Hinch adds Rays' Cash to ASG staff: He's experienced 'handling 9 pitchers a game'

When the All-Star Game gets underway on July 17, the American League club will be coached by the entire Houston Astros staff with one special guest as skipper A.J. Hinch invited his friend and Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash to join him.

"He's done a tremendous job," Hinch told Brian McTaggart of MLB.com regarding Cash, who is managing an injury-riddled roster Rays club to a .500 record in Major League Baseball's toughest division.

"I joked with him (that) he's got a ton of experience handling nine pitchers a game, so that's a point in his favor when it comes to inviting another manager."

The Rays, currently rolling with three true starting pitchers in their rotation, have come under fire for their controversial 'opener' strategy. By using a one-inning reliever to start the game - usually Ryne Stanek or Sergio Romo - Tampa Bay have called upon 13 different pitchers to make at least one start this season.

To Hinch's point, during Friday's contest against the New York Mets, the Rays rolled out six different pitchers, starting with Stanek; a common occurrence for a team with a scheduled bullpen day and hampered by having seven different hurlers currently stashed on the disabled list.

As a reward for winning the World Series, Houston's entire coaching staff will take on managerial duties for the Midsummer Classic in Washington, D.C. Hinch also considered inviting Alex Cora, now the Boston Red Sox manager, but the former bench coach for Houston's championship run had a family commitment.