Boof Bonser: Hope is that big loss will result in big gains

FORT MYERS, FLA. -- This spring, Twins fans get to regard Boof Bonser's gut the way Hank Steinbrenner regards "Red Sox Nation," the way the Pohlads view that beautiful roof that will top their new ballpark, the way the nation views Roger Clemens' credibility.

It's almost as if it doesn't exist.

Bonser took a load off his mind and spine this winter, losing 35 pounds -- the equivalent of two Butterball turkeys or half a supermodel. Over three months, 13 percent of his body weight vanished. For most people, that would be like losing a limb. For Bonser, it's like running a sack race without the sack.

"I feel a lot better," Bonser said earlier this week. "Everything feels a lot easier. Just being able to explode -- I don't remember that from last year."

What fans remember is the fear that Bonser might explode at any time. He bloated to 270 pounds, losing stamina and the ability to repeat his delivery. In 2007 -- one season after he started Game 2 of the playoffs for a 96-win team -- Bonser went 8-12 with a 5.10 ERA.

He tried dieting during the season, and found his legs shaking during games. Now, after enlisting a nutritionist, a personal trainer and some willpower, Bonser looks like half the man he used to be.

According to Bonser and pitching coach Rick Anderson, he can "finish" his pitches, meaning his gut no longer gets stuck between his chest and thighs like an airbag. He pitched three scoreless innings in a rain-shortened game against the Rays on Tuesday in St. Petersburg.

"Most of his extra weight was through his midsection," Anderson said. "If you think about how a pitcher is supposed to finish, you want to see them with their body out over their front side. I told him the other day, it didn't matter what we tried to do with his mechanics if he couldn't finish his motion. Now he can.

"Not only that, this is going to help his stamina. I'm excited."

Some pitchers, such as Bartolo Colon and David Wells in their prime, could carry extra weight and excel. Bonser -- listed last year at 6-4 and 260 pounds -- looked uncomfortably overweight, like if he bent down to tie his shoe he might need the Army Corps of Engineers to get him back on his feet.

Last year, with his drooping mustache, long face and prominent gut, he looked like the bad guy in a bad western. Now he could play the friendly town marshal without sending his horse to the chiropractor.

The Twins need him to impose some order on American League hitters this season. Livan Hernandez tops the rotation by virtue of experience. Francisco Liriano is a mystery. Scott Baker looks far more confident and polished than a year ago, but he still has a lot to prove. The search is on for a fifth starter.

If Bonser doesn't hold down a spot in this year's rotation, the Twins' pitching depth will be worse than expected. He needs to keep his torso and ERA svelte.

"It's going to be up to Boof," said Perry Castellano, Twins strength and conditioning coordinator. "His fiancée [Jessica Clark] has been very helpful, because he got into a good routine for eating, eating smaller meals more often, and she's helping him with it.

"The hardest thing is, during the season, what's open after ballgames? The food in clubhouses isn't the most nutritious, so it's going to be an effort, and he's going to make it.

"I'm going to be the guardian angel on his shoulder saying, 'We can't go to Fogo de Chão and eat for 15 tonight.' "

Bonser, too, credited Clark with helping him effect what Castellano calls "a lifestyle change." Bonser said she plans to call ahead to road cities to find healthful restaurants that stay open late.

"It really wasn't that tough to lose weight," Bonser said. "You'd be surprised, when you eat right, how quickly it comes off."

He looks good on the mound. How is normal life as Reduced-Fat Boof?

"It's the same," Bonser said with a shrug. "Just a little lighter."