Arizona Diamondbacks bullpen catcher, Jeff Motuzas, has become notorious for his daring appetite, both on this team and throughout the league. The 39 year-old major league ballplayer has weakness for competition, and money, when it comes to food.

As told by the Wall Street Journal:

“Baseball lends itself to colorful characters. Its languorous pace and 162-game schedule lead to long stretches of boredom. Motuzas likes to fill these stretches (and pad his bank account) by taking dares.

In 1998, not long after Motuzas’ minor-league playing career came to a close, the Diamondbacks hired him as their bullpen catcher. He soon had a revelation about the big leagues. ‘These guys have money,’ Motuzas said. ‘They’d be like, ‘Hey, how about I pay you to eat this, drink this or let me whip you with that? I’ll give you $400.’ And I’m like, ‘Okay!’’

But aside from his daring and sometimes disgusting eating exploits, Motuzas reveals that he maintains a strict dietary regiment, due in part to his periodic stomach troubles.

“Away from the ballpark, Motuzas describes himself as a health nut. His chiseled frame belies the fact that he’s spent 20 years crouching for a living. His locker is stocked with vitamins. He avoids red meat and sticks to a gluten-free diet, in part because he had some recent stomach problems. ‘Hard to believe, I know,’ said Paul Lessard, a close friend and the Cincinnati Reds’ head athletic trainer.”

To read the profile of Jeff Motuzas in full, click here.

Lucky for Jeff Motuzas and gluten-free fans everywhere, MLB ballparks across the country have been increasing their celiac-friendly food options! In fact, NFCA’s Celiac Bits and Bites Staff Blog published a list of stadiums debuting gluten-free menus for the first time this season.

To read, click here.