Ausmus puts on best face in what could be last home stand

Detroit -- If you think Brad Ausmus is walking around the clubhouse taking stock in everything, thinking this might be his final home stand as the manager of the Detroit Tigers, you've got the wrong guy.

"No," he said. "I come to work and try to win. I prepare the same way."

Ausmus understands his fate and that of his coaching staff will be the first item on general manager Al Avila's agenda after the season ends. He also understands that, since media reports surfaced two weeks ago saying he was going to be fired at season's end (since refuted), it is possible he is coaching his last home stand in Detroit.

But, as he said two weeks ago, it's business as usual.

"Since that report came out, nothing's changed," he said. "I haven't changed the way I do my work, the coaches haven't changed the way they do their work and the players haven't changed the way they do their work. Nothing's changed."

He was asked how he thinks he will fare in terms of the front office evaluation?

"That's not my area," he said. "That's Al's area. Al's the GM. He decides what things are important for him in a manager. And he'll decide, along with Mr. Ilitch, I am sure, as to whether I fit those things."

His sense of humor, dry though it may be, remains intact. He was asked if he enjoyed managing and would it be something he would continue to do if he does get the Ziggy.

"Yeah, I enjoy it," he said. "But, I'll worry about the future when the past is done."

Tigers swoon almost inevitably will cost Ausmus his job

Pause.

"That sounds like a Yogi-ism," he said.

Given all the boos and anti-Ausmus sentiment on sports talk radio and social media, Ausmus was asked if he enjoyed his time in Detroit.

"Yeah. Yeah," he said. "I know there's probably a lot of hashtag 'fire Ausmus.' But it's a good group of guys. The underlying pride in Detroit for the Tigers, it's really unmatched. You see it here that you don't see in most other cities.

"So I've enjoyed it. I've said all along, despite what's written, people around town are great to me."

He said the negativity hasn't affected his family, primarily because they reside in San Diego.

"They don't know," he said. "I've got teenage daughters. You think they care about this?"

He said he hasn't searched hashtag-Fire Ausmus on Twitter and he hasn't read any of the comments on his own account. But he understands where the anger comes from.

"There's an expectation to win," he said. "We didn't win. I'm the one person that you really can point a finger at, so point it at me."

chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com

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