astros.com

Astros re-sign Ausmus
Veteran catcher inks two-year deal


HOUSTON -- The Houston Astros announced Wednesday that they have agreed to
terms on a two-year deal with free-agent catcher Brad Ausmus. The
announcement was made by general manager Gerry Hunsicker.

A two-time Gold Glove award winner, Ausmus has played five seasons in
Houston and is the only Gold Glove catcher in Astros franchise history. He
finished second among Major League catchers in 2003 with a .997 fielding
percentage. He threw out 37 of 105 base stealers (.352), and was charged
with only three passed balls in 143 games, ranking first among big-league
catchers (min. 700 innings). Ausmus batted .229 (103-for-450) last season
with four home runs and 47 RBI. He has caught at least 100 games in each of
his 10 full seasons in the Majors.

Ausmus has spent the past three years in Houston, and has posted a career
batting average of .256 (1107-for-4327) with 63 home runs and 430 RBI. He
first joined the Astros for the 1997 season after being acquired from
Detroit in a trade on Dec. 10, 1996. Following two seasons in Houston, he
returned to the Tigers in another trade on Jan. 14, 1999. Ausmus came back
to the Astros on Dec. 11, 2000, in a trade with Detroit along with Doug
Brocail and Nelson Cruz in exchange for Roger Cedeno, Chris Holt and Mitch
Meluskey.

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