The Houston Astros' search for a manager is starting to take shape. They have interviewed several candidates and the latest appears to be Brad Ausmus.

Sources: #Astros interviewed Ausmus for managing job. Ausmus previously told @jonmorosi he does not plan to return to major-league life soon

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) September 21, 2012

The former Astros catcher was always regarded as one of the brightest minds in the game. He was a .251 career hitter and never hit double-digit home runs in the season, but had an 18-year career for his defensive ability and especially, his game-calling skills. Seemingly everybody that knew Ausmus raved about his leadership skills, too, and had no doubt that he would work in baseball after he retired.

Former catchers have been popular picks as managers, and successful ones at that. Joe Girardi, Bruce Bochy, Joe Maddon and Mike Scioscia all caught in the bigs, as did Joe Torre and a host of other current and former MLB managers.

Head over to The Crawfish Boxes for all of your Astros coverage as they continue their search for a new manager.