Brad Ausmus named Tigers' manager

Anthony Fenech | USA TODAY Sports

DETROIT — As the sun set on Comerica Park on Sunday night, a new era of Detroit Tigers baseball dawned.

After a week-long managerial search, former catcher Brad Ausmus was named the 37th manager in Tigers history, taking over for retired manager Jim Leyland.

Ausmus, 44, played two stints for the Tigers during his 18-year big league career. He was traded twice by the Tigers. Now, he returns for a third – and seemingly final – time as manager.

"I have a pretty good feel for the modern-day player," Ausmus said. "What the makeup is, what the mindset is."

The Tigers' mindset is to win a World Series. And now.

Ausmus is aware of that, and thanked both general manager Dave Dombrowski, for the opportunity, and the media, for his "radio silence" over the last 48 hours.

"I'm well aware that you don't generally get dropped into an opportunity with a team like the Detroit Tigers," Ausmus said.

After four interviews, Dombrowski said, he was convinced Ausmus was the man for the job.

"I was taken back with how impressive he was," Dombrowski said. "Every time Brad's name came up, it was effusive with praise."

Ausmus said that he would retain bench coach Gene Lamont.

"He's the guy I would've had as my bench coach regardless," Ausmus said.

He did not confirm that pitching coach Jeff Jones would return, saying, "We are in the process of looking at possible pitching coach candidates," but didn't rule out that return and said he would be a "prominent name on the list."

Ausmus will wear No. 7, which he wore during his first stint with the Tigers in 1996.

During his second stint, from 1999-2000, he made his first All-Star team and was part of Tigers teams that closed Tiger Stadium and opened Comerica Park.

"It certainly has changed over the last eight years or so," Ausmus said. "This is a winning franchise. Year in and year out, they're competing and I should be held for that standard as well.

"The expectation has changed."

Ausmus has no previous managerial experience, besides managing the Israel national team in the 2010 World Baseball Classic qualifying rounds.

Dombrowski acknowledged hiring such a fresh face in the dugout was a risk, but that "anybody has risk attached to it."

He said he started the hiring process with a list of 50 names and after talking to people within the industry, including former managers Tony La Russa and Joe Torre, whittled it down.

He interviewed four candidates and had two potential on the docket – one of which was former Michigan and Cincinnati Reds star Barry Larkin, who declined – before arriving inside the Tiger Club with Ausmus at his side.

"We think he's going to be a very good big league manager for a long time and help us win right now," Dombrowski said. "That was always part of our process. Can he help us win right now? And the answer was yes."

Anthony Fenech also writes for the Detroit Free Press