Brad Ausmus

At 55 years old, Brad Ausmus has this physical status:

Bradley David Ausmus (born April 14, 1969) is an American professional baseball catcher and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB).

Ausmus played for the San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, and the Los Angeles Dodgers during his 18-year MLB career.

He was also the manager of the Los Angeles Angels and the Israel national baseball team. He switched between Dartmouth College and playing minor league baseball in 1987, a 1987 draft pick of the New York Yankees.

He had an 18-year major league career before joining the San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

During his playing days, he was an All Star award winner in 1999, 2001, '02, and '06), and he also led the way in both range factor and percentage caught stealing, ranking seventh in total league history with 12,839 putouts and assists. (.994).

He also ranked first among all Jewish major leaguers in career games played (1,971), fifth in hits (1,570), and eighth in runs batted (607), behind Mike Lieberthal).

In 2004, he was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

He served as a special assistant in the Padres' front office from 2010 to 2013.

Ausmus became the 38th manager in the Detroit Tigers' history in November 2013, succeeding Jim Leyland, who had been in charge of the Detroit Tigers for four years.

He was named the 17th manager in the Los Angeles Angels' history in October 2018.

On September 30, 2019, Ausmus was fired as the Los Angeles Angels' manager.

Early and personal life

Ausmus is Jewish and was born in New Haven, Connecticut. Linda Susan (née Dronsick) was Jewish, and Harry Jack Ausmus, his father, is Protestant. His father, a professor of European history at Southern Connecticut State University, and the author of A Schopenhauerian Critique of Nietzsche's Thought, which Ausmus refers to as his "favorite book."

Ausmus' mother was raised in a Jewish household, and he said in an interview that those values were instilled in him. He takes pride in his roots. "I wasn't raised with the Jewish faith," Ausmus said in a Jewish Journal interview, so I don't have much enthusiasm for it. However, in the last ten or so years, I have had quite a few young Jewish boys who will tell me that they are their favorite player, or they think playing baseball is a good idea. "I'm all about it."

In 2001, he did not play on Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, while telling the world that he was "working to atone for my bad first half." In 2004, Ausmus was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

In 1995, Ausmus and his partner, Liz, were married. Sophie and Abigail, two children, live in New Haven, Connecticut, and they have two children, Sophie and Abigail.

As a freshman, Ausmus was a teammate of National Hockey League defenseman Brian Leetch, who was then a pitcher on the school's Connecticut state championship team in 1984. Ausmus played shortstop and batted.327 as a sophomore. He was a junior (when his coach switched him to catcher), and as a senior, he was ranked as the Cheshire Area High School Player of the Year. He was selected both his junior and senior years to the All-State team.

Ausmus was also a standout athlete in high school as a basketball guard.

Ausmus's academically scored 1220 on his SAT exam.

After the 1987 draft, in which the team selected him in the 48th round, Ausmus decided against attending Dartmouth College, fulfilling another childhood dream.

Despite having initially refused to join the team, he relented and signed as the Yankees allowed him to attend classes at the Ivy League academy when he was playing in the minor leagues during his off-season. (Dartmouth has a quartered academic calendar, giving Ausmus some latitude.) Ausmus was unable to play for the Dartmouth Big Green because NCAA rules prohibiting paid athletes from participating in college athletics, but instead served as a volunteer mentor and bullpen catcher.

He received an A.B. degree in 1991. He served in government and was a member of Chi Gamma Epsilon fraternity and the Sphinx Senior Society. Ausmus' lowest grade at Dartmouth was a B. In major league baseball, college graduates are unusual, with only 26 players and managers with four-year degrees in 2009. Ausmus became the first Ivy League catcher to play in the World Series since Dartmouth's Chief Meyers in 1916. At the start of the 2009 season, Ausmus was also one of six Ivy Leaguers on major league rosters. He was named the ninth best athlete in sports by The Sporting News in 2010.

Despite the fact that Ausmus was not drafted in the first round of the 1987 draft, he played in MLB longer than any of the 1,150 players drafted ahead of him.

Source

(1988–93, 2010) acclaim my participation in the minor leagues (1988–93).

Ausmus was a member of the Hampton Bays in the Minor League system (1988-1990), Oneonta Yankees (1989-1991–92), and the Columbus Clippers (1992). He was then chosen by the Colorado Rockies as the 54th pick of the 1992 expansion draft. He spent less than a year in the Colorado (with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox) before being traded to the San Diego Padres with Andy Ashby and Doug Bochtler in July 1993.

Major league playing career (1993–2010)

He made his major league debut against the Chicago Cubs two days later and had a single at bat for the Padres. Ausmus batted.293, the highest field record by a catcher since Craig Biggio stole 19 bases in 1991).

Ausmus had been on the move for three years by three years. After 149 at bats in which he batted just.181, the Padres traded Andjar Cedeo and minor leaguer Russ Spear to the Detroit Tigers for John Flaherty and Chris Gomez in June 1996.

Ausmus was second in stolen bases, fourth in hits, and fifth in games played in 2010.

Despite recovering in Detroit, hitting.248, Ausmus was traded to the Houston Astros in December 1996, along with José Lima, C. J. Nitkowski, and Daryle Ward for Doug Brocail, Todd Jones, Orlando Miller, and cash. This was the first of three times Ausmus would be swapped between the two teams.

He was traded by the Astros with C.J. Nitkowski in January 1999 for Paul Bako, Dean Crow, Brian Powell, Brian Powell, and minor leaguers Carlos Villalobos and Mark Persails.

Ausmus had his best offensive season in 1999, batting.275 and achieving career highs in on-base percentage (.365) and slugging percentage (.415) and was named member of the All-Star team, with a general light-hitting approach. He was struck by pitches 14 times, sixth in the league and a career high. Ausmus was the first catcher since Bruce Kimm in 1976 to do so.

Roger Cedebol, Chris Holt, and Mitch Meluskey were traded by the Tigers with Doug Brocail and Nelson Cruz in December 2000.

In November 2003, he signed as a free agent with the Astros, and Ausmus did the same in December 2005. In 2004, he batted.308 against left-handers and.364 in situations that were "late and close" (whether the score tied or not tied, on deck, or both).

He had more walks (51) in 2005 than strikeouts (48). With two out and runners in scoring position, he batted.304.

Ausmus hit.230 in 2006 and set a new record with nine sacrifice hits. Ausmus homered with two outs in Game 4 of the 2005 National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves to tie the game at 6–6 and send it to extra innings; the Astros went on to win in the 18th inning in what was the longest postseason game in history. Ausmus caught 15 wickets and played 3 innings at first base.

Ausmus batted.235 in 2007, but was tied for second out of all National League catchers with six stolen bases. On July 27, he stole his 100th base in his career, becoming the 21st catcher to steal the most bases in history.

After his playing career ended, Ausmus, who was lauded for his baseball skills and well-regarded by teammates, was widely considered managerial material.

Ausmus received the 2007 Darryl Kile Award "for honesty and courage," presented every year by local chapters of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) to players on the Astros and St. Louis Cardinals. Ausmus began receiving one-year, $2 million (plus) in honor of its playing time commitment in October 2007. The Astros wanted to play on a part-time basis, as well as mentor J. R. Towles, who will watch the majority of the games. Were Towles to fail, but the Astros were poised to turn to Ausmus.

Ausmus, alongside Johnny Damon, Andruw Jones, and Derek Lowe, was one of only four major league players to play at least ten years without ever being on the disabled list in May 2008.

Ausmus scored his 1,500th career on May 13, 2008. He was one of only eight catchers in major league history to hit 1,500 runs and steal at least 100 bases.

The Astros optioned him to the minors and re-inserted Ausmus as a starter in early June, with Towles batting only.145 runs. Humberto Quintero, a journeyman minor-leaguer, had Towles replaced him. Towles returned to action, but Ausmus, 39, got more starts behind the plate (61) than either Towles or Quintero.

Ausmus appeared in his 44th major league stadium in July in Nationals Park. Among active players, only Chris Gomez (47), Gary Sheffield (47), and Ken Griffey Jr. (45) have played in more stadiums.

He hit 700th in his career in August, becoming the 25th catcher to reach that number.

Ausmus said later this month, "This will be my last year in Houston." It's just time to be closer to home. He has a home in San Diego, which narrowed it down to the Padres (which expressed an interest in him), Dodgers, and Angels. Since Ausmus had a home near Boston in Cape Cod, the Red Sox were also appealing.

The Astros appeared during the Mets International Heritage Week, an annual celebration, on Sunday, August 24, the Astros defeated the New York Mets. It was Jewish Heritage Day, but Ausmus, a Jew, did not get to play the game. During extra-innings, he was his only at bat, with the score tied at 4–4. Ausmus scored his second homer of the season on his 10th appearance, and the Astros won 6–4 on Saturday.

The team paid tribute to Ausmus with a humourous video before his last game as an Astro on September 28. Ausmus went on to score a two-run home run in the game.

As of 2010, Ausmus was Houston's all-time catcher with 1,259 games, 1,119 starts, 970 hits, and 415 runs.

Ausmus agreed to a one-year, $1 million contract (plus stipends) to be a back-up catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers on January 26, 2009.

Joe Torre said, "There's no doubt he can be a manager." "He's a smart cookie, everybody knows that," the author says, "and he has a charming demeanor." Ausmus was with the Dodgers for a game at the end of the season.

Ausmus batted.295, including.333 with runners in scoring position, and.385 with 2 out and runners in scoring position, but was limited to a career-low 107 at bats in 2009. He had never been on the disabled list in his 17-year career, giving him the most seasons of not being on the DL among all active players.

Ausmus was a free agent before the 2009 season, and he returned to the Dodgers on January 26, 2010 for his 18th major league appearance. The arrangement also included a mutual option for 2011 worth $1 million; if either Ausmus or the Dodgers declined the offer, Ausmus will be paid $150,000.

Ausmus was the 5th-oldest player in the Netherlands in 2010. For the first time in his 18-year career in the Majors, he was placed on the disabled list on April 10, 2010. After having surgery in April to fix a lower back herniated disc, playing in only 21 games this season and hitting.222, he missed the majority of the season.

On October 3, 2010, Ausmus announced his resignation.

Ausmus was named as "a brilliant defensive catcher," "an incredibly smart catcher," and "one of the most respected game-callers and pitching-staff handlers" in the sport in 2010.

Ausmus had a better range at catcher during the 2010 season than the league average. 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. Although the overwhelming majority of his games were as a catcher, Ausmus did a handful of games at first base, second base, third base, and shortstop, all of which were without making an error.

In 1994, he led NL catchers in putouts at 683. In 1995, Ausmus nabbed a league-leading 39 opposing base runners (41.9%), second in the NL to Florida Marlins' Charles Johnson, and led the league's catchers with 14 double plays and 63 assists. In a Houston-New York Mets game on August 2, 1997, he was the first catcher to wear the FOX mini-camera. He had 16 double plays, a career high, and led the league in caught-stealing percentage (49.5%), knocking out 46 of 93 runners. In 1998, he came in second second place behind Charles Johnson in the NL Gold Glove election.

With a.998 fielding percentage in 1999, he led the American League. Ausmus played in 150 games (leading the AL) in 2000, the most popular by a Detroit catcher). He led the league with 68 assists and 898 putouts, as well as throwing out 30 of 74 baserunners attempting to steal (47.5%), finishing second in the AL in that segment. He was the best caught-stealing percentage (47.7%) in the majors in 2001 and was the first of two consecutive National League Gold Gloves with the Astros. He led the league with a.997 fielding percentage and an 8.40 range factor, despite being charged with only two passed balls in 2002. For the third season in a row, Ausmus had a.997 fielding percentage in 2003. He led the league with a.99 fielding percentage, 884 putouts, and 134 games played in 2005.

Ausmus played in a league-leading 138 games with a.998 fielding percentage (the fifth-best of any catcher at the time) and a 7.94 range factor, winning his third Gold Glove in 2006. At the age of 37, he played the second most games ever by a catcher until that age; only Bob Boone, who played 147 games, played more at that age.

In 2007, he made his franchise-record eighth Opening Day appearance for the Astros, breaking a tie with Alan Ashby. Ausmus defeated Gary Carter in second place in major league career putouts by a catcher on July 22nd. In addition,, he defeated Ted Simmons on the day to take sole responsibility of the 12th position on the games caught list, total number 1,772. He had the second-best fielding percentage (.995) and range factor (8.04) of all catchers in the NL in 2007, but only two passed balls were charged.

Ausmus was regarded by the Astros as a "emergency infielder" in 2008. He played second base in the ninth inning of a game in April and third base later in the season. He even played at shortstop in 2005. Ausmus was ranked ninth all-time in games caught (1,887) and starts at catcher (1,720).

In the majors, Ausmus' 1,141 games at catcher ranked second in the nation. He was the third all-time catcher in fielding percentage as of July 12, 2009.

He finished the 2009 season ranked fourth in overall fielding percentages behind Mike Redmond (.996), Joe Mauer (.996), and A. J. Pierzynski (.995).

Ausmus finished his career in 2010 with 12,839 putouts as a catcher, behind only Iván Rodrez and Jason Kendall, seventh in games caught with 1,938, and 10th in both range factor/game (7.12) and fielding percentage (.994). He discarded 30.2% of potential basestealers for his career.

Managerial and special assistant career

Ausmus was named field executive of the San Diego Padres in 2011. Ausmus was in charge of the Detroit Tigers from 2013 to 2013.

Ausmus was named the 38th manager in the Detroit Tigers' history on November 3, 2013, replacing Jim Leyland. He was the second-youngest manager in the American League at 45 years old. Ausmus led the Tigers to a 90–72 record in his first year as manager, winning the American League Central division championship for the first time. The Baltimore Orioles suspended the Tigers in three games in the ALDS for the second season.

The Tigers had a disappointing 74–87 record in their second year as manager, finishing last place in their division. The Tigers finished second place in the AL Central division in their third season, 86–75 record, 2.5 games behind the second wild card spot. The Tigers announced that they would exercise Ausmus's deal for the fourth year, rather than retaining him as manager for the 2017 season.

During the 2017 season, the Tigers lost 98 games and finished last, placing them at last place. Ausmus was granted 42 intentional walks, the most in the AL. The Tigers decided not to extend Ausmus' four-year contract on September 22, 2017 and announcing that he would not return in 2018. He ended his Tigers tenure with a record of 314 victories and 332 losses in the regular season. All three of his playoff games were canceled. He was one of seven Jewish managers in MLB history through 2018. Gabe Kapler, Bob Melvin, Jeff Newman, Jeff Newman, Norm Sherry, Lou Boudreau, and Lipman Pike were among the others.

Ausmus was a special assistant to Los Angeles Angels general manager Billy Eppler for the 2018 season.

Ausmus was named the 17th manager in the Los Angeles Angels' history on October 21, 2018, overtaking Mike Scioscia. He had signed a three-year deal but was fired after the 2019 season was ended. He had a record of 72 victories and 90 losses.

Ausmus was dubbed the Oakland Athletics bench coach on January 14, 2022.

Source