July 25, 2007

Proving his worth
Oakland's Kurt Suzuki uses lessons learned at Cal State Fullerton to find his niche on the team.
By KEVIN METZ
The Orange County Register

ANAHEIM Jason Kendall. Mike Piazza. Kurt Suzuki.

Suzuki is not looking to share the same sentence with either, but he has shared the same Oakland Athletics clubhouse this season with both.

"I have to keep telling myself that I'm obviously not going to be Jason Kendall in a month or a couple of weeks," said Suzuki, the former Cal State Fullerton All-American.

A true observation — more obvious than the strand of white puka shells around the Oakland catcher's neck.

Kendall — who was traded last week from Oakland to the Chicago Cubs — has more than 1,600 games of major league experience behind the plate. Suzuki has 15. He also has a starting job and the confidence of a front office.

"It's great for Kurt," said Athletics outfielder Mark Kotsay, another former Titan. "He is getting this opportunity with Oakland to play."

Suzuki, 23, is a proven opportunist, joining George Horton's Titans as a freshman walk-on and getting the winning hit as a junior in the 2004 College World Series. After his major league call-up in June, he hit .412 with two homers in his first 17 at bats as a designated hitter and backup to Kendall.

"I hope he takes advantage of that situation," Horton said. "There was a reason why Kendall was traded. The A's have confidence in him and he just needs to have that confidence in himself. I hope he can be an everyday catcher for the next 10 years."

So does Suzuki. He said the adrenaline, excitement and nerves come about as frequently as the advice and support from his teammates and coaching staff.

"The big thing is just knowing that you belong here, being comfortable and staying within yourself," he said. "It has been a transition getting to know this pitching staff. Catching each of them for the first time is a learning experience for me."

And even amidst a recent 0-for-21 slump, Suzuki still made MLB history. He caught A's reliever Shane Komine in last Tuesday's game against Texas, becoming the first Hawaiian-born battery.

"Kurt is not a five-tool player," Horton said. "He does have tools and plays the game of baseball very well, and the A's will take that and add to it. They teach them the Oakland A's way, to be productive."

In the fourth inning of Monday's 12-6 victory over the Angels, Suzuki bunted for a hit on the first pitch of his second at-bat, setting the table for Piazza's three-run homer. One inning later, he raked a double down the line on an 0-2 count and scored on a single by Shannon Stewart.

Each time he received pats on the helmet and high-fives from all of his teammates in the dugout.

"Kurt is a good kid, works hard and studies the game," Kotsay said. "Right now, I am sure that he is a bit nervous about being here and wanting to prove himself, but he is going to be fine and settle in."

Horton was a little torn over who he would pull for if Suzuki came up with a chance to win the game for Oakland during this series.

"My roots go back to our kids," he said. "Even though I am an Angels fan, they don't have a CSUF player on their roster. I will be rooting for both (Suzuki and the Angels)."

Horton said his most vivid memory of Suzuki was his unorthodox approach to playing first base when the Titans looked at putting him there his freshman season.

"I didn't know that," said A's Manager Bob Geren, who caught for five years in the majors and said he sees continual improvement from Suzuki behind the plate. "He can play first then in an emergency? Good to know."

Rest assured, Suzuki will focus on being the A's catcher first.