Right-handed pitcher Ralston Cash was selected by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2010 First Year Player Draft. Many Dodger fans will remember that in that same draft Zach Lee was selected by the Dodgers in the first round with the 28th overall pick and was considered to be unsignable. He did sign as did present Dodger center fielder Joc Pederson who was selected in the 11th round of the 2010 draft. Ralston Cash is perhaps a name not familiar to many of the Dodger faithful but he is still one of but five from that draft still plying their trades in the Dodgers minor league system. The other two are pitchers Logan Bawcom and Red Patterson of the Tulsa Drillers, both of whom were out of the Dodgers system for a period of time but reacquired by the Dodgers.

Dodgers fans may remember that right-hand pitcher Ethan Martin had been selected by the Dodgers in the first round of the 2008 Amateur Draft. He and Ralston Cash are cousins. Martin was recently released by the Atlanta Braves.

Ralston Cash’s story is an interesting one in more ways than one. His life path has been littered with challenges that could have have sent him in any number of directions. Aided by a strong family and a strong faith he has never varied in his determination to be a professional baseball player and to use that ability to help him serve others.

Ralston Cash
(Photo credit – Rich Crimi)

Cash had not reached his fourth birthday when his mother, Angie Cash, died in car accident on June 25, 1995. Other than for a last minute change in plans he would have been in the car with his mother. “I questioned growing up why my mother had to be taken,” Cash said. “But I believe that God was looking after me that day.”

His grandparents, Ralph and Sue Cash, immediately brought the youngster into their home, became his legal guardians and raised him along with their own two children. Sue remembers that shortly after Ralston came to live in their home, he asked if it was alright to call her his mother.

“He said, ‘Now I got a mommy in Heaven, and a mommy here on Earth,’” Sue said.

“I saw it as I had two moms and I finally had a father to live with,” Ralston said.

A second life threatening accident occurred on November 24, 2008. Distracted by a knife in his pocket that opened and cut his hand, his Nissan Frontier left the highway near Arcade, in Jackson County, hit four trees head-on and was totaled. Cash reported that law enforcement personnel were amazed that he even survived much less escape with just a black eye and a seat belt imprint on his chest.

He went on to play baseball and graduated from Lakeview Academy in Gainesville, Georgia. He had every intention of continuing his career with the University of Georgia but decided to turn professional after being selected in the second round. It seems likely he would have attended Georgia if he had been drafted in the middle rounds.

Following the draft in 2010 Ralston Cash reported to the Arizona League Dodgers. In eight starts he recorded a 3.60 ERA. Then adversity struck again.

In the spring of 2011 he had season ending surgery which was initially thought to be just a hip problem.. “It wasn’t necessarily the hip, but the pubic bone was a mess with scar tissue covering it,” Cash said. “I had surgery in October, and they cleaned out all the scar tissue, strengthened the attachments, and I’m good as new.”

After missing all of 2011 due to surgery doctors found a cyst on the top of his femur and a torn labrum requiring additional surgery.

Ready to return to action in 2012 he finally made an appearance on Memorial Day, May 28th. Perhaps the significance of the day was even more important for Ralston Cash. While recovering from surgery at home, his grandfather/father Ralph was diagnosed with bladder cancer and died on Jan. 18, 2012. A devastating blow to the young pitcher he nevertheless credits Ralph with teaching him so much about life. “His big thing was that we had to live our dreams, because dreaming is not just something we do in our sleep. We have to make our dreams happen while we’re awake.”

Ralston Cash explained how he has dealt with the challenges in his young life: “Negative things are going to happen, but you can choose to look at the positive,” Cash said. “People sometimes ask me why bad things happen to me. The way I look at it, I’m pretty strong, and I’m able to handle it.

“It’s better the bad things happen to me than to someone who can’t handle it and who might let it ruin their life.”

Cash’s career has taken an up tick since 2012. In 2013, now a reliever, he posted an ERA of 3.19 with the Great Lakes Loons while striking out 56 in 53 innings. He followed that with another year in Midland in which he posted an ERA of .284 and a WHIP of 1.09 along with 62 strikeouts in 52 innings. At one point in the 2014 season he had a stretch of 33 innings in which he gave up but one run.

With the Tulsa Drillers in 2015 Cash posted a 3.37 ERA while continuing to strike out a batter per inning over 57 innings.

Ralston Cash has a mustache that most likely draws comparison to former Hall of Fame reliever Rollie Fingers. Last July he established the Ralston Cash Foundation which will provide funds to buy Christmas presents for children who have lost a parent to cancer.

The 6’3” – 215 pound reliever has been able to market his mustache as money is being raised through T-shirts featuring a likeness of his face with the handlebar mustache. The T-shirts are available for $10 from Boomtown Tees and the Drillers’ team store.

“I did it two years ago on my own with a family near my home,” said Cash, who is from Georgia. “I woke up on Christmas with a picture of all these kids smiling.

“Everyone says you’re doing this for all these kids, but it’s actually helping me,” Cash said. “At the end of the day they’re keeping me humble and straight-minded, reminding me that although baseball is the greatest game in the world, there’s more to life than baseball.”

“I take my job very seriously, but I can also use this stage to help give back to others. If I can show people that life isn’t terrible and I can make a difference in their lives, that’s what I want to do.”

Ralston Cash has had a great start to his 2016 season with the Tulsa Drillers striking out eight in four innings of work. A promotion to the Oklahoma City Dodgers and even a stint with the parent Dodgers may well be in his future this season. He will also be a prime target for a Rule 5 selection if not protected by the Dodgers in December.

You have the feeling that his mustache is soon about to become more well known.