Angry Brad Ausmus Tells Media 'We Get It...I Might Get Fired'
DETROIT (CBS Detroit) -- The Detroit Tigers are off to one of their worst starts in recent memory.
The obvious scapegoat for the team's struggles is manager Brad Ausmus, who many fans and critics thought should have been let go after a disappointing 2015 campaign.
Returning to Comerica Park after a seven-game road trip, Ausmus wanted no part in talking about his job security before Monday's game against the Minnesota Twins.
"We get it, I'm on the hot seat, I might get fired -- we're done talking about it," Ausmus told reporters. "You want to talk about baseball, you want to talk about the Tigers, you want to talk about getting on a winning streak, that's fine. We're beating a dead horse."
Even with how bad the 2015 season was, the team started 23-14 in its first 37 games. This season it's a different story -- the Tigers sit in fourth place in the American League Central Division at 16-21 after losing 11 of their last 13 games.
"It's not worth talking about, let's talk about the team," Ausmus said. "It's not part of the team, it's part of the white noise. The team is out here working hard every day, they're trying to win, they're going about their business the right way, they care -- we just haven't won recently."
Tigers players have said for weeks that the responsibility lies on their shoulders, not their manager's. Catcher James McCann echoed that message before Monday's game.
"With what our team is going through right now it's not fair that all of the blame is being thrown on Brad," McCann said. "Last time I checked he retired several years ago and he's not the one trying to hit the ball or throw the ball or field the ball. So that -- to me -- is a little unfair.
"I know it's the nature of the business, but I'll be the first one to say that the blame needs to come back on the players, not the coaching staff," McCann said.
The Tigers showed some rare moxie in a 6-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday to avoid a four-game sweep, something that Ausmus said the team can build on.
"We won yesterday and we hope that's the jumping point," Ausmus said. "This is the point where we can start to build momentum. Only time will tell."
