993, about four months short of his 76th birthday. He and his wife, Ione, farmed in the Shelton area before retiring and moving just north of town in the late 1980s. They raised three sons, Duane, Darwin, and Daryl, and one daughter, Danece (Meyer).
Blue follows in the footsteps of friends and teammates who have been inducted into the Shelton Baseball Hall of Fame. While their positions, talent levels and involvement with Shelton baseball are different, there is one constant Blue shares with Floyd Conroy, Bob Hadenfeldt, Jack Johnson, Connie Brady, Fred Klein, Verle Dority, Joe Lee, Tiny Finck, and Harold Conroy.
Their respect and love for the game of baseball was strong and that highlighted their involvement in the sport.
