Kurt Suzuki

Kurt Suzuki
Washington Nationals – No. 24
Catcher
Born: (1983-10-04) October 4, 1983 Wailuku, Hawaii
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
June 12, 2007 for the Oakland Athletics
Career statistics (through May 12, 2013)
Batting average	.255
Home runs	64
Runs batted in	336
Teams
Oakland Athletics (2007–2012) Washington Nationals (2012–present)
Career highlights and awards
Johnny Bench Award Brooks Wallace Award

Kurtis Kiyoshi "Kurt" Suzuki (born October 4, 1983), sometimes referred to as "The Hawaiian Lion " is an American professional baseball player. A catcher, Suzuki plays in Major League Baseball for the Washington Nationals. He previously played for the Oakland Athletics. Prior to playing professionally, Suzuki attended Cal State Fullerton and won the Johnny Bench Award and Brooks Wallace Award.

College career

Suzuki attended California State University, Fullerton, where he played college baseball for the Cal State Fullerton Titans baseball team. Cal State Fullerton captured the 2004 College World Series championship, thanks to Suzuki's two-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning, giving the Titans a 3-2 win over the Texas Longhorns.

That same year, he won the Johnny Bench Award as the country's top collegiate catcher. He was also selected All-American by two publications, Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball. He was also the recipient of the first ever Brooks Wallace Award.

Professional career

Suzuki is regarded as a solid defender. The Athletics drafted Suzuki in the second round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft and assigned him to the Single-A Vancouver Canadians, where he batted .297 and committed just one error in 46 games.

Suzuki during his tenure with the Oakland Athletics in 2012

His first full season of professional baseball came in 2005, with another Single-A team, the Stockton Ports. Playing in 114 games, Suzuki put up a .277 average, 12 home runs, 65 RBIs and a .440 slugging percentage.

Moving up to the Double-A Midland RockHounds in 2006, Suzuki batted .285 with a .392 OBP.

He began the 2007 season with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. He joined the major league club on June 9, 2007 after rarely used catcher Adam Melhuse was traded to the Texas Rangers and made his debut three days later as a pinch hitter in a game against the Houston Astros.

He served as backup to veteran Jason Kendall until Kendall was traded to the Chicago Cubs on July 16, making Suzuki the Athletics everyday catcher. On July 17, 2007, pitcher Shane Komine got into a game in the 8th inning against the Texas Rangers with Suzuki doing the catching. This marked the first time in major league baseball history that there was a battery where both players were from Hawaii.

On September 10, 2007, Suzuki hit his first career grand slam in the second inning against the Mariners in Seattle.

For the 2008 season, Suzuki was the starting catcher while Rob Bowen served as back-up. In the first 20 regular season games, Suzuki started 18. He ended the season with a .279 batting average in 148 games.

During the 2009 season, Suzuki had a career high 15 home runs, and 88 RBIs, and batted .274 in 147 games. Suzuki lead the A's in RBIs, and became only the second catcher in the franchise's history to do so. He also lead the team in hits (156), doubles (37) and total bases (240) and was second in home runs and runs scored behind teammate Jack Cust.

On July 23, 2010, Kurt signed a four-year extension with the Oakland Athletics, estimated to be worth $16.25 million.

Washington Nationals

On August 3, 2012, Suzuki was traded to the Washington Nationals for minor league catcher David Freitas.

Playing Style

Suzuki is known for his durability, good defense and all-around solid hitting. He has very quick reflexes behind the plate and even has some speed on the basepaths, rare for a catcher.

Personal

Kurt and his wife Renee Suzuki (along with Orlando and Katie Cabrera) have helped out a former Titan catcher Jon Wilhite who was severely injured in a 2009 car crash that rocked MLB and Cal State Fullerton. Suzuki has a baby daughter, whose birth caused him to take a brief paternity leave in April 2011.

Suzuki learned the art of catching from his uncle, Clint Ostahki.

Bibliography

• 2005 Oakland Athletics Media Guide. Pg. 374. Produced by the Oakland Athletics Public Relations Department.
• 2006 Oakland Athletics Media Guide. Pg. 215. Produced by the Oakland Athletics Public Relations Department.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Kurt Suzuki on Twitter
• BaseballAmerica.com: 2006 Player Statistics: Kurt Suzuki