From Role Player to Manager: Kevin Cash's Amazing Story

Kevin Cash with the Boston Red Sox in 2008 / Wikimedia Commons

For a player who hit a mere twelve home runs and had a .183 batting average across his nine-year career, you would never expect someone like Kevin Cash to be the key ingredient to a playoff team. As it turns out, he was exactly that, although not as a player, but as a Tampa Bay Rays’ manager in their recent playoff success.

As a player, Cash started as an infielder in the Florida State University program for four years in the late 1990s. After going undrafted after his senior year, he was invited to play in the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he took over as a catcher when the team suffered from injuries. After proving to be successful at his new position, the Toronto Blue Jays franchise signed him as a free agent in 2002.

After two years and over 100 games played for Toronto, the Blue Jays traded him to the Tampa Bay Rays. He spent only a season there until ending up in Boston, where he played for a few seasons. After winning the world series in 2007 with Boston, albeit not as a starting catcher, Cash ended up on the Yankees roster during their historic 2009 season.

Being on a team stacked with superstars like Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Mariano Rivera and catcher Jorge Posada, Cash served as a role player for the Yankees. At the start of the season, the Yankees put him in the minor leagues, with the triple-A affiliate in Scranton. The Yankees called Cash to their roster due to injuries among both Jorge Posada and his replacement, Jose Molina. He played ten games on the team, with only six hits to his name before Posada returned to the lineup.

The Yankees released Cash in September, a few months before they would win their 27th World Series. He announced his retirement from the league soon after, only to change his mind and return with the Houston Astros in the 2010 season. After a final stint in Boston and one more season in the minors, Cash retired for good in 2011.

However, Cash remained active as ever in the major leagues from that point forward. In 2012, Cash was hired as a scout for the Toronto Blue Jays. Later on, the Cleveland Indians selected Cash to serve as a bullpen coach for a couple of seasons.

Cash’s most significant contribution to baseball came when he was hired as manager of the Tampa Bay Rays. According to Joe Girardi, this job was fitting for Cash, as he had a positive impact on his teammates and a solid understanding of what makes a baseball team tick.

“(He) really understood the game," Girardi said to the New York Daily News. "Easy to get along with, in a sense, as a player. Easy to work with. He struck me as that type of guy."

Cash played with some of baseball’s all-time greats and was a part of two World Series winners. As a manager, Cash has used his profound knowledge of the game to propel the Rays from a losing team to a playoff contender. Now, Cash is focused on his team’s future and is far from the end of his long career in major league baseball.

Rivera defies father time

Mariano Rivera / Wikimedia Commons

Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees closer, has now extended 16-year career by two more for $30 million. According to Sports Illustrated's John Heyman, Rivera was also offered a three year contract to play for the rival Boston Red Sox, but Rivera declined. The Red Sox were not the only team to attempt to steal Rivera from the Yanks. Rivera also chose the Yankees over an unnamed team, that was willing to pay more money, approximately $17 million, for three years. In a New York Daily News article, they discuss why he stayed, "[He] wanted to maintain his ties to the only team he has ever played for and went with less money and fewer years to continue wearing pinstripes."

The Yankees definitely did not take a risk in signing their strong closer. Even at the age of 41, Rivera is still in his prime. When Trevor Hoffman, former San Diego Padres, turned 41 after the 2008 season, he was released. Rivera, however shows no signs of slowing down. His ERA over the past 3 years stayed consistently low, ranging from 1.40 to 1.80. In the 2010 season, Rivera only allowed 14 hits out of the 55 games that he finished, giving up only two home runs. According to a New York Times article Rivera is on the field less, but still remains effective. "Each year Rivera pitches less often than the year before, but when he does pitch, he is basically as effective as always. He has stayed strong enough to dominate in the postseason, allowing just one run in 28 innings over the Yankees’ last four appearances."

Mariano Rivera, unlike many other closers, has been able to continue playing at the age of 40. He ranks favorably among a list of other closers who have done the same. He is also one of the only closers to not only to reach age 40, but also to continue going strong. Mariano Rivera defies "Father Time," and according to an MSN Sports Article, "If you needed further proof of his age-defying play, at the age of 40, he was named the 2009 Sporting News Pro Athlete of the Year award."