Brad Ausmus
Former catcher and manager, current Yankees bench coach.
Bradley David Ausmus (born April 14, 1969) is an American former professional baseball player, manager and current coach. He is the bench coach for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). In his 18-year MLB playing career, Ausmus played as a catcher for the San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He also managed the Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, and Israeli national baseball team. He also was a coach for the Oakland Athletics.
- Position
- Catcher
- Angels tenure
- 2009–2010
- All-Star selection
- Yes (multiple seasons)
- Later role
- Manager (Oakland A's, Houston Astros)
- Known for
- Defensive excellence, game-calling, clubhouse leadership
- 2009 Angels achievement
- ALCS appearance
Lore & Background
Ausmus is Jewish, born in New Haven, Connecticut. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in government. He was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 48th round of the 1987 draft but chose to attend Dartmouth while playing minor league baseball. He made his MLB debut in 1993 with the Padres. He was an All Star in 1999, a three-time Gold Glove Award winner (2001, 2002, 2006), and won the 2007 Darryl Kile Award. He finished his playing career in 2010 ranked third in MLB history with 12,839 putouts as a catcher. He was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.
In Their Own Story
Game 5 of the 2009 ALCS. The Angels are up by one, two out, runner on second, and the opposing batter is a lefty who has been hunting the corner. Ausmus is crouched low, knees bent, eyes locked on the pitcher's release point. The ball comes in just outside the black. His mitt snaps up, frames it, and the umpire's hand goes up: strike. The runner on second takes a lead. Ausmus rises, pivots, and fires to first before the runner has fully committed. The throw arrives a half-second early. The runner is out. Ausmus doesn't celebrate. He drops back into the crouch, adjusts his mask, and waits for the next pitch. In the dugout, Pujols gives a single nod. That's the whole story. That's the whole season, really. One more pitch, one more out, one more reason to believe the next game is winnable.
Reader's Guide
Ausmus worked in the Padres' front office as a special assistant from 2010 to 2013. He became manager of the Detroit Tigers in November 2013, a position he held for four years. In October 2018, he was named manager of the Los Angeles Angels, but was dismissed after one season in September 2019. In January 2022, he was named bench coach of the Oakland Athletics. He was a coach for Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He joined the New York Yankees as bench coach after the 2023 season.
Did You Know?
- Ausmus was a star baseball player at Cheshire High School and also played basketball.
- He scored a 1220 on his SAT exam.
- Ausmus was the first Ivy League catcher to play in the World Series since Chief Meyers in 1916.
- He played in MLB longer than any of the 1,150 players drafted ahead of him in 1987.
- Ausmus ranks in the top 7 among catchers in Padres history in games played, hits, runs, and stolen bases.
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