Martin Gandy of Talking Chop has a great piece on former Braves catcher Johnny Estrada. The Braves held a holiday party for the troops at Turner Field Saturday, and Gandy was able to talk to Estrada, and he came away with some solid stuff on him.
↵First of all, Estrada wants to come back and play. At 34 years old, it is a bit of a stretch, but players have a tough time giving up the game, and there is no doubt Estrada is feeling that way.
↵Second, and most surprisingly, Estrada has dealt with post-concussion syndrome since being knocked flat by Darin Erstad in 2005. He continued to play until 2008 and suffered from "nausea, not being able to get your heart rate up and deliriousness." Estrada really was not the same after the collision, and it is understandable now. I did not find the hit by Erstad to be in good sportsmanship then, and I certainly do not now. But these things come with playing behind the plate.
↵I have always loved Estrada as a player, and from all the things I have heard, he is a great guy. I wish him all the luck in the future and hope that he is able to get back out there and give it another shot.