| Brad Ausmus | |
|---|---|
 Ausmus with theLos Angeles Angels in 2019 | |
| New York Yankees – No. 68 | |
| Catcher /Manager /Coach | |
| Born: (1969-04-14)April 14, 1969 (age 55) New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 28, 1993, for the San Diego Padres | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 3, 2010, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .251 |
| Home runs | 80 |
| Runs batted in | 607 |
| Managerial record | 386–422 |
| Winning % | .478 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Managerial record at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
As player
As manager As coach
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Bradley David Ausmus (/ˈɔːsməs/; born April 14, 1969) is an American former professionalbaseball player, manager and currentcoach. He is the bench coach for theNew York Yankees ofMajor League Baseball (MLB). In his 18-year MLB playing career, Ausmus played as acatcher for theSan Diego Padres,Detroit Tigers,Houston Astros, andLos Angeles Dodgers. He also managed the Tigers,Los Angeles Angels, andIsraeli national baseball team. He also was a coach for theOakland Athletics.
A1987 draft pick of the Yankees, Ausmus chose to alternate between attendingDartmouth College and playing minor league baseball. Ausmus then had an 18-year major league playing career with the Padres, Tigers, Astros, and Dodgers. During his playing days he was anAll Star in 1999, a three-timeGold Glove Award winner (2001, 2002, and 2006), and won the 2007Darryl Kile Award "for integrity and courage".[1][2][3] A five-time league-leader at catcher infielding percentage, Ausmus led the league twice each inrange factor and in percentage caught stealing, and once each in putouts and assists.[4][5]
Ausmus finished his playing career in 2010 ranked third in major league history with 12,839 putouts as a catcher (trailing onlyIván Rodríguez andJason Kendall), seventh in games caught with 1,938, and 10th in both range factor/game (7.12) and fielding percentage (.994). He also ranked first all-time among allJewish major leaguers in career games played (1,971), fifth inhits (1,579), and eighth inruns batted in (607), directly behindMike Lieberthal.[6][7][8][9] He was inducted into theNational Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.[10]
Ausmus worked in the Padres' front office as a special assistant from 2010 to 2013. In November 2013, Ausmus became the38th manager in the history of the Detroit Tigers, succeedingJim Leyland, a position he held for four years. In October 2018, he was named the17th manager in the history of the Los Angeles Angels, but was dismissed after one season in September 2019. In January 2022, he was named the bench coach of theOakland Athletics. Ausmus was a coach for Team Israel, under managerIan Kinsler, when it competed in the2023 World Baseball Classic. He joined the Yankees as their bench coach after the 2023 season.
Ausmus is Jewish, and was born inNew Haven, Connecticut.[11][12][13] His mother, Linda Susan (née Dronsick), was Jewish, and his father, Harry Jack Ausmus, wasProtestant.[14][15] His father is a retired professor of European history atSouthern Connecticut State University, and the author ofASchopenhauerian Critique ofNietzsche's Thought, which Ausmus calls his "favorite book."[16]
Ausmus' mother was raised in a Jewish household, and he said in an interview that those values were instilled in him.[17][18] He takes pride in his heritage. Ausmus stated in an interview with theJewish Journal: "I wasn't raised with the Jewish religion, so in that sense I don't really have much feeling toward it. But, however, in the last 10 or so years, I have had quite a few young Jewish boys who will tell me that I am their favorite player or they love watching me play or they feel like baseball is a good fit... I'm all for it."[19]
Ausmus was a star in baseball atCheshire High School; as a freshman he was a teammate ofNational Hockey League defensemanBrian Leetch, who was then apitcher on the school's Connecticut state championship team in 1984.[5] As a sophomore Ausmus playedshortstop andbatted .327. As a junior (when his coach moved him to catcher) he hit .436, and as a senior he hit .411 and was named theCheshire Area High School Player of the Year.[20] He was named to the All-State team both his junior and senior years.[21]
Ausmus was also a standout athlete in high school as a basketballguard.[22]
Academically, Ausmus scored a 1220 on hisSAT exam.[23]
TheNew York Yankees selected Ausmus in the 48th round of the1987 Major League Baseball draft. He declined to sign with the Yankees so that he could attendDartmouth College, until the Yankees allowed him to attend classes during the baseball offseason.[5][24][25] (Dartmouth has a quartered academic calendar, which allowed Ausmus some flexibility.) GivenNCAA rules barring paid professional athletes from playing college sports, Ausmus could not play for theDartmouth Big Green, and instead served the team as a volunteer coach andbullpen catcher.
Ausmus graduated in 1991 with aBachelor of Arts in government, and was a member ofChi Gamma Epsilon fraternity and the Sphinx Senior Society. While at Dartmouth, the lowest grade Ausmus received was a B.[26] College graduates are uncommon in major league baseball, with only 26 players and managers with four-year degrees in 2009.[27] In 2005, Ausmus became the first Ivy League catcher to play in theWorld Series since Dartmouth'sChief Meyers in1916.[28] Ausmus was also one of six Ivy Leaguers on major league rosters at the beginning of the 2009 season.[29] In 2010,The Sporting News named him the ninth-smartest athlete in sports.[23]
Though Ausmus was not drafted until the 48th round of the 1987 draft, he played in MLB longer than any of the 1,150 players drafted ahead of him did.[30]
Ausmus spent five years in the Yankees' minor league system with theGulf Coast Yankees (1988),Oneonta Yankees (1988–89),Prince William Cannons (1990–91),Albany-Colonie Yankees (1991–92), andColumbus Clippers (1992). He was subsequently selected by theColorado Rockies with the 54th pick of the1992 MLB expansion draft. He played for theColorado Springs Sky Sox in 1993.
The Rockies traded Ausmus withAndy Ashby andDoug Bochtler to theSan Diego Padres forBruce Hurst andGreg Harris in July 1993.[31] He made his major league debut two days later, when he started for the Padres against theChicago Cubs, and had asingle in threeat bats.[32] In 1995 Ausmus batted .293, a career best, andstole 16 bases (the most by any catcher sinceCraig Biggio stole 19 in 1991).
In June 1996, after 149 at bats in which he batted just .181, the Padres traded Ausmus,Andújar Cedeño, and minor leaguer Russ Spear to theDetroit Tigers forJohn Flaherty andChris Gomez.[33]
As of 2010, Ausmus was second among the Padres' all-time catchers in stolen bases, fourth in hits, and fifth in games played.[3]
Ausmus batted .248 for the Tigers in 1996.
In December 1996, the Tigers traded Ausmus to theHouston Astros along withJosé Lima,Trever Miller,C. J. Nitkowski, andDaryle Ward forDoug Brocail,Brian Hunter,Todd Jones,Orlando Miller, and cash.[34]
In January 1999, the Astros traded Ausmus an Nitkowski to the Tigers forPaul Bako,Dean Crow,Brian Powell, and minor leaguers Carlos Villalobos and Mark Persails.[35]
Generally considered light-hitting but sure-handed, Ausmus had his best offensive season in 1999 at the age of 30, when he batted .275 and set career highs inon-base percentage (.365) andslugging percentage (.415), and made theAll-Star team. He washit by pitches 14 times, sixth in the league and a career high. Ausmus battedleadoff for the Tigers seven times, the first catcher sinceBruce Kimm in 1976 to do so.
In December 2000, the Tigers traded Ausmus,Doug Brocail, andNelson Cruz to theHouston Astros forRoger Cedeño,Chris Holt, andMitch Meluskey.[36]
In November 2003, he re-signed as afree agent with the Astros. In 2004, he batted .308 against left-handers, and .364 in situations that were "late and close" (in the seventh inning or later, with the score tied or the tying run on base, at the plate, or on deck).[37] In 2005, he had morewalks (51) thanstrikeouts (48). He batted .304 with two out and runners in scoring position. He resigned with the Astros in December 2005.[38]
In 2006, Ausmus hit .230 and set a career high with ninesacrifice hits. In Game 4 of the2005 National League Division Series against theAtlanta Braves, Ausmus homered with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game at 6–6 and send it toextra innings; the Astros went on to win in the 18th inning, in what was the longest postseason game in history. Ausmus caught 15 innings, and played 3 innings at first base.
In 2007, Ausmus batted .235, but was tied for second among allNational League catchers with six stolen bases. He recorded his 100th career stolen base on July 27, becoming the 21st catcher all time to record that many steals.[39][40]
Ausmus, lauded for his baseball smarts and highly regarded by teammates, was widely consideredmanagerial material once his playing career ended.[41]
Ausmus won the 2007Darryl Kile Award "for integrity and courage", presented annually by local chapters of theBaseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) to players on the Astros andSt. Louis Cardinals.[1][2][3] In October 2007, Ausmus accepted a one-year, $2 million (plus incentives based on playing time) contract.[42] The Astros planned for Ausmus to play on a part-time basis and mentorJ. R. Towles, who would catch the majority of the games. Were Towles to struggle, however, the Astros were prepared to turn to Ausmus.[39]
In May 2008, Ausmus (along withJohnny Damon,Andruw Jones, andDerek Lowe) was one of only four active major league players who had played at least 10 years in the majors without ever going on thedisabled list.[43]
On May 13, 2008, Ausmus got his 1,500th career hit. He was one of only eight catchers in major league history to get 1,500 hits and steal at least 100 bases.
In early June, with Towles batting only .145, the Astros optioned him to the minors and re-inserted Ausmus as a starter.[44] Towles was replaced by journeyman minor-leaguerHumberto Quintero. Towles eventually came back, but during the season Ausmus, at 39, made more starts behind the plate (61) than either Towles or Quintero.[45]
In July, Ausmus played atNationals Park, appearing in his 44th major league stadium. Among active players, onlyChris Gomez (47),Gary Sheffield (47), andKen Griffey Jr. (45) had competed in more stadiums.[46]
In August, he scored his 700th career run, becoming the 25th catcher to reach that mark.[47]
Later in the month Ausmus said: "This will be my last year in Houston. It's just time to be closer to home."[48] He has a home in San Diego, which narrowed it down to the Padres (which had expressed interest in him),[49] Dodgers, and Angels. The Red Sox were also tempting, since Ausmus had a home near Boston, inCape Cod.[50]
On Sunday, August 24, the Astros played the New York Mets during the Mets International Heritage Week, an annual promotion. It happened to be Jewish Heritage Day, but though Ausmus is Jewish, he did not get to start the game. He had his only at bat during extra-innings, with the score tied at 4–4. Ausmus led off the 10th inning with his second homer of the season, and the Astros rallied for a 6–4 win.[51]
Ausmus was Houston's all-time leader for catchers as of 2010 with 1,259 games, 1,119 starts, 970 hits, and 415 runs.[52][53][54]
On January 26, 2009, Ausmus agreed to a 1-year, $1 million deal (plus incentives) to be a back-up catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers.[55]
"There's no question he can be a manager",Joe Torre said. "He's a smart cookie, everybody knows that, and he has an engaging personality."[56] At the end of the season Torre had Ausmus manage the Dodgers for a game.[57]
In 2009, Ausmus batted .295, including .333 with runners in scoring position, and .385 with 2 out and runners in scoring position, while limited to a career-low 107 at bats.[58] He had never been on the disabled list in his 17-year career, giving him the most consecutive seasons of not going on the DL among all active players.[59]
Ausmus became a free agent after the 2009 season, and on January 26, 2010, he agreed to a one-year, $850,000 deal (with total compensation guaranteed at $1 million) to return to the Dodgers for his 18th major league season.[59][60] The deal also included a mutual option for 2011 worth $1 million; if either Ausmus or the Dodgers declined the option, Ausmus would be paid $150,000.
In 2010, Ausmus was the 5th-oldest player in the NL.[61] On April 10, 2010, he was placed on the disabled list for the first time in his 18-year career in the Majors.[62] He missed most of the season after having surgery in April to repair alower backherniated disc, playing in only 21 games that season, and hitting .222.[63]
Ausmus announced his retirement on October 3, 2010.
"I feel like when they say I'm one of the smarter ballplayers, it's just their way of saying I don't hit very much."[64]
Ausmus was known as "a brilliant defensive catcher,"[65] "an incredibly smart catcher,"[66] and "one of the most respected game-callers and pitching-staff handlers" in the game,[45] In 2010, he was chosen as the ninth-smartest athlete in sports bySporting News.[67][68]
Ausmus exhibited superior range at catcher compared to the league average each season in his career. He was known for his strong arm, quick release, nimble footwork, deft framing of pitches, and smart handling of pitchers, as well as being able to block pitches very well. While the vast majority of his games were as a catcher, Ausmus also played a handful of games atfirst base,second base,third base, andshortstop, all of them without making anerror.
He led NL catchers in putouts in 1994, with 683.[5] Ausmus nabbed a league-leading 39 opposing baserunners (41.9%) in 1995, second in the NL toFlorida Marlins'Charles Johnson, and led the league's catchers with 14double plays and 63assists.[5] On August 2, 1997, he was the first catcher to wear theFOX mini-camera, in a Houston-New York Mets game. In 1997, he had 16 double plays, a career best, and led the league in caught-stealing percentage (49.5%), as he threw out 46 of 93 runners. In 1998, he finished second to Charles Johnson in the NL Gold Glove voting.[9]
In 1999, he led theAmerican League with a .998 fielding percentage. In 2000, Ausmus appeared in 150 games (leading the AL), starting 140 (the most ever by a Detroit catcher). He led the league with 68 assists and 898 putouts, and threw out 30 of 74 baserunners attempting to steal (47.5%), second in the AL in that category. In 2001, he led the NL with a .997 fielding percentage and only onepassed ball, had the second-best caught-stealing percentage (47.7%) in the majors, and won the first of two consecutive National League Gold Gloves with the Astros. He led the league again with a .997 fielding percentage and an 8.40range factor, while being charged with only two passed balls in 2002. In 2003, Ausmus had a .997 fielding percentage, for the third season in a row. He led the league with a .999 fielding percentage, 884 putouts, and 134 games caught in 2005.[9]
Ausmus led the league again in a league-leading 138 games caught with a .998 fielding percentage (the fifth-best of any catcher ever at the time) and a 7.94 range factor, with a league-leading 929 putouts and only one passed ball, and won his third Gold Glove in 2006. That year he caught the second-most games ever by a catcher at the age of 37—onlyBob Boone, with 147 games, caught more at that age.[9][69]
He made his franchise-record eighth Opening Day start at catcher for the Astros in 2007, breaking a tie withAlan Ashby. On July 22 of that year, Ausmus passedGary Carter to move into sole possession of second place in major league career putouts by a catcher. In addition, he passedTed Simmons that day to take sole possession of 12th place all-time on the games caught list, with 1,772.[70] In 2007, he had the second-best fielding percentage (.995) and range factor (8.04) of all catchers in the NL, while being charged with only two passed balls.
In 2008, the Astros named Ausmus as an "emergency infielder."[71] In April, he played second base in the ninth inning of a game, and later in the season he played first base and third base. In 2005, he even played an inning at shortstop.[72] Through 2008, Ausmus ranked ninth all-time in games caught (1,887) and starts at catcher (1,720).[73]
Ausmus's 1,141 games at catcher in that decade ranked second in the majors.[74] As of July 12, 2009, he was third all-time among catchers in fielding percentage.[75]
Among active catchers with at least 600 games played, he finished the 2009 season ranked tied for fourth with a .994 career fielding percentage behindMike Redmond (.996),Joe Mauer (.996), andA. J. Pierzynski (.995).[53]
Ausmus finished his career in 2010 ranked third in major league history with 12,839 putouts as a catcher, trailing onlyIván Rodríguez andJason Kendall, seventh in games caught with 1,938, and 10th in both range factor/game (7.12) and fielding percentage (.994). For his career, he threw out 30.2% of potential basestealers.[3][9]
In 2011, Ausmus was named field executive of theSan Diego Padres. Ausmus held that position until the2013 season, when he departed to become the manager of the Detroit Tigers.[76]
On November 3, 2013, Ausmus was named the38th manager in the history of the Detroit Tigers, succeedingJim Leyland.[77][78] At 45 years of age, he was the second-youngest manager in the American League.[79] In his first year as manager, Ausmus led the Tigers to a 90–72 record, winning theAmerican League Central division title. Despite their potent starting rotation, the Tigers were swept by theBaltimore Orioles in the2014 American League Division Series.[80]
In his second year as manager, the Tigers had a disappointing 74–87 record, finishing in last place in their division.[81] In his third season, the Tigers finished in second place in the AL Central division with an 86–75 record, 2.5 games out of the second postseasonWild Card spot. Shortly after the 2016 season concluded, the Tigers announced they would exercise the fourth-year option on Ausmus's contract, keeping him as manager for the 2017 season.[82]
During the 2017 season the Tigers lost 98 games and finished last. Ausmus had his pitchers issue 42intentional walks, the most in the AL. On September 22, 2017, the Tigers opted to not extend Ausmus' four-year contract, announcing he would not return in 2018.[83] He finished his stint with the Tigers with a record of 314 wins and 332 losses in the regular season.[84] Through 2018, he was one of seven Jewish managers in MLB history.[85] The others wereGabe Kapler,Bob Melvin,Jeff Newman,Norm Sherry,Lou Boudreau, andLipman Pike.[85]
Ausmus was a special assistant to Los Angeles Angels general managerBilly Eppler for the 2018 season.[86]
On October 21, 2018, Ausmus was named the 17th manager in the history of the Los Angeles Angels, replacingMike Scioscia.[87] He signed a three-year contract, but was dismissed after the conclusion of the 2019 season.[88][89] He finished with a record of 72 wins and 90 losses.[84]
On January 14, 2022, Ausmus was named the bench coach for theOakland Athletics.[90] On November 7, it was announced that Ausmus was seeking a front office position and would not return the bench coach role in 2023.[91]
On November 21, 2023, Ausmus was hired by theNew York Yankees as their new bench coach.[92]
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| DET | 2014 | 162 | 90 | 72 | .556 | 1st in AL Central | 0 | 3 | .000 | LostALDS (BAL) |
| DET | 2015 | 161 | 74 | 87 | .460 | 5th in AL Central | – | – | – | |
| DET | 2016 | 161 | 86 | 75 | .534 | 2nd in AL Central | – | – | – | |
| DET | 2017 | 162 | 64 | 98 | .395 | 5th in AL Central | – | – | – | |
| DET total | 646 | 314 | 332 | .486 | 0 | 3 | .000 | |||
| LAA | 2019 | 162 | 72 | 90 | .444 | 4th in AL West | – | – | – | |
| LAA total | 162 | 72 | 90 | .444 | 0 | 0 | – | |||
| Total[84] | 808 | 386 | 422 | .478 | 0 | 3 | .000 | |||
.jpg)
Ausmus managed theIsrael national baseball team in theQualification Round of the2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC), from May 2012 through their series in September 2012.[93] Team Israel, under WBC rules, was entitled to have non-Israeli citizens ofJewish heritage play for the team.[94][95][96][97] Israel lost to Spain in extra innings in the pool finals, missing out on a spot in the main WBC tournament.[98][99][100]
Ausmus was a coach for Team Israel, under managerIan Kinsler, when it competed in the2023 World Baseball Classic.[101]
In 2001, he did not play onYom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, quipping that he "was trying to atone for my poor first half."[102] Ausmus was inducted into theNational Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.[103]
Ausmus and his wife, Liz, were married in 1995. They live in New Haven, Connecticut, and have two daughters.[104]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
