Cash, players pay tribute to Wills

This story was excerpted from the Rays Beat newsletter, with Brian Murphy filling in for Adam Berry this week. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ST. PETERSBURG -- On Saturday, the Rays had a radio broadcast unlike any other in the past 18 years.

It was the first without Dave Wills.

Andy Freed, Wills’ play-by-play partner since 2005, and pregame/postgame host Neil Solondz were on the call for the team’s game against the Marlins. It was the team’s first radio broadcast since Wills passed away Sunday.

Wills’ enthusiastic voice served as the soundtrack to so many of the franchise’s greatest moments; that’s how most baseball fans know him. But inside the Rays’ clubhouse and throughout St. Petersburg, Tampa and other nearby communities, he was something much greater. He was a giving soul who loved to interact with fans and help those in need.

And he was like family to so many, including manager Kevin Cash.

“You talk to certain people on a daily basis, sometimes more than your own family, once the season starts," Cash said. "So they kind of become your own family. And when you do it year after year after year … it’s very family-like. Devastating.”

When asked for their memories of Wills this week, Rays players consistently mentioned his positivity and big personality.

LHP Shane McClanahan: “The only memories I have of Dave are positive. The guy came to the clubhouse every single day with just the best personality. The best thing you can ask for is a positive light in a world where everything seems so dark sometimes, and Dave just brought that light. The conversations on the plane, on the field, at the park, wherever, they were always awesome. We’re going to really miss him.”

2B Brandon Lowe: “I felt like every time I saw him, he was always in a good mood. He was willing to talk to anybody. … He was very positive. Man, the void that he’s going to leave is definitely going to be felt around the team, around the clubhouse, and we’re really praying for his family right now.”

RHP Shane Baz: “I got to meet him a couple of times, and he was really, really awesome. Just thoughts and prayers to his family, obviously. He was a huge part of this organization. … He was definitely very, very passionate about the game of baseball and the Rays, in general. That definitely stuck out.”

LHP Jeffrey Springs: “Somebody that you always saw with a big smile on his face and loved what he did. Heard the news and it doesn’t seem real. It’s hard to put into words. I’m so sad for his family and everybody that was close to him. He was someone who when you see him, you can’t help but grin back at him. No matter what was going on, a contagious smile and personality.”

RHP Zach Eflin: "It’s obviously a heartbreaking, devastating loss to this organization. It seems like everybody I talked with about it absolutely loved and respected him so much. It’s one of those things where you just have to tell your loved ones you love them so much because you never know when your last day is. We are going to play in his honor.”

The team will honor Wills prior to its April 22 home game against, appropriately, the Chicago White Sox. A Chicago native, Wills spent 11 seasons as part of the White Sox radio broadcast team prior to joining the Rays.