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Revision as of 05:18, 6 September 2006 by Epeefleche (talk | contribs) (→Early life)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Baseball player| Brad Ausmus | |
|---|---|
| Houston Astros – No. 11 | |
| Catcher | |
| Bats: RightThrows: Right | |
| debut | |
| July 28, 1993, for the San Diego Padres | |
| Career statistics (through 2005) | |
| Games played | 1577 |
| Hits | 1307 |
Stats at Baseball Reference  | |
| Managerial record at Baseball Reference | |
| Former teams | |
Bradley David Ausmus (born April 14, 1969 in New Haven, Connecticut) is an American 2-time Gold Glove Award winning catcher in Major League Baseball with the Houston Astros.
Early life
Ausmus, who is Jewish, was a standout athlete in high school, being named the Avon Old Farms Player of the Year in his senior season and All-State his junior and senior years. He was a teammate of National Hockey League defenseman Brian Leetch on the Connecticut high school baseball championship team in 1984.
Ausmus chose an unusual route to the major leagues. He played minor league baseball during the summers, while attending Dartmouth College, from which he graduated with a B.A. in government. He also served as a volunteer coach and bullpen catcher for the Big Green.
He was drafted by the New York Yankees in 1987, and selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 1992 expansion draft, but did not appear in a major league game for either team.
Major league career
He played for the San Diego Padres and Detroit Tigers.
His best season offensively was 1999 with the Tigers, when he batted .275 with 25 doubles, 6 triples, 9 home runs, and 54 RBIs, all career highs. He was an All-Star that year as well.
He won the Gold Glove Award at catcher in 2001 and 2002.
In 2004, Ausmus hit .248 with five home runs and 31 RBI in 129 games. He hit his second career postseason home run in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against Atlanta.
In Game 4 of the 2005 NLDS against the Atlanta Braves, Ausmus homered with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 6-6 and send it to extra innings; the Astros eventually won in the 18th inning of the longest postseason game in major league history.
He has caught at least 100 games in all of his 11 full major league seasons, and ranks third among active catchers in games played.
He is the active leader in career RBIs among former Ivy Leaguers.
Asmus has demonstrated unusual speed as a catcher, and even been used to bat leadoff at times.
Miscellaneous
Ausmus and his wife Liz reside in San Diego with their daughters Sophie and Abigail.
His maternal grandfather was a rabbi.
On 2 Aug 1997 he was the first catcher to wear the FOX mini-camera in a Houston-NY Mets game.
In 1999 Ausmus batted leadoff for the Detroit Tigers 7 times, the first catcher since Bruce Kimm in 1977 to do so.
In the 2006 film The Break-Up, starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston, Ausmus appears on Vaughn's television screen playing for the Houston Astros during an ESPN SportsCenter update.
External links
- Brad Ausmus: Boys of Tireball
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference
- 1969 births
- Living people
- 1999 American League All-Stars
- Detroit Tigers players
- Houston Astros players
- San Diego Padres players
- Jewish American sportspeople
- Major league catchers
- Gold Glove Award winners
- Major league players from Connecticut
- People from San Diego
- Jewish baseball players
- Dartmouth College alumni