Anybody mind posting it? The front page of ESPN has a blurb about Ausmus possibly being a good future manager that links to this article.
Catchers targeted as future managersBy Jerry Crasnick ESPN.com Archive Mike Piazza is married to a former Playboy playmate and has his name on a Honda dealership, but few catchers have it quite so made in the shade. There's not much glamour in backaches, arthritic knuckles and bathing in a pool of sweat for nine innings at a time. Al Bello/Getty Images Advil consumption notwithstanding, a catching gig sure fills out a résumé. Of the 30 current big-league managers, nine were catchers in the majors. Throw in Jim Leyland, Grady Little and Joe Maddon, who caught in the minors, and nothing spells skipper-in-waiting like long hours squatting in the dirt. The catcher is, by definition, well-rounded. He knows about defensive positioning and scouting reports. He must learn the tendencies of opposing hitters while tending to his own offensive game. He must be tough enough to block the plate, fearless enough to call for a slider with a runner on third base in a tie game, and accountable enough to analyze the night's events when the starter is hiding in the trainer's room. The catcher also serves as a buffer between hitters and pitchers, two groups who don't always speak the same language. "Catchers have to keep so much information stored away," said Red Sox reliever Rudy Seanez. "Hitters. Pitchers. Bunt plays. Signs. There's so much to that job, man. It's hard to see how they can have fun back there worrying about all that stuff." As Giants outfielder Steve Finley points out, "Former catchers throw great batting practice, too." So where is the next generation of top-flight baseball managers most likely to emerge? Take a look, and chances are the next Leyland or Mike Scioscia might be crouching at a ballpark near you. Over the past several weeks, ESPN.com surveyed 60 players, managers, executives and coaches on the following question: Which big leaguers of today have the attributes to make the best managers down the road? It wasn't a scientific poll: Respondents were allowed to give as many names as they desired. But 23 of baseball's 30 clubs were represented, and just about everyone had an opinion. Three players led the pack: Boston catcher Jason Varitek (11 votes) The Red Sox roster is brimming with future managerial talent. Alex Cora, Mark Loretta and Gabe Kapler all received multiple votes. But no one commands more respect than Varitek, who sets an example with his breadth of knowledge, his passion for the game and his competitiveness. The throwback high socks are cool, as well. Survey Says ... • ESPN.com asked 60 players, executives, managers and coaches the following question: Which active major-leaguers have the skills to be good managers one day? Here are the leading vote getters: PLAYER VOTES Jason Varitek 11 Brad Ausmus 11 Mike Matheny 10 Mike Redmond 6 Julio Franco 5 Todd Pratt 5 Alex Cora 4 Sandy Alomar Jr. 4 Mark Loretta 4 Craig Counsell 4 Tony Clark 3 Mark Sweeney 3 Scott Hatteberg 3 Paul Lo Duca 3 Greg Maddux 3 "I don't know Jason except for saying hello to him here and there and pitching against him," said Cubs reliever Scott Eyre. "But I'm a baseball history guy, and when you're wearing a 'C' on your chest in Boston, it means you know a lot about the game." Marlins manager Joe Girardi, who was sitting in the Yankees dugout when Varitek and Alex Rodriguez duked it out last year, is an unabashed Varitek fan. "You just see the work he does, his preparation everyday," Girardi said. "He has a sense for the game. I love the way he plays." Houston catcher Brad Ausmus (11 votes) Ausmus, a former Dartmouth government major, is an enormous presence in the Houston clubhouse. He distills the information from advance scouting reports, runs the pitchers meetings and helps bolster the confidence of the staff. He's the classic example of a coach on the field. No player in the survey elicited more use of the words "smart," "intelligent," "knowledgeable," and "great instincts." San Francisco catcher Mike Matheny (10 votes) His .239 career batting average doesn't begin to tell the story of his contribution. Matheny's four Gold Gloves are less a product of natural skill than having his priorities in order. When you're more concerned with the staff ERA than your personal accomplishments, teammates take notice. "Mike walks the walk and carries himself with a lot of dignity," said Brewers infielder Jeff Cirillo. "He's just an amazing person." Brian Bahr/Getty Images Mike Matheny's influence on a team goes well beyond the four Gold Gloves he's won for his defensive play.Matheny, who has five children ages 5 through 11, will take a step back and weigh his family's wishes before deciding whether to pursue a managerial career one day. Ausmus, whose contract with Houston runs through 2007, is similarly noncommittal. "There are many days I think I would love to stay in the game," Ausmus said. "I love the cerebral cat-and-mouse games within the actual game, and the camaraderie is tons of fun. Then there are days I think I would like some time away. The problem in baseball is if you are out of the game for too long a time, it is very difficult to get your foot back in the door." If the results of our poll showed anything, it's the natural preference for blue-collar guys. Of the 31 players who received multiple mentions, only four (Greg Maddux, Craig Biggio, Omar Vizquel and Derek Jeter) are Hall of Famers or close to it. Texas shortstop Michael Young was the most prominent sub-30 All-Star mentioned. Most survey respondents preferred role players, "gamers" and overachievers. They voted for scrappy middle infielders (Craig Counsell, David Eckstein and Jamey Carroll), bench guys (Mark Sweeney), tough guys (Darin Erstad) and really smart guys (Tony Clark, Scott Hatteberg and Loretta). Clark, an imposing 6-foot-7, was so highly regarded during his brief tenure with the Yankees that Jeter called him "Mr. Clark." Two players surveyed -- Atlanta catcher Todd Pratt and San Diego outfielder Eric Young -- responded that they want to manage one day and would be good at it. "I would surround myself with people who are just as knowledgeable or better than I am, who would challenge me to be better," Young said. Daily grind Any assessment of managerial candidates must address the following question: Who wants the job badly enough to make the necessary sacrifices? Players who've banked millions may not have the heart to tell their families they're resuming the travel grind and will continue to miss those summer cookouts and Little League games. It's an even tougher sell when the apprenticeship necessitates several years riding buses in the minors again. The task of baby-sitting players with disparate agendas isn't appealing, either. "I think the ballplayers of today are a little more spoiled," said Giants reliever Steve Kline, in what some might call a classic understatement. And in an age of blanket Internet coverage, 24-hour sports cable TV and death by talk-show dissection, managers endure more scrutiny and second-guessing than ever. While Milwaukee manager Ned Yost updates the team's two beat writers each day, coach Robin Yount is free to work with the Brewers' infielders and roam the clubhouse in relative peace. "Robin is so sharp and so smart, but I don't think he'd want the hassle of having to deal with the press every day," Yost said. "He likes the nuts-and-bolts coaching part of it." Year after year, All-Star players become conditioned to knowing their name will be on the lineup card and preparing a certain way. Bench players, in contrast, learn to think along with the manager because the job demands it. A backup catcher needs to be locked into pitching patterns so that he's ready in the event the starter takes a foul tip off the hand or a tumble down the dugout steps. Pinch-hitters must be similarly attentive. "When you sit on the bench, you have to be your own manager" said Phillies outfielder David Dellucci. "If you think you're going into the game in the seventh inning, you can't get loose in the seventh. You have to get loose in the fourth, so you always have to pay attention. Watch the lineup and watch the bullpen. Stay involved." Thinking ahead Looking ahead never hurts. Boston shortstop Alex Cora has thought about managing since he played winter ball with Roberto Alomar in Puerto Rico, and they would arrive at the park at 1:30 p.m. and talk ball until the first pitch at 7. Cora is both analytical and bilingual, a nice perk in an age when more than 25 percent of major-leaguers are Latin-American. Todd Pratt, another popular choice in our poll, has never surpassed 175 at-bats or earned more than $875,000 in a season, but he's learned a lot sitting beside Jim Fregosi, Bobby Valentine, Larry Bowa and Bobby Cox. Pratt is convinced that media relations will be a bigger challenge than strategy or handling a pitching staff. "I think winning and playing the game right are more of a concern for the catcher than any other player on the team. ... Catchers are like point guards in the NBA, and point guards make the best coaches." -- Dodgers coach Rich Donnelly "I'd have to hold my tongue a little bit, just because I've been in the trenches so long" Pratt said. "I respect the media. But I've gotten some questions as a player where I thought, 'What the hell? You just watched the game for three hours, didn't you?' " Mets first baseman Julio Franco, another aspiring manager, wins points for his ability to bridge cultures and adapt from an everyday role to a bench spot. His biggest minus: He might be 60 years old when he's finished playing. For the most part, it was a parade of catchers. Mike Redmond, Sandy Alomar Jr., Paul Lo Duca, Jason Kendall, Brian Schneider, Eddie Perez, Sal Fasano and Chris Widger were all mentioned as players with the leadership skill, love of the game and requisite temperament for the job. As Dodgers coach Rich Donnelly observes, a catcher needs "instant amnesia" -- the ability to strap on the gear and concentrate on helping the pitcher execute a game plan after striking out with the bases loaded to end an inning. "Every time a guy throws a no-hitter or wins 20 games, the proudest guy in the park is a catcher," Donnelly said. "I think winning and playing the game right are more of a concern for the catcher than any other player on the team." Keep that in mind tonight when you're sitting in the stands at a game and the catcher reminds the pitcher to cover first base with a lefty hitter at the plate, or alerts the middle infielders to knock the ball down with a runner on second and less than two out. The list of subtle responsibilities is endless. "Catchers are like point guards in the NBA," Donnelly said, "and point guards make the best coaches." The immediate goal is winning. Long-term, a catcher's job is the best possible training for a longer life in the game.
I would make a great coach. Hell, I already make the little leaguer's cry with my managerial expertise.
