Ausmus worked with the Israel Association of Baseball to manage the Israel team that played in the 2012 World Baseball Classic tournament qualifiers
Tel Aviv, November 3, 2013: The Israel Association of Baseball (IAB) congratulates Team Israel Manager Brad Ausmus on his new position as Manager of the Detroit Tigers. Ausmus is due to finalize the deal today, and will step into the position following the resignation of 68-year-old Jim Leyland.
Ausmus, 44, served as Manager of Team Israel in our most recent bid to reach the World Baseball Classic tournament in 2012. Ausmus came to Israel in 2012 to conduct numerous clinics and travelled around the country to meet and work with players from the IAB. One of the highlights of his trip was a meeting with President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem.
"Brad was a great Manager and a big mensch," says Peter Kurz, President of the IAB. "He was a huge help in putting the WBC team together, recruiting players from the minor leagues in the US and talking with Jewish Major League players. He also assisted with the fundraising efforts for our new facility in Ra'anana, met with young players in Israel and helped everyone he could. He will make a great Major League manager and the Detroit Tigers are very fortunate to have a manager like Brad. We look forward to seeing Brad in a Tigers uniform, and hopefully he will continue to support Israel baseball in whatever capacity he can in the future."
Ausmus played catcher for 18 seasons with four teams during his Major League career from 1993-2010, including three years with the Tigers (1996, 1999-2000). He has most recently been serving as a special assistant for the San Diego Padres. He is married and a father of two daughters, who joined him on his trip to Israel last year.
