Yankees Brad Ausmus on MLB career, Clyde Drexler apology, title quest: Hungriest Ive ever been
Yankees bench coach, and longtime MLB catcher, Brad Ausmus takes a swing at some postseason Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.Q: How hungry would you say this Yankees team is to win a championship for the first time since ’09?A: It’s been the mantra since spring training, so I’m going to say really hungry.Q: How hungry are you to get a World Series ring?A: It’s been 10 years since I’ve been in the playoffs, and it’s been 20 years since I’ve been to the World Series, and I’ve never won one.And I’d like to win one and have a ring before my days in baseball are done.
So this is the hungriest I’ve ever been.Q: Have you visualized what that moment would be like over the course of your career?A: I visualize things like the dog pile in the field, the champagne celebration in the clubhouse, the parade in the city.But in the moment, like in 2024, I try not to think about it too much, because I don’t like to put the cart in front of the horse.Q: How painful was getting swept by the White Sox in the 2005 World Series when you were with the Astros?A: It was tough, but there was also some excitement because it was the first World Series I had been to.
So having that experience is fun, but I’m way past beyond just going to the World Series.Now it’s more than ever for me, it’s winning the World Series.
I don’t just want to have a taste of it.Q: How would you describe the Yankee Way?A: It’s unlike any other franchise in the sense that it really is kind of World Series-or-bust.There’s an expectation in New York to win a championship because of the history of the franchise.
And it’s a palpable feeling when you put on that uniform and you’re a member of a New York Yankee team.Q: Do you recall the first time you put on the pinstripes?A: It was 1988.I was 19 years old the first time.Q: How about the second time?A: Well, the second time was different because now I knew I was going to be with the major league club the entire season.
The fir...