KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Johnny Estrada is a throwback. He wears his pants high, his stirrups low. He doesn't feel right leaving the field until his uniform is covered in dirt.
Not surprisingly, his favorite player growing up was Carlton Fisk.
"He may not have been the best all-around player, but he was always hustling, always dirty and he took control of the pitching staff," Estrada said Thursday. "You could tell the guys respected him."
That's just the kind of legacy that Estrada hopes to build with the Atlanta Braves. So far, he's off to a good start.
In his first season as their starting catcher, Estrada made the All-Star team, won a Silver Slugger award and was invited to tour Japan with a team of major league standouts.
Not bad for someone who was considered a throw-in when the Braves decided to trade Kevin Millwood for financial reasons after the 2002 season.
"I heard all the stuff like, 'Who's Johnny Estrada? He's a mediocre player. This is just a salary-dumping move,'" the catcher said. "I'm glad to put that to rest a little bit. There's no doubt that put a fire under me. I wanted to go out and prove people wrong."
He did. Estrada was one of the Braves' best - and certainly most surprising - hitters last season. He batted.314 with nine homers and 76 RBIs, claiming the Silver Slugger as the NL's best offensive player at his position.
Estrada was just the second switch-hitting catcher since 1923 (Ted Simmons was the other) to hit better than.300 while playing at least 100 games.
"I couldn't write a better story than the way the season worked out for me personally," Estrada said. "I was in a dream the whole year."
The 28-year-old Estrada reported to spring training this season with an entirely new outlook. For the first time in his career, he's not a guy trying to win a job. His spot in the lineup is secure.
"I'm not comfortable by any means," he said. "But I'm usually the second or third catcher on the totem pole. This year, I've feel like I'm solidly on the team. That's a feeling I've never had before."
Estrada quickly became a favorite of manager Bobby Cox, who loves the catcher's old-school attitude. He still wears stirrups over his socks, a baseball tradition that's been abandoned by many players. He keeps the bottom of his pants just below the knee - another fashion faux pas by today's standards.
"He reminds me of the old days," Cox said. "He comes to play. He's organized. He does the work. He's a team guy. I like everything about him."
Estrada credits his junior-college coach, Jody Allen, with instilling the values of tradition and hard work.
Allen, for instance, made his catcher retrieve every pitch that went to the backstop - even when there was no one on base. Estrada was still struggling to break that habit when he got to the minor leagues, where batboys were assigned to scoop up stray balls.
Estrada came through the ranks known mostly for his defense, but he sure broke that mold with the Braves. He was an RBI-producing machine in the first half, leading the majors in hitting with runners in scoring position. He faded a bit after the All-Star break but still finished at.338 in that category, seventh-best in the NL.
Now, Estrada must prove he can do it again.
"It's going to be tougher," he said. "The other guys know who I am now. I even noticed in the second half that I wasn't getting as many good pitches to hit. I had to be more selective."
With a full season under his belt, Estrada knows there's room to grow in 2005.
He should be more proficient at calling a game. He's got more credibility as a clubhouse leader. He could bolster his power numbers. He's certainly eager to improve his defense - the very thing that helped get him to the majors in the first place.
Estrada made nine errors - most of them on hurried throws as he tried to throw out runners stealing a base. As the season went on, he learned that some pitchers were better than others at holding runners on. Sometimes, it's better to concede the stolen base than attempt a miraculous throw.
"My defense was pathetic," Estrada said. "It makes me sick even thinking about it."
The Braves have no complaints. The guy who was stuck at Triple A for most of three seasons certainly proved he was ready for the big leagues.
"It didn't shock me that he had a good year with the bat," Cox said, "but to hit.300 in your first full year in the majors - that's pretty spectacular."
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