OAKLAND -- There were a lot of confused looks in the clubhouse on Friday before the game. Needless to say, trading well-liked veteran Kurt Suzuki was a move that was met with some surprise to his now former teammates. The veteran catcher was one of the longest tenured players on the A's, a leader in the clubhouse, and a teacher to the younger players. "It's tough, obviously for me, Suzuki kind of took me under his wing, and made the transition pretty easy coming over here," rookie starting pitcher Jarrod Parker said. "It's shocking to everybody around here a little bit." The news was tough for the the manager to take as well. He had formed a very close relationship with Suzuki since his arrival last season. As a former catcher, Bob Melvin appreciated the way Suzuki handled himself on and off the field.
"This guy is an all-timer for me," Melvin said.Suzuki joined the A's in 2007 and was a workhorse for the team. His 669 games behind the dish for the A's are the second most in Oakland history behind Terry Steinbach, who caught 1,050. He was a stabilizing force for the A's young starting pitchers. Oakland leads the league with a 3.43 ERA. On the surface the move looks like a bad decision for a team in the thick of a playoff race. Especially the way this team preaches the importance of chemistry. "It's human nature," Melvin said. "You have a guy that had the impact that he did in the clubhouse, and very well respected. I've been around this a number of times where guys like that have been traded and that happens. But you have to move along as a team. And they understand that."The A's insist the move was good for both Suzuki and the team and that it wasn't a salary dump. Suzuki will join a Nationals team that is in first place in the National League East. Melvin believes that everyone understands that Suzuki is going to a good place. But why make the move now? "I think there are a number of different reasons," Melvin said. "One, is the fact that he wasn't playing everyday here. Two, it's Derek Norris' time." The move is a huge vote of confidence for the freshly-recalled A's catcher. He is the heir apparent to Suzuki's spot behind the dish, and is now responsible for the pitching staff. Suzuki taught Norris everything he could, and Norris ended up taking his job. That's just the way the game works. "What I got from him when he was here will stay with me the rest of the time I'm here," Norris said. "Even though he is gone now I will still continue to know what he did for me and continue to work that success."The situation is reminiscent of the time that Suzuki took over for veteran catcher Jason Kendall in 2007. He'll have to run with the opportunity like Suzuki did when he first arrived.
With Norris in the starting lineup the A's are 13-1.
"You look at Norris' record and we are 12 games over .500 when he's caught," Melvin said. "I think a lot of the streak started about the time he got here. He's proven himself very quickly here."
"I wouldn't go as far as saying it's my show," Norris said. "It's exciting and it's nice to be back."It was an emotional day in Oakland, but the team is in the middle of a playoff race and they have to move on. Fortunately for the A's, they have a game to play. They will be able to turn their attention to handling themselves on the field. "Everyone is always shocked if something happens or if there is a move to be made," Parker said. "That's the kind of nature of the business and the beast."