tallahassee
Kevin Cash, the manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, has led the team to six postseason appearances, solidifying his reputation as one of baseball's most respected leaders. His path to managerial success began at Florida State University, where he played from 1997 to 1999.
Former FSU teammate Chris Chavez sees the influence of those Seminole years in Cash's managerial style. "Kevin brings a lot of Florida State, and of Eleven (former FSU coach Mike Martin) with him," Chavez said. "I think he's been such a student of the game since he was at Florida State. Everywhere he's gone, he's picked the brains of all the managers he played for, and I think he's just morphed it all into who he is and become himself."
Cash, 48, is in his 12th season as Rays manager. The Tampa native has guided the Rays to six postseason appearances, including a trip to the 2020 World Series, where they fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games. Now, Cash has Tampa Bay in contention again. The Rays swept the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series and open the best-of-seven AL Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday.
For those who know Cash best, his success comes as no surprise. Cash has a unique baseball background spanning youth, collegiate, and Major League Baseball. He is the first person to play in the Little League World Series (1989) and manage an MLB team to the Fall Classic. As a player, the third baseman helped lead the Seminoles to two World Series appearances (1998 and 1999) and won non-roster World Series rings as a backup catcher with the Boston Red Sox (2007) and New York Yankees (2009).
Long before Cash became established, he had to find a way to make his own high school team at Tampa Gaither. Cash actually did not make the school's fall team before leading into spring tryouts. Landy Faedo, an assistant coach at the time under Hall of Fame Coach Frank Permuy, recalled Cash's impressive transformation. "I don't know what happened in that short period of time," said Faedo, the veteran head baseball coach at Tampa Alonso. "I would take the kids to practice at the local Little League field, and Kevin would already be out there with his dad working."
The work quickly became evident. "Next thing you know, this guy's got a bazooka for an arm, he's hitting the ball hard," said Faedo, who also pointed to the steady support Cash received from his father. The coach particularly remembers Cash lining up with the outfielders during the spring tryout. Cash uncorked his first throw. "I'm like, 'Oh, my God.' I looked at Frank and we kind of looked at each other like, 'Where'd that come from?'" Faedo said and laughed.
Cash made the team. Eventually, he attended an FSU camp, earned an opportunity with the Seminoles and continued a baseball journey his former coach believes was rooted in traits already apparent in high school. "Kevin was really driven, had a really high baseball IQ and was a fearless competitor. There's no doubt about it," Faedo said.
Cash is the second FSU player—and fourth associated with the program—to manage in the big leagues. He joins former FSU player and coach Dick Howser (Kansas City), in addition to Bruce Bochy (San Francisco) and Tony La Russa (St. Louis). Bochy attended FSU for a semester and La Russa graduated from the university's College of Law. The FSU connection doesn't stop there, as former FSU shortstop Taylor Walls is in his sixth season with the Rays and a third-round selection by the organization in 2017.
Cash and Tallahassee's David Ross, a 15-year major-league player, two-time World Series champion and former Chicago Cubs manager, were teammates late in the 2010 season with the Red Sox. Ross, a baseball analyst for ESPN, is impressed by Cash's managerial approach. "I think Kevin is so comfortable in his own skin that it calms everybody else around him down," Ross said. "He knows what he wants to do in game. He's as competitive of a guy you want to be around and he really works well with his front office. He's considered one of the best managers in the majors and he's done it in a small market with limited resources. A true leader of men."
Cash's ability to connect with people has always been a strength. Tampa native Dave Magadan, a former 16-year MLB player and highly-regarded MLB hitting coach, saw the same qualities when he had Cash as a player in Boston in 2007 and 2008. "He has that nice and rare combination of being smart enough to sit in a room with ownership and front-office personnel and hold his own, and at the same time be completely comfortable in the clubhouse with players, coaches and support staff," Magadan said.
Magadan also saw similarities between Cash and Terry "Tito" Francona, whom Cash became close with in Boston before later coaching on Francona's staff in Cleveland. "A true players' manager who makes you want to run through a brick wall for him," Magadan said. "His personality is such that as soon as you meet him, you feel like you've known him forever. I'm a big fan, always have been. I knew he would manage someday."
Cash's toughness has never been questioned either. One example when he played at FSU under legendary Mike Martin is part of program folklore. During an NCAA Super Regional, Cash was taking ground balls at third during batting practice when a line drive struck him in the eye. Chavez remembers finding Cash in the training room with his right eye swollen shut. Cash's response? "He's like, 'I'm good. I'm playing today,'" Chavez recalled. "That just speaks to how tough he is and what the game means to him, to help his team win. He'll do whatever it takes to win a baseball game." Chavez sees that same attitude reflected in Cash's players in Tampa Bay. "I think he's kind of done that with his players, and I think they feed off of that," Chavez said.
Originally reported by tallahassee.