Not exactly a surprise – 1 year, 2 million.
Ed Wade told the media that he wanted to re-sign Ausmus, and Ausmus called himself a true Astro (ahem) who wanted to play one more year. Of course this time, it will be as a backup to (most likely) Justin Towles.
Popular sentiment says he will catch Roy Oswalt, but I personally hope he continues to catch Wandy Rodriguez, who really made progress this year with Brad catching him. Wandy NEEDS a veteran guy who can get the borderline calls AND keep him focused.
Anyway, Brad can’t really hit worth a darn after a few months (he always hits great in ST and April) so hopefully, catching once every 5 days will keep him from getting too tired. He is incredibly intelligent and knowledgeable about pitchers and hitters and hopefully, can teach both Towles and young pitchers.
I know that a lot of fans will be all Up Set, but let’s be honest here – we do not have any Biggio 1988 waiting to take over and besides, backup catchers, by definition, can’t hit. It’s not as if we would Go All The Way if only we had a catcher who could hit. The truth is that the Astros have one of the 5 worst farm systems by any definition and we don’t have winning ML roster and we really don’t have chips to trade for anyone good.
So let’s just relax and let Brad teach Towles this year.
Oh yeah – I HOPE it isn’t Quintero, and Gimenez wasn’t anything to write home about – .273/.331/.389/.720 at AAA 2006 – before his shoulder surgery. I doubt Santangelo – .243/.317/.379/.696 in 206 AB at AA – is exactly ready and neither is Max Sapp, age almost 20 – .241/.330/.333/.663 at A Lexington. Yall remember, by the way, that Max was the Astros’ first pick in the 06 draft.
Looks as if the Astros need to hire some hitting coaches as well as replace the scouting director.
Tags: Houston Astros, MLB
It’s good to have Brad back on board for another year. If Towles is going to be the starting catcher then Ausmus is the guy I would want to mold him in the BIGS.
I did not get a chance see very much of Towles performance as a catcher after the september call ups, so I’m not really sure what or where his weakness are.
He seems to have a small build for a big league catcher and can he throw base stealer’s ..etc…….
Towles strengths are his receiving skills and managing pitchers emotions. His bat has been a pleasant surprise and I wouldn’t expect the 14 game standard to be something he lives up to.
His footwork and release need some work. He, Patton, Guttierez and Paulino were all together on the 04 rookie league Greeneville team so the young arms are used to him.
yeah, towles looks more like a CF than a catcher. but then again, brad ausmus looks more like a 2B than a catcher.
i was VERY impressed with the way towles called/framed pitches. i am holding judgement on blocking the plate/throwing out runners because he has had so few chances. but steve watched him a few years back. i heard from a fan who watches the RR players that towles has trouble with his footwork too, so hopefully, brad will help.
like brad, he has very good speed for a catcher and seemed pretty heads up on the basepaths
…and doggone it, Burke never would have had a chance to hit his playoff HR (nine innings later off the last guy in Atlanta’s bullpen) if Brad hadn’t tied the game with his own in the bottom of the 9th.
Old news, sorry, but that alone has kept the Ausmus Express going for me.
yeh, hard to believe that ausmus actually hit a ball 410′
and that really was one incredible game
what i remember about it best is roger clemens being mobbed by reporters and him pulling burke in front and saying – and how about this kid???
Here’s a very entertaining article:
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=6897
Note the good press for Roy and Hunter.
Also, please note that Carlos Lee does not even show up in the NL MVP voting top 15, even though he has the third richest contract for a position player in the NL (Soriano, Helton). I don’t care how many RBIs he had; he didn’t give Drayton his money’s worth in 2007.
agree
in spite of the RBIs, he didn’t create as many runs as lance and that glove was, well, dreadful
Lisa—Future managers or even pitching coaches of America: Brad Ausmus.(Don’t laugh: Rube Walker was a catcher-turned-pitching coach, too, and that was some pack of pitching he coached for the 1969-73 Mets, and if anyone’s got the brains for the gig when his playing days expire Ausmus is he . . .)—Jeff
jeff,
NO question. brad ausmus really IS intelligent. he didn’t have to sleep with someone to get into an ivy league skool.
i have heard brad’s name beoing talked about as a future manager, just as mike scoscia was.
if brad doesn’t want to manage, he would be an absolutely AWESOME baseball commenter.
it would DEFINITELY be the underwear model industry’s loss
lisa