Brad Ausmus is back in Houston, and this time he’s taking over in the dugout.
After the Astros finished 81-81, won the AL West, and then got swept in the AL Wild Card Series, the club decided to move on from Joe Espada and hire Ausmus as its next manager. Now Ausmus has spoken publicly about the move, telling Brian McTaggart of MLB.com that he’s ready for the job.
“I am very excited to be back in Houston. The Astros and the City of Houston have been a huge part of my life, and I’m thrilled to create a new chapter as the team’s manager. I’d like to thank Randy and the entire Astros organization for this opportunity, and I can’t wait to get to work,” Ausmus said.
The hire brings Ausmus back to a franchise where he spent two separate stretches as a player. He first arrived in 1997 after being traded from the Detroit Tigers, and he spent two solid seasons there, posting a positive WAR in both years before heading back to Detroit ahead of the 1999 season.
The Tigers later sent him back to Houston, and Ausmus was with the Astros from 2001 through 2008. During that second run, he won three Gold Gloves and delivered one of the biggest swings in team history.
That came in Game 4 of the 2005 NLDS, when Ausmus hit a two-out, game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth against the Atlanta Braves. Houston went on to win in the 18th inning and clinch the series. The Astros then reached the World Series that year, where they lost to the Chicago White Sox.
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