Brad Ausmus apologizes for joke that he ‘beats his wife’
By Hayden Kane
Distasteful wouldn’t even begin to describe the joke that Detroit Tigers’ manager Brad Ausmus made after the team was swept by the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday and continued their losing ways.
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Ausmus was asked how he handles the stress when his team isn’t playing well, which the Tigers certainly haven’t been of late. Here is his response, as passed along by ESPN.com:
"Ausmus, clearly trying to joke, said: “I beat my wife.” After a brief pause, he said: “I’m just kidding around. No, luckily my wife and kids are fantastic. I do get a little mopey at home, but my wife and kids are good.”"
The first year manager at least had the good sense to immediately identify the remark as offensive, no matter how “clearly” he was trying to make a (bad) joke. He then offered the following apology:
"About a minute later, without being prompted, Ausmus said: “I didn’t want to make light of battered women. I didn’t mean to make light of that, so I apologize for that if that offended anyone.”"
Not good enough, Brad. This kind of joke about that subject matter warrants something more than the half-baked “I’m sorry if you were offended” route. Nope. This one requires a real apology: “I’m sorry that I said something offensive.”
Eventually this will pass for Ausmus, a guy who otherwise has a pristine reputation as a well-liked and classy individual. It would pass much more comfortably, however, if Ausmus would follow up his semi-apology in the moment with an actual, thoughtful apology.