Los Angeles Angels: Brad Ausmus breaks the managerial mold with new hire

New Los Angeles Angels skipper Brad Ausmus is trying to effectively counteract a new trend in baseball – younger managers – by bringing his own past experience into his new position.

In talking with a good friend of mine on the topic of the numerous managerial vacancies in baseball, a phrase came up that, in my mind, perfectly sums up the endlessly churning rumour mill that has engulfed baseball fans this past month. In discussion, my friend simply noted: “If you’ve managed before, you’re probably not going to manage again”. The Los Angeles Angels weren’t listening to us!

In a sense, that appeared to be the case. Though only a portion of the managerial vacancies have actually been officially filled, one can deduce that the candidates to fill those positions are rather arbitrary and scattered. Not that they’re unqualified by any stretch, but practically none of those who are being seriously considered for a manager position have managed before.

Following the Red Sox and Yankees in hiring Alex Cora and Aaron Boone respectively, the trend in baseball these days seems to be towards younger, more analytical managers. While that’s obviously a logical and well-thought out strategy, it’s caused some of the more “old-school” managers to find themselves unemployed.

Enter Brad Ausmus, a former Gold Glove catcher who managed the lowly Detroit Tigers from 2014 to 2017. Though relatively unsuccessful during his tenure with the Tigers (314-332 record), the native of New Haven, Connecticut evidently showed enough to warrant his hire, despite him going against the grain of what is now thought of to be the prototypical modern manager.

Not that Ausmus is “old-school”, but the fact that he was able to secure employment as a manager after already serving as one sets him apart from the rest of the managerial hopefuls. In fact, he might be the only hire this offseason that has managed in the past. That in itself is something to behold.

So, why Ausmus? And why the Angels? Obviously, no one outside the organization is quite fit to answer that question, but with a delicately complicated roster and an intriguing season (and offseason) ahead of them, it’s clear that Billy Eppler and company wanted to fill the role before getting to the nitty gritty of their offseason work.

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Statistically, Ausmus was in the middle of the pack in terms of challenge success rates, overturning 42% of calls in 2017, 55% of calls in 2016, 40% in 2015 and 57% in his debut campaign,

per MLBReplayStats

. Qualitatively, Ausmus, 49, was often lauded for his ability to strategize in-game and effectively manage a bullpen.

In a sense, Brad Ausmus represents the best of both worlds. He’s not as old as Buck Showalter (62), John Gibbons (56) or John Farrell (56), but isn’t as young as Rocco Baldelli (37) or Eric Chavez (40), the latter of whom actually interviewed for the Angels position before it was given to Ausmus.

In summary, Ausmus’ combination of youth and major league experience make him a perfectly qualified manager. Even though he seems like a good fit on paper, his appointment would’ve been hard to fathom in this unique and ever-evolving market. In two years, it’s perhaps doubtful that someone of his age will get a managerial job. The trend will have only intensified, if things continue to go the way they have in recent seasons.

Regardless, it’ll be supremely interesting see what Ausmus and Eppler can do with the enigmatic Los Angeles Angels, as they head into the next era of baseball.