The New York Yankees announced the hiring of Brad Ausmus as bench coach. Ausmus, 54, will begin his 34th season in the major leagues and his 11th as a manager, coach, or front-office executive.
His most recent Major League position was as bench coach for the Oakland Athletics during the 2022 season. Ausmus previously managed the Los Angeles Angels (72-90) in 2019 and served as a special assistant to Angels General Manager Billy Eppler during the 2018 season. From 2014 to 2017, he led the Detroit Tigers to a 314-332 (.486) record, highlighted by a 90-72 record and a postseason berth in his first season in charge. Ausmus is one of only 11 Tigers managers to have won at least 300 games.
Ausmus worked as a special assistant in Baseball Operations for the San Diego Padres for three seasons following his playing career (2011-13). He also managed Team Israel in the 2013 World Baseball Classic and served as their bench coach in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Ausmus batted and was widely regarded as a top defensive catcher.Over 18 Major League seasons, he hit 251 (1,579-for-6,279) with 718 runs, 270 doubles, 34 triples, 80 home runs, 607 runs batted in, 634 walks, 102 stolen bases, and a.325 on-base percentage with San Diego (1993-96), Detroit (1996, 1999-2000), Houston (1997-98, 2001-08), and Los Angeles-NL (2009-10).
Ausmus has three Gold Glove Awards (2001-02, 2006) and ranks fourth in Major League history in catcher putouts (12,839) and eighth in games played (1,938). In addition, he leads the Astros in games played (1,243), hits (967), runs scored (410), runs batted in (385), walks (393), doubles (162), and triples (19). He was named to the AL All-Star team with Detroit in 1999, setting career single-season highs in home runs (9), runs batted in (54), on-base percentage (.365), and slugging percentage (.415). He hit a two-out home run with Houston in Game 4 of the 2005 NLDS against Atlanta A solo home run in the bottom of the ninth tied the game at 6-6 and sent it to extra innings. The Astros eventually won, 7-6, in 18 innings, tying the all-time postseason record for innings and clinching the series.
Ausmus was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and graduated from Cheshire High School before being drafted by the Yankees in the 48th round of the 1987 First-Year Player Draft. He chose to attend Dartmouth College but did not play baseball there, instead working in the Yankees’ minor league system while earning his degree in 1991. He spent five seasons in the Yankees’ minor league system (1988-92), reaching Triple-A Columbus in his final season before being selected in the 1992 Expansion Draft by the Colorado Rockies. After spending the first half of the 1993 season with Triple-A Colorado Springs, he was traded to San Diego on July 26 and began his Major League career two days later, beginning at second base.
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