A real unknown hero behind the success! http://www.baseballprospectus.com/potd/ Is there a more underappreciated player in the game? The petty and jealous among baseball fans may point out that they'd be as dangerous with the bat as Ausmus, but that's a gnarled stump of an argument to hang your hat on. Ausmus is paid for the things he does that don't make the stat sheets. He's a fantastic defensive player, remaining agile behind the plate despite his advancing age. He's a plus baserunner, keeping pitchers unwise or unwell enough to let him on base on their toes. The Astros haven't had as powerful a presence in the clubhouse since Carl Everett and Derek Bell left town. Most importantly, his reputation as a great catcher to work with preceeds him with pitchers around the majors. Need proof? If you don't think there's causation in the 'stros re-signing Ausmus followed by their snarfing up marquee free agent Andy Pettitte and talking Hall-of-Famer Roger Clemens out of retirement, you're fooling yourself. Adding Pettitte and Clemens' performance to Ausmus' to determine his net value to the Astros franchise is not only appropriate, it's a moral imperative. Once you do so, you'll quickly realize that there isn't a more valuable catcher in the majors. --

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