Who is Brad Ausmus?

What we know about the Detroit Tigers new skipper:

·         Former major league catcher

·         Last year in the majors was 2010

·         Played for the Padres, Tigers, Astros and Dodgers

·         All-star in 1999, 3 Gold Gloves (2001, 2002, 2006)

·         Worked in the Padres front office as a special assistant until accepting manager position with the Tigers

Obstacles

The first, and most obvious obstacle that Brad Ausmus will have to overcome in the 2014 season for the Detroit Tigers is the fact that he has never managed a team before. He will have to go through all of the growing pains, getting to know the players and trying to find common ground with them.  No matter what, there will be an adjustment period while Ausmus gets used to the Tigers, and the players get used to having someone other than Jim Leyland at the helm. The Tigers are a veteran team that is used to winning, so Ausmus will have to find a balance with the players.

Another obstacle the new skipper will have to overcome is the expectation that comes with managing in Detroit. In the past few years, Tigers fans have come to expect a playoff run, and this season are looking for their first World Series win in 30 years. With expectation comes scrutiny, and Ausmus’ every move will be analyzed, and every decision he makes will be questioned. He will have to know how to deal with this kind of pressure, and be able to do his job despite what is going on around him.

Can He Do It?

Brad Ausmus can absolutely come to Detroit and do a great job as manager. He is said to be very smart, and would be an asset to any team that he became a part of. The fact that he is a former catcher will be great for the pitching staff, and he will know how to help them. The players could also relate to him because he is a former player. Jim Leyland has said that because he only ever played minor league baseball, he felt that as a manager he had to earn the respect of the players. At one point in time, not too long ago, Ausmus was one of them, and that certainly can’t hurt. Let’s also not forget that the Boston Red Sox won the World Series in 2013 with a brand new manager, so anything is possible.