Nichi Bei Times

July 19, 2007

The Future is Now For New Oakland A’s Starting Catcher
From the Nichi Bei Times Weekly

By ALEC YOSHIO MacDONALD
Nichi Bei Times Contributor

OAKLAND, Calif. — When Kurt Suzuki of the Oakland Athletics talked with the Nichi Bei Times on Monday afternoon, he was an infrequently-used role player, a recent call-up from the minors still learning the big league ropes. But when the paper checked back in with him after that evening’s game against the Texas Rangers, the situation had changed dramatically: now he was the new A’s starting catcher.

“It’s a good feeling,” the 23-year-old rookie said about his promotion. “I feel I’m ready.”

Seven hours prior to uttering these words, Suzuki had been speaking from quite a different perspective. As other players milled around the clubhouse before warm-ups, he took a few minutes to chat about being a fresh arrival from the team’s Triple-A affiliate Sacramento River Cats, where he had been batting .280 over 55 games before getting called up on June 10.

“When I was in Sacramento, I just went out every day and played hard,” he reflected, describing his desire to prove his worth to management and “try to put up numbers to where they felt that I was ready for the next step.”

The kid from Wailuku, Maui has taken many such steps during his gradual rise through the baseball ranks: from Baldwin High School, where he was a letterman all four years and team captain for three; then over to the mainland to play for Cal State Fullerton, with whom he had the game-winning hit in the 2004 College World Series (he was named MVP of the series); then up through the A’s farm system, after the club selected him in the second round of the 2004 draft; and finally, on to the majors.

Having reached the highest level of the game and comparing the experience to those of his past, Suzuki confirmed, “It’s a lot different.”

“The hitters, there’s a lot more information on them, so you can do a lot more studying,” he went on to say. “You can get prepared a lot better.”

And for someone in Suzuki’s shoes, preparation is a top priority. So with each successive A’s opponent, he’s been following a routine: “Come early to the field, and watch video on the team that we’re playing. Just kind of watch their hitters, and not really take notes, but in my head see what kind of hitters they are and what pitches you can use in what situations ? kind of the overall approach to how to pitch to them. You know, find out their weaknesses and strengths and stuff like that.”

Suzuki explained that he was heavily depending upon pitching coach Curt Young and manager Bob Geren to give him guidance, usually sitting next to them in the dugout during games and listening to their takes on the action. He also described how Jason Kendall, the A’s regular catcher since 2005, had been mentoring him along as well.

“He’s been great, just getting me comfortable and teaching me a lot of stuff about the league,” Suzuki said about the 33-year-old veteran. “I’m lucky enough that he’s willing to do that ? some guys aren’t, that’s just the way it is.”

Before getting back to business in the clubhouse, Suzuki responded to a handful more questions about a few other subjects ?like pitcher Shane Komine, another Nikkei from Hawai‘i on the A’s roster (“I haven’t caught him yet up here, but hopefully some time in the near future, it will happen”*), being confused for native Japanese (“That’s just ridiculous; I just don’t listen to that kind of stuff”) and whether or not the Bay Area offers any restaurants that serve a decent plate lunch (“There are some places to go, but it’s nothing like back at home”). Then he resumed his regular pre-game activities, in the unlikely event that when his manager posted the lineup for that evening, his name would be on it.

Less than two hours later, however, word began to spread through the stadium: the A’s had traded Kendall to the Chicago Cubs. Although a prominent leader and well-liked by his teammates, Kendall was in the final year of his contract and having the worst offensive season of his career, batting .226 over 292 plate appearances. In that span, he had managed just two homeruns, the same number as his backup had produced in 26 at-bats.

Trade rumors had been swirling for a while that management was looking to unload Kendall and give Suzuki a chance to develop and that day, they went ahead and made the move.

A Rocky Beginning

Suzuki’s first game as the new starting catcher came at a tumultuous time for the A’s. The team had lost seven straight games and was falling in danger of being caught by the visiting Rangers, who came into town with the worst record in the AL West. Swept on the road by the Minnesota Twins following an All-Star game that featured just one of their own (righthander Dan Haren), Oakland was beginning the second half of the season on the wrong foot, and struggling mightily to recapture the form that put them in the playoffs last year.

Unfortunately for Suzuki and his teammates, Monday’s contest did little by way of turning things around.

A’s starting pitcher Dallas Braden managed to collect a career-high seven strikeouts over six innings of work, but allowed four runs one of which on a controversial play at the plate where umpire Marvin Hudson ruled that the Rangers’ Gerald Laird made it past Suzuki’s tag. As Suzuki stood by incredulous, Geren emerged from the dugout to argue the call, but to no avail.

This wasn’t the only pivotal close call that didn’t go the rookie’s way, either. Representing the tying run with two on and two out in the bottom of the ninth, Suzuki watched strike three go by him, reacting in disbelief as Hudson rung him up to end the game. His woes at the plate ? two strikeouts on the night to go with a walk and a groundout ?resulted in his batting average dropping down from .269 to .241.

Yet after the game, Geren showed support for the youngster, stating, “I think he’s going to be an outstanding catcher, both offensively and defensively. He’s very intelligent ? he will be an all-around great asset to our organization.”

As for himself, Suzuki expressed satisfaction at being tapped as a starter, but in light of the evening’s loss, noted, “right now that’s not the first thing on my mind.” He did, however, acknowledge the upside of getting to play every day, mentioning, “it’s good, knowing you can come back tomorrow.”

Of course with more playing time, he’ll face increased pressure and greater scrutiny, but he’ll also have a more thorough opportunity to hone his game and become better familiar with his teammates.

“You’re going to have your good days and you’re going to have your bad days,” he remarked about what lies on the horizon for him in this new role. “And if you have a bad day, you come back the next day, keep working at it, keep trying to get better, and the result will show the hard work you put into it.”

* The Associated Press reported that when Komine took the mound for an inning the following night, he and Suzuki formed the first Hawaiian-born battery in major league history.