They say, “When one door closes, another one opens.” That is exactly what is happening for the Detroit Tigers. Just over two weeks ago, Jim Leyland announced that he was retiring from managing and the baseball world was left to reflect on his accomplishments and wonder what might have been. (In case you missed it, here’s my piece on that news: https://chamberscorner.wordpress.com/2013/10/21/leylands-last-ride-a-class-act-to-the-end/). There was no question that he left big shoes to fill and the expectations would be very high for his successor. Both internal and external names flew as the fans and media speculated about who would be next. The Tigers organization and GM Dave Dombrowski put all that to an end on Sunday when Brad Ausmus was named the next skipper of the club.

So, who exactly is Brad Ausmus? He played catcher in the majors for 18 years (including 2 ½ with the Tigers), he’s a Dartmouth graduate and he’s very nice on the eyes. The Tigers gave him a three-year deal and hope that a new school way of looking at things will take them to the promised land. He is a numbers guy, but also knows you have to play and manage with instincts. He doesn’t have any previous managerial experience, but has worked in the front office. Given my trust in the moves that GM Dave Dombrowski makes, and the success we’ve seen from other young managers put in this situation, I’m not concerned about this being his first gig. I love the move of having a former catcher manage the team as it has been a very successful model around the league (Leyland, Girardi, Melvin, Matheny) given their experience in working with pitchers, being an everyday player and required to see the whole diamond. I believe he will command the respect of the veteran squad and look forward to seeing how he handles the bullpen situation.

There is no doubt that expectations are high for Ausmus and that there is only 1 goal for the team – bring home a World Series Title. After falling short the past two years, the Tigers are again a favorite to win the pennant in 2014. While some were surprised by the hire, those who know Ausmus called him the smartest guy in the room and emphasized his ability to relate to players from all backgrounds. Tony LaRussa was even a consultant to Dombrowski in this process (once the rumors died down of the team wanting to bring him back from retirement), who had dinner with Ausmus as part of the vetting process and gave his seal of approval. After that, the Tigers knew that they had to make it official before another team made him an offer. “Frankly, when we interviewed, we were taken aback at how impressive he was,” Dombrowski said when he introduced the new manager. He’s a leader with strong communication skills and is a fierce competitor. He’s also keeping Gene Lamont around as a bench coach, who I believe will be a great mentor and help him adjust to the new role. By keeping Lamont, it provides a perfect way to bridge the past and future as the team prepares to make another run.

Speaking of the team, this offseason will be a pivotal one as many big decisions are left to be made. With a new manager in place, the team can move on from a 2013 season filled with highs and lows. Three Tigers players are up for post-season awards (which will be announced next week) and we saw Miggy flirting with history before a series of mid/lower body injuries. While he’s still likely the MVP, it’s hard not to wonder what might have been if he had stayed healthy. After successful surgery, hopes are high that he’ll return to form as the best hitter of our generation. The team also had the only 20 win pitcher in Scherzer, a favorite for the Cy Young Award (they both won these respective awards from the players vote). Both of these guys want new contracts, which will be tough to do with the already high payroll. There are talks of trading Max this offseason, but I’m hoping they keep him around for the run to glory. There are also three big holes to be addressed: who will be the lead-off hitter (Jackson didn’t get on base enough and was better lower in the order) – likely whoever plays left field; how will they address the bullpen situation – need a closer (talks of Nathan coming to town) and more consistency; and how to get Prince Fielder to live up to his contract – the personal problems can’t be a factor anymore and maybe new coaches will spark something in him. While there are several moves to be made before we have a better picture of what the 2014 team will look like, with this hiring, a new era of opportunity begins…with a once in a lifetime rotation, a healthy Cabrera, and a new modern voice in the dugout , the possibilities are endless.  

So, as the door closes on the Leyland era in Detroit, a new window of opportunity has opened as Brad Ausmus takes over. Lucky for us, this window also has a good looking guy behind it!