National Writer: Brad Ausmus Could Be Manager Of The Year

By: Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid

The Tigers' season hasn't exactly gone according to plan.

A quick rundown of the issues they've faced so far:

• Justin Verlander was a shell of himself through April and May
• Aníbal Sanchez was less than that through July
• Jordan Zimmermann has been a question mark since June
• The bullpen has been a question mark since the season began
• J.D. Martinez missed a good chunk of June and all of July
• Cameron Maybin missed a good chunk of August
• Jose Iglesias hasn't played in two weeks
• Nick Castellanos hasn't played in three
• Justin Upton? Just-in time? I mean, we'll see.

As recently as last week, the Tigers were starting Triple-A players at shortstop (Dixon Machado), third base (Casey McGehee) and center field (Tyler Collins). They're relying on three rookies in the starting rotation, in Michael Fulmer, Matt Boyd and Daniel Norris.

And for all the injuries, struggles and uncertainties, the Tigers remain very much alive in the American League playoff race, just 4.5 games behind the Indians and 2 games back in the Wild Card race. This led national baseball writer Peter Gammons to suggest that Brad Ausmus, at the very least, should be considered for Manager of the Year.

That sound you hear? Oh, that's just every Tigers' fan shrieking in protest.

Ausmus is a terrible in-game manager, they say. He gives the starters too much slack. He calls on the wrong relievers at the wrong times. He pinch-runs when he shouldn't. He doesn't pinch-hit when he should. He says the same old things after the same old losses. He doesn't seem to care.

Every decision he makes is the worst one ever, except for that other one he made that one time, because Ausmus is the worst manager ever, and that's a fact.

Is it though? The Tigers' ability to overcome obstacle after obstacle would seem to suggest otherwise.

In:
• Detroit Tigers