It's very close for me but I have a minor edge to Maddon for a pitiful purpose that I need to let go of. I think Joe would have had to sense to leave Blake Snell alone and we probably give ourselves a chance to win Game 6 of the World Series. Win or lose (even a Game 7 loss) if Cash leaves it alone I would say he's far better. It's just that it was SUCH a mistake in hindsight. It's probably the biggest mistake in Tampa sports history. Otherwise the amount of turnover and moving pieces every year is so hard to incorporate and we are consistently contenders despite this. He's had to make chicken salad out of chicken shit some years and we were always in it.Phantom wrote: ↑Mon Jun 12, 2023 6:56 pm Is Kevin Cash better than Joe Maddon? I think so
In eight seasons on the job, Cash, 45, has led the Rays to a 640-554 record, a .536 winning percentage that is the best of the five Tampa Bay managers and — after starting with three losing seasons — four consecutive playoff berths, including a run to the 2020 World Series.
He is the second-longest tenured manager with his current team in the majors, behind good friend Terry Francona, who between age (64 in April) and health issues seems likely to soon retire in Cleveland.
More topically, when Cash completes this season, he will have been on the job as long as Maddon, whose tenure at one time seemed unlikely to be matched. Cash has the better record; both made four trips to the postseason and won two Manager of the Year awards.
“That’s pretty cool company," Cash said.
Despite being only 36 and never managing a game at any level when he got hired, Cash said he was confident in his own ability.
He recognized the promise of the situation he was walking into, taking over a team that had made the playoffs four times in six years before a 2014 dropoff. He had a commitment from ownership and management to get back to competing with the chance to grow along with the team. And he got a five-year contract to do so.
But we live in the now and he might just win MOTY again. And if we do win it all he's gonna be Rays GOAT manager for a long time around here