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Brad Ausmus Reportedly On Nationals' List Of Managerial Candidates

FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal reported on Twitter tonight that former major leaguer Brad Ausmus was on the Washington Nationals' list of potential managerial candidates. Washington Post writer Adam Kilgore has since confirmed Rosenthal's report.

By Patrick Reddington
Bob Levey

Randy Knorr. Trent Jewett. Cal Ripken. Brad Ausmus? The list of people who are rumored/believed to be in line to interview for the Washington Nationals' job opening on the bench continues to grow. FOXSports.com reporter Ken Rosenthal wrote on Twitter this afternoon that Ausmus, 44, a veteran of 18 seasons in the majors, who is currently serving as a special assistant with the San Diego Padres, will interview for the job:

Washington Post writer Adam Kilgore, who wrote this morning that, "As of late last week, the Nationals had yet to interview any candidates," though, "It’s not clear whether that’s changed this week," confirmed Mr. Rosenthal's report on Twitter:

Ausmus, whose one managing gig thus far was for the Israeli entrant in this year's World Baseball Classic, told Del Mar Times' writer Sara Appel-Lennon after he got that job, what he looked for in a manager:

"The best baseball managers I’ve been around have been very good communicators and they understand that in baseball, unlike maybe football or basketball, it’s not so much the "x’s" and "o’s" that you’re managing but it’s people...

"Good managers remember what it was like to be a player. What it felt like to go through a slump, to let your team down when you failed, what it felt like to pick your team up when you succeeded. The best managers do that and you can use that information sometimes to motivate."

The former major league catcher reportedly impressed when he interviewed for the Boston Red Sox' job last winter. Boston Globe writer Nick Cafardo quoted a "team source" who said that Ausmus was "outstanding" in the interview:

"Ausmus was apparently very detailed both verbally and with written material. According to one report, he had his entire coaching staff set. Ausmus apparently had thought this through as well as any candidate the Sox have ever had. He was gracious in defeat."

Randy Knorr confirmed to the Washington Post that he would be interviewing for the job. Cal Ripken's stated that he's open to the possibility of managing. It's not know which other potential candidates are under consideration to succeed Davey Johnson and become the Nationals' sixth manager since 2005.

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