Reds’ Terry Francona brutally trolls Rays’ Kevin Cash with lowlight video on scoreboard

Kevin Cash just got punk’d.

Cash, who has been the Rays’ manager for the past decade, was pranked by Reds skipper Terry Francona before Cincinnati won 7-2 over Tampa Bay on Friday.

When the Rays came out for their batting practice at Great American Ballpark, they were met with a looping clip of their manager striking out during his playing days.

The clip shows Cash striking out as a member of the Red Sox during the late-2000s — when Francona served as Boston’s manager.

Cash also served as Francona’s bullpen coach in Cleveland before moving on to the Rays.

This is the latest in an ongoing prank war between the two managers who have been playing practical jokes on each other since 2015, Cash’s first season at the helm for Tampa Bay.

Francona initiated the first prank, where he had someone write “Zep says hi” on Cash’s car, referring to former Cleveland reliever Marc Rzepczynski.

Manager Terry Francona of the Cincinnati Reds looks on during batting practice prior to a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on July 22, 2025 in Washington, DC. Getty Images

In 2017, Francona struck again, this time coming after Cash’s subpar stats during his playing career.

When the Rays came to Progressive Field in Cleveland, Francona put a graphic on the scoreboard that read “How bad is Kevin Cash at the Plate?”

The graphic then displayed Cash’s career slash line of .183/.248/.278 with a note below that read, “In the history of Major League Baseball, among all non-pitchers with at least 650 plate appearances, Kevin Cash is the 5th worst OPS+ of all time.”

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash motions to the bullpen to make a pitching change during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals on Thursday, June 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. AP

Despite Francona having pranked Cash more often, the former was perhaps hit the hardest.

Before a game between Cleveland and the Rays, Cash stole Francona’s coveted motor scooter and put it in the infield for batting practice, where Tampa Bay’s C.J. Cron struck it.

Although Francona rags on Cash in the public eye, the Reds skipper insists that it is all tough love.

“For public consumption, I don’t think I’d ever say anything nice about him,” Francona told reporters when asked about his relationship with Cash. “But for this room, I love the guy.

“I think he’s one of the best. But if you’re going to air this — I don’t think much of him.”