Terry Foster: Ausmus Has To Be Fired For Tigers To Salvage This Season

By Terry Foster
@TerryFoster971

Tigers manager Brad Ausmus should not be fired based on Sunday's stunning 8-3 loss to the Texas Rangers at Comerica Park.

He actually made the right move, lifting starter Justin Verlander after seven scoreless innings and asking a mostly reliable bullpen to do its job. This is a case where grown men who are paid good money failed the Tigers team, Ausmus and Tigers fans.

However, Ausmus should be fired for other reasons. The Tigers should fire Ausmus if they believe they can salvage this season. The Tigers need a jolt soon and without one this team will fade away into the sunset where rebuilding, rather than rebooting, becomes the better option.

You fire Ausmus if you believe that players do not respect him and are not willing to run through a brick wall for him, which seems to be the case. The Tigers seem to be going through the motions and are ready to watch the guillotine fall on their heads without much of a battle.

"I understand that when you have a payroll like ours, the manager's the guy that's in the cross hairs," Ausmus said. "That's fine. I knew when I took this job that I probably was gonna end up getting fired before I walked away from it. Not this job in particular, but just managing in general. How many managers walk away from a job?"

There is no fight or anger. I've always questioned if they respect Ausmus or simply believe he is a good guy. This is a high-powered team that is supposed to challenge for the division title. Yet the Tigers began the season 14-16 and are already seven games behind the first place Chicago White Sox.

But for me it is not just about this season. Combine this with last season and the Tigers are 88-103. That is a large sample size of sleep-walking baseball. He actually lost me in the playoffs against Baltimore when he pitched failed pictures Joba Chamberlain and Joe Nathan in back to back games where they blew up both times.

You fire Ausmus because he is not the next great thing. Ownership told us that is what he was. He simply looks like another guy that makes the same mistakes and does not inspire people. If Ausmus was the future, he wouldn't be on the final year of his contract.

Where is the vote of confidence?

Victor Martinez said the same old tired things every player says when his manager or coach is under fire.

"It's easy to blame the manager, this and that," he said. "We are the ones who go out there and play. I don't think it has anything to do with the manager or somebody else. We have to play better baseball."

Now if the Tigers have given up on the season then there is no need to fire Ausmus. Fans will continue to show up at Comerica and have a good time and drink beers.

Sunday was not Ausmus' fault. Blame this one on the bullpen. However, is this a manager players want to rally around?

It sure doesn't look that way.

(Foster can be reached at Terry.Foster@cbsradio.com)