SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Kurt Suzuki followed an offseason regimen that would make Jenny Craig cringe.
He ate nonstop.
The goal was to pack on weight, and the A's catcher found that maintaining a 4,000-calorie-a-day diet wasn't easy.
"There were times I went, 'God dang it, I can't eat anymore,'" Suzuki said. "You just gotta throw it down. It's tough, but I think it's worth it."
Suzuki put on about 15 pounds over the winter and reported to camp weighing 205. The hope is that some added bulk means more strength and decreases the chances of Suzuki wearing down over a long season.
"I know for a lot of catchers, guys that are slimmer guys like him, you're going to lose weight during the season," said A's manager Bob Melvin, a former catcher himself. "I think he felt maybe not as strong (last season) as in the past."
Suzuki has started 516 games at catcher over the past four years, most in the majors. Perhaps it's not a coincidence that his offensive production has dropped over the past two seasons.
His batting average dipped from .274 in 2009 to .242 in 2010 to .237 last season. He had 88 RBIs in 2009 but over the past two seasons has dropped to 71 and 44, respectively, though his homer totals have stayed consistent.
A's general manager Billy Beane approached him last season about adding weight.
"We kind of sat down and talked, and he said, 'Hey, you need to stop looking like my shortstop,'" Suzuki said. So the catcher began the anti-diet.
He met with A's strength and conditioning coach Mike Henriques, who hooked him up with Sunfare, a home-delivery meal service that left a daily allotment of food on Suzuki's doorstep every morning during the winter.
On a typical day, Suzuki would wake up at 7 a.m. and eat a "good-sized breakfast." He would have a protein bar at 10 a.m., work out for 21/2 hours and then drink a protein shake.
Lunch was served just 30 minutes later.
"You know, a couple burgers, some sweet potato fries, a salad, some fruit," Suzuki said.
Two hours later he might snack on a turkey-and-cheese sandwich.
A typical dinner featured a salad, eight ounces of filet mignon, rice or potatoes and some vegetables.
"And right before bed, I'd have some cheese or fruit, or fruit and some deli meat," Suzuki said.
Overindulgence? Hardly, according to Henriques.
"If you look at him, he looks a lot stronger," Henriques said. "I mean, he's not sloppy. That's because he put the right foods in his body. He's a good example of what guys should be doing."
