not play for the Dartmouth Big Green, and instead served the team as a volunteer coach and bullpen catcher. He graduated in 1991 with an A.B. in Government, and was a member of Chi Gamma Epsilon fraternity and the Sphinx Senior Society. While at Dartmouth, the lowest grade Ausmus received was a B. College graduates are uncommon in major league baseball, with only 26 players and managers with four-year degrees in 2009. In 2005, Ausmus became the first Ivy League catcher to play in the World Series since Dartmouth's Chief Meyers in 1916. Ausmus was also one of six Ivy Leaguers on major league rosters at the beginning of the 2009 season. In 2010, The Sporting News named him the ninth-smartest athlete in sports. Though Ausmus was not drafted until the 48th round of the 1987 draft, he played in MLB longer than any of the 1,150 players drafted ahead of him did. Minor league playing career (1988–93, 2010) Ausmus spent five years in the Yankees' minor league system with the Gulf Coast Yankees (1988), Oneonta Yankees (1988–89), Prince William Cannons (1990–91), Albany-Colonie Yankees (1991–92), and Columbus Clippers (1992). He was subsequently selected by the Colorado Rockies with the 54th pick of the 1992 expansion draft. He spent less than a year in the Colorado organization (with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox) before he was traded to the San Diego Padres with Andy Ashby and Doug Bochtler for Bruce Hurst and Greg Harris in July 1993. Major league playing career (1993–2010) San Diego Padres (1993–96) He made his major league debut two days later, when he started for the Padres against the Chicago Cubs, and had a single in three at bats. In 1995 Ausmus batted .293, a career best, and stole 16 bases (the most by any catcher since Craig Biggio stole 19 in 1991). Within three years, Ausmus was on the move again. In June 1996, after 149 at bats in which he batted just .181, the Padres traded him, Andújar Cedeño, and minor leaguer Russ Spear to the Detroit Tigers for John Flaherty and Chris Gomez. As of 2010, Ausmus was second among the Padres' all-time catchers in stolen bases, fourth in hits, and fifth in games played. Detroit Tigers (1996) Despite bouncing back somewhat in Detroit, hitting .248, Ausmus was again traded in December 1996, along with José Lima, Trever Miller, C. J. Nitkowski, and Daryle