Angels manager Ausmus ousted
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Manager Brad Ausmus has been fired by the Los Angeles Angels after just one difficult season in charge.
Angels general manager Billy Eppler announced the decision to move on swiftly from Ausmus on Monday, a day after they finished 72-90 for the franchise’s worst record since 1999.
The dismissal of Ausmus immediately sparked speculation that former Angels bench coach Joe Maddon, who parted ways with the Chicago Cubs one day earlier, will return to the franchise where he spent three decades of his career.
A candidate of Maddon’s magnitude would be an obvious reason for such an abrupt change of plan by the Angels, who have had four consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 1993-96. Maddon was with the Angels when Arte Moreno bought the ballclub in 2003, and the two have a cordial relationship.
Ausmus, 50, got a threeyear contract last October as the Angels’ hand-picked replacement for Mike Scioscia, who spent 19 years on the Angels’ bench and won their only World Series title in 2002. Ausmus had an 18-year playing career as a catcher in the major leagues, including stints with the Astros in 1997-98 and 2001-08.
After Ausmus was let go by the Detroit Tigers in late 2017 following four seasons as their manager, he spent the 2018 season as a special adviser to Eppler. But that knowledge didn’t translate to wins as the 17th manager in the franchise history of the Angels.
Beset by injuries and tragedy, Ausmus’ team struggled for nearly every month of the summer, except for a burst of inspired play through its grief over the midseason death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs in a hotel room in Texas.
Eppler and Ausmus didn’t immediately return phone messages seeking comment.
The 65-year-old Maddon spent 31 years in the Angels organization, starting as a catcher and logging lengthy assignments as a minor league manager and a major league assistant coach, along with two stints as the Angels’ interim manager. He was Scioscia’s bench coach for six seasons, winning a World Series ring along the way, before he left to manage the Tampa Bay Rays.
Odds and ends
Seattle will not be bringing back third base and outfield coach Chris Prieto and bullpen coach Jim Brower in 2020, while pitching coach Paul Davis is being reassigned within the organization. … Arizona announced pitching coach Mike Butcher will not return next season.