Apparently, It's Brad Ausmus

It's being reported everywhere that Brad Ausmus is the Tigers' choice for manager. Unconfirmed, but it seems true. Interestingly, Wikipedia says that he was announced yesterday as the new manager. If true, Wikipedia has trumped all traditional media...

Ausmus seems like a solid choice except that he has not managed in either big or minor leagues. But he seems smart and tuned in to the game. Plus, he is very handsome, which is an unexpected boost for gay baseball fans such as myself. I don't think Los Tigres need major changes, just some fine tuning [[I think the bullpen is the current weakest link).

I hope we're in the hunt next October. Good luck Brad Ausmus!

good luck to him.. I suppose the detractors will say the talent is already there, and he will get some super-blame if they don't make a playoff run in 2014..

If true he will create a historical milestone of sorts as he would be the Tigers' first Jewish manager. No big deal now but there was a time...

From Salon

SATURDAY, SEP 1, 2007

The 18 best Jewish ballplayers of all time

With bashin' boychiks knocking the seam off the ball this year, Salon highlights the greatest Hebrew hammers and fireballers to step onto the diamond.

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[[17) Brad Ausmus

His life looked so promising 20 years ago. Smart kid from Connecticut, shuns the Yankees out of high school and goes to Dartmouth instead. Ausmus would later leave the Big Green to take up baseball as a career. Oh sure, he’s now a 15-year veteran considered one of the best defensive catchers to ever play the game. Still — an Ivy League education, and he chooses mound meetings with Jose Lima over a career in law or medicine? Oy gevalt!

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Of course our Hammerin' Hank Greenberg, the original Hebrew Hammer, is on that list unfairly second behind Sandy Koufax to my mind. To be open in his faith in his time and to have served in the military longer than any other player [not to mention at the loss of years in his absolute prime] gives him stature beyond any others.

Oh, and I like the choice of Ausmus. He's smart and level-headed.

Good stuff Lowell, thanks for the info! Sounds like a good choice to me, though I don't know anything about baseball managing!:D

It would have been unheard of even a few yrs. ago to choose a mgr. with no experience to take over a team expected to win now. Goes to show how important the interview is nowadays. Now all he has to do is be the 5th mgr. in history to win a WS in his rookie yr.

Glad they didn't settle on retreads like Lloyd or Dusty. Brad will need to manage the personalities more than the x's and o's. The bench manager helps with that. You have to almost be a psych major to deal with the egos on your team.

I'm up in the air, opinions don't seem to differ much - he's thought of as a good choice. I would have preferred somebody with more experience but I have a lot of faith in Mr. Dumbrowski. In addition, my thought is this team has so much talent it should be able to almost manage itself.

Hope he doesn't turn out to be the "flavor of the month" He has no experience. DD probably looked at St Louis and saw the success they've had with Mike Matheny, who also didn't have any previous experience, and the fact that most former catchers have a good track record as managers.

It's a safe bet McClendon knew he wasn't going to get the Tiger job, and from my perspective, way out here in the Pacific Northleft, I don't think that's a bad deal. It has been reported today that McClendon had a second interview today for the open Seattle Mariner position. I think hiring him would be a good move for the M's.

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Originally Posted by softailrider

In addition, my thought is this team has so much talent it should be able to almost manage itself.

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Three words of caution, Softrailrider: New York Yankees. Stacked with stars year after year. Doesn't always gel into winning. 2006 they had a better roster than we did, but we kicked their butts. Two other words of caution: Barry Sanders. You can't have a prima donna for whom individual achievements supercedes team cohesion. Ausmus will have to be tough to put these great parts into winning order, and keep them there.

Additionally, about catchers. Catchers, at least at the professional level, are actually sort of an onfield coach. They call pitches, see the plays going on [[it's the only position that sees the whole field). They interact with umps and opposing batters. It is no surprise that they can go on to be good coaches and managers.

Holy Cow!......Barry Sanders was the furthest thing from a prima donna, it was the Lions fault they couldn't find a way to win with the 2nd best running back who ever played in the NFL. It wasn't his fault the Lions basically wasted his carrier. Blame Wayne Fontes, blame Bobby Ross, blame William Clay Ford - don't blame Barry Sanders.

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Originally Posted by softailrider

Blame Wayne Fontes, blame Bobby Ross, blame William Clay Ford - don't blame Barry Sanders.

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I do blame all those people. But Barry didn't show up for training camp, for God's sake. The Lions had more offensive yards the year AFTER he left than they did his last season. Why? Because the whole offense got used. Barry would have a ring on every finger if his career had started under a coach that treated him like an amazing player on a team, as opposed to an amazing player to be worshipped. Barry Sanders' career is the greatest lost opportunity in NFL history. Keep in mind, I do not blame Sanders directly. He was coached into comfort and useless yards.

Catchers and middle infielders seem to make the best managers. It also seems to help not having been a big name star.

From Wiki:

Detroit Lions

"Following the 1996 season, Ross left the Chargers to take a more lucrative, and perhaps more rewarding position as the Head Coach of the Detroit Lions, where he would have control of all player personnel decisions and be able to hire his own staff. He held the position until the middle of the 2000 season. Detroit had long been considered underachievers under Wayne Fontes, and Ross was brought in to provide the team a more structured atmosphere. It was a challenging endeavor, as Detroit had developed somewhat of a "country club" atmosphere under Fontes' leadership, and veteran players on the roster ultimately came to resent Ross for running tougher practices, instilling weight requirements, curfews, etc. Ross sought to change the identity of the Detroit Lions, having them become a more traditional, physical, football team—less co-dependent on Barry Sanders for success.

He structured his drafts accordingly, drafting highly regarded college offensive linemen such as Stockar McDougle and Aaron Gibson, who both never panned out professionally. Ultimately, Ross was unable to change the culture in Detroit. He became frustrated at what he perceived to be the team's lack of effort, accusing them of just playing for their paychecks.^[7] In November 2000, following a home loss to the Miami Dolphins, having had enough of what he called his team's unwillingness to "fight back," he resigned in mid-season.^[8] Although his frustration with the Lions organization was evident, Ross later claimed that his primary reason for leaving when he did was due to blood clots in his legs.^[2] Until 2011, Bobby Ross was the last Head Coach of a Detroit playoff team [[1999). It is also noteworthy to mention that the 1999 Detroit team achieved the playoffs despite the unexpected retirement of Barry Sanders prior to training camp."

In college as a player, Ross was coached by the legendary John McKenna, one of the really tough but fair coaches who demanded excellence and effort.

Ausmus also interviewed with the Cubs on Friday last so it looks like the Tigers acted quickly to sign him. He is well educated--went to Dartmouth. He is LGBT friendly, roomed with now out former Tiger Billy Bean and I understood was in the wedding party when Bean married his partner a few back. He is only removed from being a player by 4 years and has been in the front office since, so this could be one of Dombrowski's better moves...it certainly will be interesting to see what changes come before spring training. A new breed of manager. Lets hope he and the team prosper.

I agree competely, Detroitbob. I loved Jim Leyland, as I did Sparky. But change can be nice, even when you enjoyed the old regime.

Good luck to Brad Ausmus! The Tigers had only moderate success with the
last Dartmouth man they appointed as manager. Red Rolfe managers the
team from 1949 through 1952. William Anderson assembled a good book
about the baseball ideas of Red Rolfe.

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Originally Posted by renf

Good luck to Brad Ausmus! The Tigers had only moderate success with the
last Dartmouth man they appointed as manager. Red Rolfe managers the
team from 1949 through 1952. William Anderson assembled a good book
about the baseball ideas of Red Rolfe.

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Not sure if Red Rolfe got a fair shake as manager. In 1950, many players had "career years". In 1951, these same players [[Priddy, Evers) had crap years and the staff ace in 1950 [[Houtteman) got drafted by the Army. The front office panicked and began some wild trades which did nothing to help [[by 1953, Mullin was the only one left from the 1950 team). If I had to point to Rolfe's biggest mistake, he didn't think Wertz was for real and platooned him which was a mistake as he lost the effect of Wertz's very potent bat.

I'm glad they didn't hire a popular re-tread that's yet to win it "all".

That said, no experience whatsoever....Dombrowski you're gonna be labeled a genius or a fool within a year or two. I surely hope it's the former. :)

Catchers are the most frequent former players that become managers, but their performance isn't the best.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/...53582923179264

Ausmus may have manager experience, But he was a Tiger in my book. It's time a new young guy to lead the comeback cats to the World Series.

According to BaseballReference.com Ausmus earned over $36 Million as a player. So at least he should feel at ease among the millionaire players.

For what it's worth, Lloyd McClendon was named the new manager of the Seattle Mariners this afternoon.....

1st year manager and he's expected to win the World Series in 2014. Not sure if that's ever happened before. That's high expectations, the guy has a lot on his plate. [[no pun intended)

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Originally Posted by softailrider

1st year manager and he's expected to win the World Series in 2014. Not sure if that's ever happened before. That's high expectations, the guy has a lot on his plate. [[no pun intended)

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Yeah, like getting a better season out of Prince Fielder, who also has a LOT on his plate.