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Look up the word, “coincidence” in your favorite dictionary and you’ll read this definition:
“An accidental or remarkable occurrence of events.”
Look up the word “fate” and you’ll read simply, “Destiny.”
Now, put coincidence and fate together and you get Philadelphia Phillie and former Piedmont Boll Weevil — and current Salisbury resident Johnny Estrada.
This burly Fresno, California native ended up marrying a Rochester, N.Y., girl that he met at a YMCA basketball in Salisbury.
Fate?
A year before he planned it, he was in the starting lineup of the Philadelphia Phillies, catching their top guns. Why? Because starting catcher Mike Lieberthal unexpectedly blew out a knee.
Coincidence?
Estrada can smile at his good fortune. He sees himself as a pro athlete with a great wife and a 14-month old daughter, living a secure life in a good southern town.
Who woulda thunk it?
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Estrada offered his assistance to Catawba College baseball coach Jim Gantt recently at a Saturday afternoon camp. Young, aspiring catchers showed up, staring at Estrada in awe. They remember him well from those late-season games against the Braves. Estrada and the Phillies were in the midst of torrid pennant race with Atlanta but their hopes just fell short.
He didn’t do much at the camp. He mainly jumped in to give advice when asked. But just being there meant everything.
“He certainly adds more merit,” said Gantt, who lets Estrada work out with the Indians before he heads to spring training. “He volunteered to help and that’s just the way he is. You hear so many things in the media about how bad people are in the major leagues. But Johnny is down to earth.”
Estrada’s lesson to the kids at the camp: work hard. Every day. In every way.
“I’d like to play 10-15 years,” Estrada said. “But if I don’t make it, it will be because I’m not good enough, not because I didn’t work hard enough.”
Estrada’s dream began as a six-year-old, learning the game from his father, who was quite a player himself. But his father didn’t teach him the work ethic he needed. Thus, he was labeled in high school as a talent who was lazy.
“I wanted to get rid of the (label),” he said. “So I thought, ‘If I change my haircut, maybe people will look at me as a crazy guy with a mohawk who worked hard.”
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Ah yes, the mohawk.
When Estrada first arrived in Kannapolis as a Boll Weevil in 1998, fans thought he was definitely crazy. Not many people in this area sported that type of haircut.
But the fans learned to love it. He was never confused as a member of the Village People, but rather as the beloved catcher of their team.
“I never thought of myself as a lunatic by wearing a mohawk,” Estrada chuckled. “But some people looked at it that way and thought I was trying to get attention.”
Most of the attention came because of his abilities behind the plate. Estrada instantly became a favorite of Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium, making the South Atlantic League All-Star Game.
But when he was promoted to Clearwater in 1999, the mohawk was demoted by Lee Elia, director of player personnel.
“He told me that because of what people might perceive. it might keep me from reaching my ultimate goal. I thought he had a point. I grew my hair out.”
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Estrada lived in a Rockwell apartment with Weevil teammates Justin Fenus, Bob Van Iten and Jason Johnson, eating hamburgers when he could afford them.
“I made about $1,000 a month,” he said. “It was just enough to get by.”
One day, a Boll Weevil booster asked the players to come watch her daughter play basketball in China Grove.
“Her coach turned out to be my wife’s best friend,” recalled Estrada. “Jennifer (a Catawba College grad) happened to be there. We started hanging out. One thing led to another and here I am, married with a 1-year old daughter, living in Salisbury. North Carolina.”
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Just because Estrada was in pro baseball did not mean he had a six-figure contract.
“In the offseason, you have to go to work,” he said.
So Estrada found himself in a GNC store selling vitamins and working as a substitute teacher. In the summers, he worked his way up through Double-A and when the 2001 season began, he was expecting a full season of Triple-A.
And then, news came of Lieberthal’s injury. He remembers the day he was called in to the manager’s office and told he was going up with the big boys.
“I had to take a couple of deep breaths and go get a drink of water,” he laughed. “It hit me all at once that a lifetime dream was coming true.”
Suddenly, his paycheck was six figures, considering the minimum a player can make in the bigs is $200,000. He was listening to Larry Bowa rant and rave. He was studying film with the pitchers each day.
And he was also a major player in a pennant race. He hit his first homer off Javier Vasquez of Montreal. One of his eight homers was a walk-off job to win a game. He finished with 15 doubles and 37 RBIs.
He was also one of several former Boll Weevils sprinkled in the lineup. He caught Brandon Duckworth and Dave Coggin. The shortstop was Jimmy Rollins. Eric Valent and Reggie Taylor had a cup of coffee in Philly. But probably the most surprising was Estrada.
“My success didn’t surprise me,” said Estrada, who goes to spring training with the pitchers and catchers on Feb. 15. “They’re anticipating Lieberthal playing an entire season but you never know.”
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Estrada isn’t worrying about it right now. He’s relaxing in his “new” home town.
“When I got here in 1998, it was a real change of pace from Fresno,” he said. “It’s a lot slower. People are a lot nicer than where I’m from.”
Estrada likes — and appreciates — that he is treated like any other Salisbury resident.
“People don’t really know me unless I wear my Phillies shirt,” he said. “I kinda blend in with the crowd. I don’t get noticed when I go to Wal-Mart or go out to eat.”
Smiling again, he adds, “I like the country. I like the people. I like the food. Salisbury is where we want to live.”
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Contact Ronnie Gallagher at 704-797-4287 or rgallagher@salisburypost.com
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