In choosing Brad Ausmus as their next manager Wednesday, the Houston Astros opted to go with experience.
Ausmus was one of four publicly named candidates for the job, along with former St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, Tampa Rays Triple-A manager Morgan Ensberg and Texas Rangers bench coach Luis Urueta. However, Ausmus, who previously managed the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels, was the only one with big-league managerial experience.
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That doesn’t mean Ausmus has experienced a lot of success as the man in charge.
The 57-year-old has spent the past three seasons as Aaron Boone’s bench coach with the New York Yankees, who made the playoffs in each of those seasons, including the World Series in 2024. Things didn’t go as smoothly for Ausmus when he was the manager.
He went 314-332 in four years at the helm for the Tigers, but made the postseason just once and failed to win a playoff game. Two years after that run was done, Ausmus got a second chance with the Angels, but lasted just one season, going 72-90.
Here’s what went wrong in both of Brad Ausmus’ previous stints as manager …
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Detroit Tigers (2014-17)
Manager Brad Ausmus of the Detroit Tigers talks with Justin Verlander in the dugout during the Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 13, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Mark Cunningham/Getty Images)
Ausmus was handed a talented team for his first managerial job, but it was a tough spot for a guy just three years removed from the end of his playing career. A 44-year-old Ausmus took over for Hall of Famer Jim Leyland, who had led the Tigers to two World Series in his eight years and three straight American League Central titles before handing over the reins to Ausmus. With a starting rotation led by Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander in their prime and a lineup that included future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera, Ausmus immediately led the Tigers to another division title, but they were swept by the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Division Series. The Detroit Free Press wrote at the time that the inexperienced Ausmus had been outmanaged by Orioles veteran manager Buck Showalter, but the Tigers also were hurt by the bullpen with Joba Chamberlain and Joakim Soria coughing up a 6-3 lead in the eighth inning of Game 2 before Ausmus could get to his closer Joe Nathan.
That would be Ausmus’ last playoff appearance as a manager. With Verlander missing more than two months with an injury and Cabrera out six weeks with a calf strain, the Tigers went from 90 wins in Ausmus’ debut season to just 74 in Year 2.
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The Tigers rebounded a bit by going 86-75 in 2016 with Verlander and Cabrera still leading a veteran core. That team was partially sunk by a seven-game losing streak in May and an eight-game skid in June. Still, Detroit had a shot at a wild-card berth going into the final weekend of the regular season but lost its final two games to the Atlanta Braves to come up short.
Things were going so poorly in 2017, the Tigers decided to rebuild by shipping Verlander to the Astros at the trade deadline. Detroit went 64-98 and Ausmus was let go at the end of the year.
Los Angeles Angels (2019)
Los Angeles Angels manager Brad Ausmus walks back to the dugout after a mound visit in the fifth inning of a baseball between the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Angels on September, 22, 2019, at Minute Maid Park in Houston. (Icon Sportswire/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
In Anaheim, Ausmus followed Mike Scioscia, who was let go after his 19-year tenure at the helm ended with three straight losing seasons. Ausmus signed a three-year contract, but lasted only one when he got fired after going 72-90 and finishing 35 games behind the Houston Astros in the AL West.
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The Angels fired Ausmus a day after the Chicago Cubs let go of Joe Maddon, who immediately was rumored to be the Angels’ pick as manager. He officially got the job two weeks later.
Even if Maddon hadn’t been available, it’s not clear if Ausmus would have survived because 2019 was a disaster. Not only did the Angels finish with the franchise’s worst record in 20 years, but pitcher Tyler Skaggs died from a drug overdose on July 1. The team’s communications director supplied Skaggs with the drugs, and the Skaggs’ family later reached a settlement with the Angels in a wrongful death suit. The team also dealt with injuries, finishing the season with its top three players – Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout and Justin Upton – all on the injured list. “I love playing for Brad,” Trout told the Los Angeles Times at the end of the season. “This is not the way we wanted to end up, being out of it, but the coaching statff has been great.
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This article originally published at Houston Astros new manager Brad Ausmus: Where his previous managerial stints went wrong.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
