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St. Rita Grad Anthony Ray Called Up for Cardinals' Spring Training Game

By Howard Ludwig | March 27, 2015 8:09am
 Roseland native and St. Rita High School graduate Anthony Ray was a 2013 36th-round draft pick of the St. Louis Cardinals. He made his spring training debut with the pro club on Thursday.
Anthony Ray
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ROSELAND — Those lucky enough to land a dream job often remember their first day at work.

Anthony Ray's workday on Thursday began after a rain delay. The 20-year-old left-handed hitting outfielder was called up to face the the Miami Marlins as part of a spring training game on Thursday.

It was Ray's big league debut with the St. Louis Cardinals. The ballclub drafted him in the 36th round out of St. Rita High School in Ashburn in 2013.

"It was breathtaking. When Mike Matheny called my name and told me that I was going to play left field next inning, the first thing I thought about was all of the hard work it took me to get to this point," Ray said in an email after his first game.

"I grabbed my glove and said, 'Thank you, God," said Ray, who batted just once in the 6th inning, popping out to the second baseman.

His brother, Arthur Ray Jr., was watching the live stream of the game from Chicago on Thursday afternoon.

The call "came as sort of a surprise," said Arthur Ray Jr., a former Mount Carmel and Michigan State offensive lineman who survived bone cancer.

It was his brother, Anthony Ray, who switched out Arthur Jr.'s IV daily while he recovered at their South Side home.

Their parents, Adrian and Arthur Ray Sr., were at their son's debut game at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla.

Ray played for the Gulf Coast League Cardinals after being drafted. He then was promoted to Johnson City — St. Louis' top rookie league squad. Ray was the leadoff hitter in the Appalachian League last year.

By reaching the majors, Anthony Ray is now one step ahead of his father. Arthur Ray Sr. made it to the Pirates' Triple-A Portland (Ore.) squad in the early 1980s as a pitcher.

The baseball dad started teaching the game to his youngest son when Anthony was 4 years old. In the meantime, Arthur Ray Sr. was still competing in 30-and-over leagues.

St. Rita baseball coach Mike Zunica reflected on the success of his former 6-foot-1 outfielder.

"He was an electric player [at St. Rita]. An exciting kid to be around," Zunica said.

He remembered Ray more for his strengths as a teammate than for his undeniable abilities on the field.

"The first thing that comes to mind is what a great person he is," Zunica said.

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