HOUSTON (AP) -Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Brad Ausmus had a weird feeling when he walked into the visitors’ locker room at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday. It’s the only part of the ballpark he’d never seen in his 10 seasons with Houston.
Ausmus, the Astros’ career leader in games caught (1,243), returned to the field for the first time since signing with the Dodgers as Los Angeles opened a three-game series in Houston.
“I imagine it will be a little strange,” he said. “But I’ll get over it by game time.”
Ausmus, who turned 40 last Tuesday, told the Astros at the end of 2008 that he wanted to either play closer to his home in Southern California or retire. He agreed to a $1 million, one-year contract with the Dodgers in January.
Ausmus was brought in to back up Russell Martin and help guide the Dodgers’ pitching staff. Manager Joe Torre said he’s been a key part of their fast start. Los Angeles entered with a 10-3 record and an eight-game winning streak.
ability, his intelligence, his experience, his personality, it’s been huge for me. It’s been what I hoped it would be.”
Ausmus has only played in two games, and had three hits in seven at-bats before Tuesday’s game. He doesn’t seem to mind the limited action – the biggest bonus for him is playing only 90 minutes from his offseason home in Del Mar, Calif.
“It’s a good, young team with a pretty explosive lineup,” Ausmus said. “It’s fun to be a part of – although I’m not a part of it as much as I would’ve been a few years back. But it’s fun to be on the team and fun for me to be close to home. I can shoot home in an hour and a half. It’s really worked out well.”
Ausmus said he had dinner with former Astros slugger Jeff Bagwell on Monday night and regularly talks to Houston first baseman Lance Berkman. Ausmus was hoping to get an at-bat against Astros ace – and close friend – Roy Oswalt in Wednesday’s game.
“It’s not like these people disappear from your lives because you change uniforms,” he said.
Mark Loretta and Randy Wolf also were back in Houston to face their 2008 team after signing one-year contracts with the Dodgers in the offseason. Wolf (1-1), who was traded to the Astros from San Diego last July, was to oppose Oswalt (0-2) in Wednesday’s game.
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