ARLINGTON, Texas » Through 38 games, Kurt Suzuki is hitting .217 with 14 RBIs for the Oakland Athletics, but to measure the Wailuku native’s productivity by his offensive numbers alone does the 28-year-old catcher a disservice.

"We’re playing some pretty good baseball," said Suzuki, a Baldwin High graduate. "Obviously, my performance, I feel like isn’t where I’d want it to be. Defensively, I think I’m doing a good job, but I think offensively, it’ll come."

Athletics manager Bob Melvin also wishes his starting catcher was swinging the lumber better. But Melvin, a former big league catcher, sees Suzuki’s greatest value in how he handles a young pitching staff.

"He’s so instrumental in what’s going on — the preparation between he and Curt Young, the pitching coach, the faith that the pitchers have in him in calling a game," Melvin said.

"He hasn’t swung the bat as well as he would have liked, but he’s been worth his weight in gold every day back there. You know if he’s not knocking in a run, he’s saving you a couple. He can literally hit .100 and still have a big effect on what we do here. He’s very important to this team, especially with the young pitching staff we have."

Melvin has been Oakland’s skipper for approximately a year, and during that time, he and Suzuki have developed a strong bond, one largely based on both realizing what it takes to be a successful big league backstop.

"Having that, it just makes everything that much easier," Suzuki said. "Whenever I have a question about certain things, I can just go right to Bob and he knows the answer. Having that definitely makes my job a lot easier. He’s a good teacher, a good motivator and I’m lucky to have him on my side."

But Melvin isn’t the only member of the A’s staff with whom Suzuki has developed a close relationship. He has a similar bond with Young, Oakland’s pitching coach when Suzuki debuted in 2007 and who returned to the A’s this year after spending 2011 in Boston. Like his relationship with Melvin, the one with Young is based on mutual respect.

"Curt knows how hard I work and I know how hard he works," Suzuki said. "From the first day I came in, we built that relationship where we’re on the same page all the time and we trust each other. That’s the biggest thing. He sees my work. I see his work. We put two and two together and it makes for a good thing. We understand each other and I think that helps a lot."

He has also seen a fellow Hawaii native join the A’s since the end of last season. Last fall, Oakland acquired Kailua native Kila Ka‘aihue from the Royals and he made the club out of spring training.

"Yeah, it’s great. It’s nice having Kila here, definitely. We grew up playing against each other and with each other on All-Star teams. It’s good to see him get a shot," Suzuki said. "It’s definitely been nice this year. Me and Kila have been having a good time. It’s fun being in the same lineup together."

Kurt and his wife also recently celebrated the first birthday of their first child, a daughter who was born in April 2011. He looks back on his first year as a father fondly but also eagerly anticipates the future with his new family.

"It’s been awesome," Suzuki said. "My wife’s been awesome. Just to see her develop into the mom and watching her, it makes your life feel complete. I have my family. I’m doing what I love to do in baseball and everything’s just kind of there."