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LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — The Detroit Tigers are very much Brad Ausmus' team now.
Ausmus took over as manager after Jim Leyland stepped down in the offseason and, with opening day four weeks away, the new leader in the Tigers' dugout is striking a delicate balance between new ideas and steady continuity.
There are plenty of obvious contrasts between the 44-year-old Ausmus and his predecessor. Leyland has been involved in baseball for over a half-century. Ausmus hasn't even been alive that long.
Although he'll have an experienced roster to work with, Ausmus does face a challenge, trying to instill elements of his own philosophy for a team that may not need to change all that much to remain atop the AL Central.
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