by Paul Semendinger
November 22, 2023
***
The Yankees hired a bench coach! And I'm thrilled. They made a great hire!
Brad Ausmus should be a fantastic addition to the Yankees' coaching staff.
Ever since the start of the Aaron Boone Era, the Yankees have shied away from long time baseball people. They have not brought in baseball "lifers," to the coaching staff. I believe that the Yankees have needed to do this for years - bring in coaches who have vast experience in the game - and vast experiences outside the Yankees' universe.
The Yankees sort of did this with the hiring of James Rowson as hitting coach, but not quite since Rowson coached in the Yankees system for years, and not that long ago. But, Brad Ausmus... now that's a completely different hire.
Ausmus was originally drafted by the Yankees and was a player in their minor league system in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but that was a lifetime ago. The Rockies took Ausmus in the expansion draft in 1992. Since then he's been a player (18 years: 1993-2010), a front office executive (Padres), a coach (A's) and a manager (Tigers and Angels). He's had success as a manager as well (finishing first in 2014 and second in 2016, both with the Tigers).
As a player, Ausmus was better than people might remember. He won three Gold Gloves. He was an All-Star. A very respected player, Ausmus is seventh ALL-TIME in big league history in games caught. Seventh! He played for the Padres, Astros, Tigers, and Dodgers.
Brad Ausmus has been in the game, he understands the game, and he's been removed from the Yankees for a long long time. He is the exact type of coach I have been hoping the Yankees would acquire. 100%. Ausmus will bring a completely different approach (or he should) than the way the Yankees have been doing things. This is needed. It has been needed for a long time. Great organizations employ leaders with multiple perspectives and different approaches to situations and problems.
As noted, Brad Ausmus caught forever, and was an excellent catcher at that. He led the league in range factor and players caught stealing two times and also led the league in putouts (once) and assists (once). Since he was such a standout defensive catcher, he should also be able to help Austin Wells develop in that area. Wells is one of the Yankees' prized prospects, but his catching skills have been questioned. It would be tough to find a better mentor for him than Brad Ausmus.
Sometimes the best things a team can do are the little things. The Brad Ausmus hiring seems to be a vast departure from the Yankees' normal way of doing business these last many years. This is a huge step in the right direction.
Let's hope this is one of many great decisions the Yankees make this off-season!
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
