For the fourth straight season, baserunning will be at the top of Brad Ausmus’ list.
“Baserunning’s a funny thing, because you can work on it all you want,” Ausmus said last week. “You can work on it all you want, but ultimately, the players have to react, use their instincts on the bases. It’s a split-second play, whether it’s a line drive, or it’s reading a ball to an outfielder. A split-second decision has to be made by that baserunner. You hope that all the work you put in, all the practice you put in, bears fruit.”
The Tigers’ manager was asked specifically about the team’s failure to run the bases well this past season.