Tampa Bay Rays manager stands by dramatic ejection: "I said I didn’t give a sh*t what half the crew said"
The Tampa Bay Rays are the best team in baseball. Now with a record of 27-6, the team has proven to be the most dynamic team. From pitching to hitting to fielding, the team is getting it done.
Like any successful team, clubhouse cohesion is a must for the Rays. That cohesion and support base stems from the manager, Kevin Cash.
Cash, who is a two-time manager of the year, is overwhelmingly popular with the Tampa Bay Rays' fanbase as well as onlookers on the wider MLB scene. His willingness to stand up for his players, even in adverse situations, was evidenced in a recent game better than ever.
During the first inning of the Tampa Bay Rays' match against the New York Yankees on May 5, outfielder Randy Arozarena launched a home run in the first inning, taking Yankees starter Jhony Brito to deep center field.
Following the jack, Arozarena employed his trademark stance as he rounded third. The dinger represented Arozarena's 30th RBI of the season, just two behind Rafael Devers of the Boston Red Sox, who leads the MLB with 32.
Needless to say, this did not sit well with the Yankees. Arozarena was plunked by Brito during his next at-bat in the third inning. In the fifth inning, Bronx Bombers relief arm Albert Abreu drilled Arozarena in the side. It did not take an MLB analyst to uncover why the star outfielder might have had a target on his back.
When Arozarena was hit the second time, Kevin Cash came flying out of the Tampa Bay Rays dugout to lambaste the umpire team, led by Lance Barksdale at first base. Cash's arguments led him to being ejected. After the game, he revealed a snippet of his exchange with Barksdale:
"(Barksdale) said that half the crew did not feel that it was intentional. I said I didn’t give a sh*t what half the crew said”
The Tampa Bay Rays ended up winning the game 5-4, expanding their lead over the second-place Baltimore Orioles to 4.5 games in the AL East. As for Cash, he likely does not regret a thing.
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Tampa Bay Rays are proof that passion wins games
While the umpires were adamant that they believed that the consecutive wollopings that were aimed at Arozarena were purely accidental, logic dictates otherwise. Cash standing up for his players shows fans what they already knew: a team that has a manager willing to face ejection in defense of his players is bound to foster success on the roster.