Checking in on Former Smokies: Smokies from the history books

Written by Philip Stalzer

The Smokies have a rich history of famous baseball personalities. From future Hall of Famers to eventual geniuses of the sport, many former Smokies have left their mark on the game for years to come.

Kevin Cash and Ryne Sandberg both spent time with the Smokies, though not in the roles you might expect. One served as a player while the other took on a managerial role during their tenure with the team.

Once a cub in the Smokies, now Tampa’s ray of sunshine

Before Kevin Cash became the manager for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2015, he was a player himself. Cash played in parts of eight different seasons for five different teams, including the Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Houston Astros.

While Cash only hit .183 in 246 games in the majors, he shined in the Blue Jays minor league system after he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the team in 1999.

At this time, the then Tennessee Smokies were the Double-A affiliate of the Blue Jays, giving Cash the chance to play for the team as a 24-year-old out of Florida State.

Cash started the season with the Smokies and played great. In his 55 games in Tennessee, he slashed .277/.381/.469 with 44 RBIs. Before the end of that 2002 season, Cash made his way to Triple-A and the majors.

Cash moved frequently between the majors and the minors during his playing career, but never really made a name for himself as a player.

After retiring during the 2011 season, Cash quickly got a coaching job with the then Cleveland Indians in 2013. Cash coached in Cleveland for two seasons before he was offered the manager position with the Rays for the 2015 season.

Now in his 11th season as the Rays manager, Cash is still one of the well-respected managers in today’s game.

Over the course of his managerial career, he has racked up seven winning seasons and four postseason appearances, including becoming the first American League manager to win Manager of the Year in back-to-back seasons in 2020 and 2021.

Cash has consistently been able to lead the Rays to winning seasons despite the Rays having one of the lowest payrolls in Major League Baseball.

According to spotrac.com, the Rays 2025 payroll is the fourth lowest payroll in the majors at just under $58,000,000. Despite the low payroll, the Rays were one of the hottest teams in baseball to end the first half and currently sit 0.5 back of the Red Sox for the third American League Wild Card spot.

While the low payroll is sure to make winning games more difficult, the former Smokie is able to use his immense knowledge of the game to give his Rays a chance at the playoffs each season.

Sandberg’s “Ryno-sized” legacy

Ryne Sandberg was one of the greatest Chicago Cubs players in history and a member of the Hall of Fame as a Cub. While Sandberg’s praises have been sung for decades at the major league level, what many may not know is that he managed the Tennessee Smokies in 2009.

Before 2009, the Smokies struggled to play winning baseball, only recording one season with a winning percentage above .529.

In 2008, the Smokies finished in fifth place with a record of 62-77. When Sandberg came to man the helm in 2009, he immediately turned things around for the team.

While the team was only barely able to keep their record above .500, finishing the season at 71-69, they were able to take advantage of a weak Southern League and ended up in first place. The Smokies made a run in the playoffs under Sandberg, making it all the way to the finals before losing to the Jacksonville Suns.

While Sandberg was promoted to Triple-A where he managed in Iowa for a year, his impact was left with the Smokies for years to come. In the two years immediately following Sandberg’s promotion, the Smokies continued to improve and dominate.

In 2010, the Smokies went 86-53, finishing first place and making it to the finals once again before losing to the Suns for the second year in a row. In 2011, the Smokies finished in first place for the third straight year with a record of 83-57. The Smokies again lost in the championship, this time to the Mobile BayBears.

The Smokies continued to play winning baseball through the 2015 season.

Today, Sandberg is struggling with prostate cancer. The 65-year-old announced his diagnosis in January of last year but provided fans with an update via social media earlier this week. In his post, he noted how he had not been to Wrigley as much as he would’ve liked to this season, but has been watching every Cubs game this year and is excited for the second half of the season.

The 1984 National League MVP and former Smokies manager is fighting every day in his battle against cancer and will look to be back at Wrigley soon.

Be sure to check www.milb.com/knoxville/news for more news on your favorite former Smokies every Thursday/Friday.