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.

What Is MLB's Future Amidst a Global Crisis?

Adam Dunn striking out / Wikipedia Commons

MLB fans, players, and coaches were all shocked when the news broke out on March 12th that spring training was canceled and the season would be pushed back by at least two weeks. Currently, it remains unclear whether or not baseball will happen at all this year. This uncertainty will cause problems for the entire league and raises concerns for everyone involved in baseball.

The announcement comes amidst a series of suspensions across all professional sports, with leagues stopping their games until further notice. Now, one month after the planned opening day for baseball, some people are having doubts if the season will happen at all.

Christian Yelich, the 2018 National League MVP, spoke about the current situation and what it means for baseball. For him, it's a toss-up if the season will be canceled entirely.

"There's a very real chance that we don't play as much as there is that we do play,” he said on WEEI Radio's Ordway, Merloni & Fauria show. “I would say it is probably 50/50.”

With no games being played, the league has set a tiered payment system for the players. This system, however, only applies to players signed to a major league contract. Minor league players are paid by a stipend-based system instead. To help the ballpark employees, the MLB laid out a $30-million fund to support those put out of work.

“The health and safety of everyone in our communities is of the utmost importance to us,” MLB said in a press release last week.

This pandemic also hits hard on a local level, as many teams saw 2020 as a year of opportunity. The New York Mets, for example, had assembled a team full of star players like Marcus Stroman, Noah Syndergaard, Michael Conforto, and Pete Alonso. Now, there are concerns over who will stay and who will leave for free agency.

Still, every team identifies with the struggle of not playing an entire season. The Mets stand to lose $42.1 million, and the league is expected to lose around $4 billion altogether if the 2020 season is lost.

Even so, there is a plan to start the baseball season in Arizona. No fans will be allowed, but games will be played in the Arizona Diamondbacks' Chase Field while players and coaching staff stay in local hotels in self-isolation. While this is just an idea, there is hope that we will have baseball in 2020. One thing is for sure, it’s going to take an unprecedented effort to play the game amidst a crisis the world has never seen before.

Jaedon Satchell also contributed to this article.

Should performance enhancing drugs be legalized?

Performance Enhancing Drugs / Wordonfire.org

Performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) are very prevalent in sports, but only a small majority of players are caught using them. PEDs are considered to be unsportsmanlike in their use because of the unfair advantage that they offer. In addition, there are many risks in taking them, like psychological issues and permanent nerve damage. Knowing the risks, multiple players still use these drugs to gain an upper hand.

With so many players getting caught using PEDs, some have come to the conclusion that PEDs should be allowed in professional sports. In Major League Baseball alone, 31 athletes have been caught doping and in the National Football League over 20 athletes have also been caught doping. On a global scale, the Olympics and the Tour de France potentially face a great doping problem.

“Eighty percent of the Tour de France medalists between 1996 and 2010 have been similarly tainted by doping',” according to a 2013 USADA report on Lance Armstrong.

By legalizing PEDs and allowing all players to use them, the drugs could be monitored and regulated. This would allow players to take the drugs in safer and more knowledgeable conditions, leveling the playing field for all players. By doping, players could hit harder, run and react faster, putting the game on a higher level.

Extreme records could be achieved and this is shown through top athletes who have taken PEDs, like seven consecutive winner of the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong. Even though legalizing these drugs seem like it would make the game better, it wouldn't fix all of the issues that already exist. In addition, it would bring forth new problems.

If PEDs become regulated, they are still dangerous and can injure players. After seeing their heroes take drugs, it may influence children to take drugs as well. There are many side effects to taking drugs like heart and circulatory problems. Knowing these severe risks, it is hard to justify the legalization of these drugs

Allowing PEDs to be available to all athletes may not even level the playing field, since some players have a moral code against using drugs or are scared of the risks it presents. Sports are considered to be so sacred because they showcase the pinnacle of human skill. By taking drugs, it would no longer be about how far a human can push himself, but on well we can create them.

“We want humans to do superhuman things -- but only in a very human way. Yes, you can try to make steroids legal. That doesn't mean they will ever seem OK,” Michael Rosenberg wrote in a 2010 Sports Illustrated article.

Written by Justin Wu and Kofi Odame 

Misconceptions of Tommy John Surgery

Tommy John / Roger Dewitt / Wikimedia

In the past decade there has been a recent spike in the amount of players having Tommy John surgery. Last year 19 MLB pitchers alone had this surgery. As the demand for faster pitchers increase, the amount of surgeries have increased as well. 

MLB teams expect fast hard speeds consistently from their pitchers. As the pitchers throw harder the bigger possibility of their UCL tearing. To repair this doctors remove a ligament from either a hamstring or forearm and replace the torn UCL.

The human arm is not designed to throw a ball overhead at 90 mph. This stress is equivalent to holding a 12-pound bowling ball. Even at amateur level players are expected to pitch faster and harder because thats what professional leagues expect.

“That means more young pitchers must throw more, trainer harder, and test the limits of their own health more often,” former MLB pitcher Dirk Hayhurst wrote in a 2014 SportsonEarth article.

These limits that are being pushed by these young athletes are the root causes of this surgery. Preventing this surgery could be as easy as limiting their pitching. Coaches are pushing their players to throw countless pitches for consecutive games which prevents the ligament from rest and growth. Dr James Andrews, the man who developed this surgery, is giving advice to these young athletes to help prevent injury.

“One coach will pitch a kid for five innings one night and then the next day the same kid will go throw five more innings for a different coach in a different game," Andrews said in a 2012 ESPN highschool article. “These pitchers should not be playing in more than one league at once. You have to rest to prevent these injuries.”

This surgery is thought to increase the speed of a pitcher’s throw. In reality players just return to their normal pitching speeds. This misconception has influenced parents wanting to have their kids obtain the surgery prior to any injury. There hasn’t been any evidence that this surgery increases the skill of any pitcher.

"It doesn't make someone faster or, well, anything," Cincinnati Reds surgeon Dr. Tim Kremchek said in a 2014 BleacherReport article. 

It is not certain that the surgery will be successful, in many cases players were forced to get a second surgery because they had injured themselves during the rehabilitation process. There is an 80-85% chance that the surgery will be successful, meanwhile if their ligament tears again the chances are as low as 40%.

This surgery has been very controversial over the past three decades. Many pitchers have been able to continue their careers from getting this surgery. They get it in hopes that their performance may increase on the field. Young athletes looking at this demand for the surgery on the pro level, influences them to want to get the surgery. These young athletes are trying to achieve what their role models achieve. In reality this surgery is more of a necessity than a privilege.

By Adib Islam and Nicholas Bohan

Jackie Robinson, the man that broke through boundaries

Jackie Robinson / Wikimedia Commons

One of the first black American baseball players to be allowed to participate in the major league, Jackie Robinson, is remembered for his determination when playing for the sport, and his impact on the racial boundaries of society.

Robinson is remembered for his hard work and self-control. He was chosen to be the player to break the color barrier because he was an all-around athlete and he had a good feel for the game as shown when he played for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues. Robinson’s impact in MLB allowed more black baseball players to have the same opportunity due to his ability to endure the abuse of baseball fans, the opposition, and even his own teammates.

He was able to pave the road to allow more black baseball players to play in the majors by performing at the top of the league while never fighting back. Robinson got pitches thrown at him, was intentionally spiked, while still being able to hit home runs and steal bases. He was awarded with the honor of MVP in 1949 and was also able to assist the Brooklyn Dodgers to the World Series six times, winning their only championship 1955.

Robinson’s impact on racial boundaries loosened segregation in his time and allowed black Americans to go for work that were considered only for white Americans, ultimately allowing Barack Obama to run for president.

The struggles of Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson / Bob Sandberg - Commons

Many may wonder why Jackie Robinson is still talked about today and why is he such a significant figure in baseball. Most would answer that he was the first African American to play in the major leagues, but it was much more than that.

Robinson was selected from in the Negro Leagues to become the first African American in modern day to play baseball in the major leagues. He was scouted while the Brooklyn Dodgers were looking for new talent in many foreign countries, searching for players that could potentially win them the pennant. When Robinson first met Branch Rickey, the Dodgers’ club president, he was told that the hardest part of playing in the major league would be not fighting back no matter what might come his way.

The hate was far beyond just the fans; Robinson had to deal with teammates that did not want to play with him, opponents that looked to harm him, and the pressure of failure. Despite the odds being stacked against him, Robinson led the Dodgers to a pennant in 1955, as well as being crowned MVP in 1949.

Robinson’s achievements move far outside just winning the World Series. He is a recognized figure throughout baseball because he paved the way for others to follow in the major leagues. This was not just limited to black people, but any man of color that was previously rejected because of their nationality. 
 
Robinson is recognized for his struggles because it was one of the first major steps in ending segregation not just in baseball, but across the United States.

Jackie Robinson's contribution to the Civil Rights Movement

Jackie Robinson - Wikimedia Commons

The people of the United States voted Barack Obama to office on November 4, 2008, making him the first black president in American history. One can walk down the streets of New York and see people of all colors sharing the same schools, restaurants, and hotels. Although this generation is used to seeing equality in America and the thought of segregation does not cross the average Joe’s mind, it was not always like this.

During the 1940's, everything was segregated from bathrooms and water fountains, to schools and professional sports. Although there is still some discrimination in the United States, there are many laws to prevent segregation and there are organizations such as NAACP that are still trying to advance civil rights. Perhaps the most significant figure in the Civil Rights Movement was Jackie Robinson, who paved the way for future athletes and all people of color to be treated equally.

Signed to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, Robinson had to endure much hate and discrimination in Major League Baseball. Despite his incredible talent, baseball fans did not accept him upon entering the league, and neither did some members of his team. The hotels that the Dodgers would stay at while traveling from city to city did not allow blacks. Robinson would have to find places to stay, which would not always be easy to find even in the same part of town. This is a task Robinson had to get used to in addition to being tired from practice, games, and time on the road. If the restaurants that the Dodgers would eat at did not allow blacks, he would have to either find a different restaurant or wait for his teammates to bring him some take-out after they ate.

His opponents also tried to hurt him on the field, from spiking him harder and more often than other players, to picking fights with him, knowing he was not allowed to fight back. Experiencing all these horrendous conditions, Robinson was still able to take the Dodgers to the World Series in his first year.

His incredible talent showed scouts that whites were not the only ones who can play baseball. The fact that he broke the barrier between whites and colored people in MLB contributed greatly to the Civil Rights Movement, not only in sports, but all angles of life.

Jackie Robinson, a man to remember

Jackie Robinson signs autographs / Boston Public Library - Flickr.com

You can’t go long into baseball history without stumbling upon Jackie Robinson. It seems like he is everywhere. What makes him special? Robinson opened the doors for further acceptance of minorities in the United States of America. Upon being signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers to play for the Montreal Royals, Robinson was faced with the task of tearing down the color barrier.

In order to end segregation in Major League Baseball, Robinson had to perform with greater expectations. Robinson’s numbers on the box score were carefully watched and he was forced to put up with any racism he faced. These injustices ranged from not being able to eat with his team, to opponents being extra rough when playing against him. In a way, Robinson’s fights were best fought with patience.

His rookie year demonstrated that Robinson played better than most of the other ball players in MLB. Fans couldn’t even point to Robinson’s personality as reason to hate him because Robinson didn’t fight back. Slowly, people began realizing that their hatred of Robinson was only for the color of his skin rather than his ability on the field. Once the talent and traits of Robinson became apparent, people realized that the outside appearance of a man has no impact on what kind of human he is.

Robinson’s inclusion and success in MLB lead to further acceptance of other minorities into the world of sports. This occurred through the bondage people share when playing sports with one another. Much of the better jobs in society were not given to minorities, but like many movements throughout history, it took small events or actions to start a snowball effect. Fast forward to the present and there now is a black president running the United States of America. This huge feat could not have happened without Robinson showing the nation that a man should not be judged by outside appearance, but rather the inner qualities that make up who he really is.

The legendary sandman enters his final season

Will Mariano Rivera’s retirement lead to the downfall of the New York Yankees’ legacy? The Yankees ace closer has been with the team for 19 seasons and contributed to five World Series wins. Throughout the years he has shown consistency and reliability as a closer and he has been essential in the ninth inning.

Mariano Rivera - Wikimedia Commons

Rivera said that he would have retired at the conclusion of last season if he did not tear his ACL on May 3, 2012. He was on the shelf most of that season; however, he did not want to retire due to an injury. "I didn't want to leave like that," Rivera said in a press conference before the 2013 season. "I felt like I wanted to give everything."

The New York Yankees need Rivera to elevate his abilities with some of their best players including Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez out due to injury. Rivera returned to baseball on April 4, 2013, leaving him a significant amount of time to recover and come back even stronger than last season. Rivera is the most tenured player on the team and his experience will play a major role for winning another World Series.

Although many did not expect the sandman to return after his ACL injury, Rivera has been very consistent this season. He started the season by saving Andy Pettitte’s eight inning performance against the Boston Red Sox in their third game of the season.

The Yankees are looking forward to a better opening to their season as far as they are concerned with their pitching. With some of their best and more reliable batters out pitching is where the Yankees really have to be aggressive. Rivera’s composure and consistency are exactly the attributes that the Yankees need during the pressure situations.

Contributed by Kian Zadeh and Din Islam

Will the new Angels trio live up to their expectations?

Los Angeles Angels fans are excited for this season with the addition of former Texas Ranger Josh Hamilton. Now the Angels have a trio that consists of All-Star Albert Pujols, AL Rookie of the Year Mike Trout, and Hamilton. Not only are Angels fans anticipating this season, but even the athletes are looking forward to playing together. "I texted him [Josh Hamilton] and congratulated him [on the contract] and he texted back saying, 'Get your legs loose, that's all I ask,''' said Trout.

Mike Trout - Wikimedia Commons

Outfielder Mike Trout has been essential to the Angels since starting with the team in April last year. Trout came out of the minor leagues, but once he started competing in the Major Leagues, he showed what he is capable of and had the statistics to prove it. After only a season he is considered one of the best players in baseball, leading the AL last season with 129 runs and 49 steals. With Hamilton in the Angels lineup, Trout has much more support since Albert Pujols has been mediocre at best these past few seasons.

Albert Pujols - Wikimedia Commons

In the past three seasons, Albert Pujols’ both slugging and on-base percentages decreased. Along with the stats decreasing, his recovery from a knee surgery last October and plantar fasciitis on his left foot will give him trouble on the field. Although Pujols might not be as good as he was a few years ago, Hamilton can easily pick up the slack.

Josh Hamilton - Wikimedia Commons

Mike Trout’s young age leaves room for improvement in his future in the MLB, and Pujols’ 12 years of experience makes him a great leader for the team in the upcoming years. Along with Trout and Pujols, Hamilton’s addition to the lineup makes another threat to opponents when he steps up to the plate. His great performance with the Rangers shows that his addition to the already stellar batting staff will be a big benefit in this season.

Contributed by Sadeon Martin

The Astros move to the American League

At the start of the 2013 season the Houston Astros made their move from the National League Central division to the American League West. The move was a part of an agreement made two years ago when Jim Crane became the new owner of the club.  

Houston Astros logo version for team's caps / Commons

The move was a part of Commissioner Bud Selig’s desire to even out the teams in both leagues. The club was sold to Crane, who many have speculated, that it was set up by Selig. In the event that Crane wanted to buy the team, he would have to agree to move the club to the AL.

There was talk about changing a team from the National League to the American League in 2011, and the Astros were a strong candidate two years before the switch. Their move to the American League was to create a rivalry between the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers. The shift is a significant change in baseball, "It's a historical day, from opening day on," said Selig to USA Today.

The club moved from one of the arguably weaker divisions to one of the best, which left a question on many fans minds. How will they fare in the AL west? “Easy answer,” said Ken Rosenthal of Fox sports “They won’t.” Rosenthal criticized the club for its lack of direction, stating that the club “[is] caught between trying to rebuild and trying to remain competitive.”

There is doubt of their capabilities in the new position; the Astros will have to prove themselves in their new league and division. But their future in the same position doesn’t look promising as they stand as of April 17, 2013 with a record of four wins and ten loses.

Contributed by: Shawn Watts

Injuries hold the Yankees back from victory

Derek Jeter / By Keith Allison - Flickr.com

The New York Yankees are off to a rocky start this season due to their loss of three superstar players. Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, and Curtis Granderson all were injured prior to the start of the 2013 season, leaving only three players from the 2012 starting lineup present on opening day.

Yankees captain Derek Jeter has been at every opening day for the past 16 seasons; however, he was not able to play in the season opener due to a broken ankle he suffered in the American League Championship Series last October. He played during spring training even though he was in pain, which is what he believes led to breaking his ankle once again. "It was something that I hurt it, I continued to play on it, probably when I shouldn't have," he said to BleacherReport.com. "But I continued to play on it and then eventually it broke."

First baseman Mark Teixeira is also not able to play for the first few months of the 2013 season due to a wrist injury. Teixeira is still staying healthy by working with the team's strength and conditioning coach for two-and-a-half hours each day attempting to stabilize his wrist muscles. It is not known when he will return because the recovery time for a wrist injury is unpredictable."You never know when you're coming back from a wrist. You can have a setback. Everything's always a timetable. Timetables change. Sometimes it's shorter, too," Yankees’ manager Joe Girardi said to Newsday.com.

The Yankees’ center fielder and leading home run hitter Curtis Granderson was also injured during spring training when he took a fastball to his right forearm. He is expected to return to play in mid-May; however, the Yankees want to make sure that he is fully recovered before including him in the lineup. “It’s just something that I’ve thought about. I don’t know how many games he would have in his rehab coming back, and that’s a concern for me. So I want him to be comfortable wherever he’s at, because his bat’s real important to us,” said Girardi to MLB.com.

All three of these players made a tremendous contribution to the 2012 season. Both Jeter and Granderson helped their teams offense, while Teixeira impacted the defense. Jeter had an incredible year, finishing with 216 hits, the most in baseball. Granderson also had a great season; he hit 43 home runs, drove in 106 runs, and was chosen to play in the All-Star game. Teixeira was able to contribute to the defense with his elite fielding; he won the Gold Glove Award for his superior individual fielding performance.

They have acquired new players that will need to help the team both defensively and offensively until their three starters return. Lyle Overbay was acquired by the Yankees from the Boston Red Sox during spring training and has been playing first base due to Teixeira’s absence. Eduardo Núñez and Jayson Nix have replaced Derek Jeter and Vernon Wells is a substitute for Granderson. “You’re talking about high-character guys,” Girardi said of the newcomers in a New York Times article. “Guys that have been calming forces in a clubhouse for many years, guys who have played at a high level, guys who have been in the A.L. East, guys that have been in the championship series.”

The Yankees will need to continue working together as a team without these three starters and make plays that will help them win more games. As of now, the Yankees have lost a few games because they do not have the power that Granderson, Teixeira and Jeter normally provide. “The same goals are going to be there: to win every night,” said Youkilis in a New York Times article.

Contributed by Sahar Saedi and Anya Batista