Kevin Cash has taken over as Rays manager.
Kevin Cash has taken over as Rays manager. (USATSI)

SAN DIEGO - The Tampa Bay Rays (formerly Devil Rays, of course) have been around for 17 seasons. Joe Maddon was at the helm for nine of them. The franchise has had a winning record six times, gone to the playoffs four times and made the World Series once. Joe Maddon was the manager for each and every case.

And now, it's the job of first-timer and 37-year-old former bullpen coach Kevin Cash to replace Maddon. Not that he minds being the one who replaces a franchise legend.

"I think it's great," Cash said Monday during the Winter Meetings of taking over in the dark shadow cast by Maddon's departure. "I embrace it. I'm almost somewhat appreciative."

Cash was actually a player in the organization when Maddon took over for Lou Piniella heading into the 2006 season, where he spent the year with Triple-A Durham. He said that he saw something in Maddon from the start and he's now honored to be following in his footsteps.

"I was fortunate with Joe, his first year as a manager in spring training and you could tell it was a different personality that Joe was bringing in," Cash said. "You kind of got the sense of some immediate success coming, just with the way he presented himself. The way he communicated with the players. I look at it more as kind of an honor to be following him."

That's probably a good way to look at it. It's easy to see why Rays brass were so enamored with Cash, to the point that he's never served in a higher-ranking job than a bullpen coach and now he's the replacement for easily the best manager in franchise history.