BRAVES Lopez feels like a new man this year, and his bat reflects his transformation

An off-season training program helped the catcher develop into a slugger.
ATLANTA (AP) -- Javy Lopez got a chance to experience rock-bottom.
His body was bloated. His mind was a mess. His career had reached a critical crossroads.
"Last year," Lopez said, shaking his head and grimacing, "was horrible. It was not fun at all."
The two-time All-Star catcher knew it was time to take drastic measures. Step one was easy to figure out -- all he had to do was step on the scales. Lopez had ballooned to 248 pounds, more than 20 pounds above his purported playing weight.
So, he hired a trainer and stopped eating like someone who had just been rescued from a deserted island. He lifted weights nearly every day. When he wasn't pumping iron, he was running off the calories.
Spring training
By the time Lopez reported to spring training for the Atlanta Braves, he was 210 pounds.
But the resurrection of his career wasn't complete.
With apologies to "Cool Hand Luke," Lopez had to get his mind right. That process wasn't simply a matter of eating less and working out more. An athlete's psyche is filled with all sorts of idiosyncrasies that must be sorted out.
"Just the mind-set, knowing you can hit instead of fighting yourself," said Terry Pendleton, the Braves' hitting coach. "Last year, he was fighting himself a lot. He was his own worst enemy. When he didn't get a hit, it was an end-of-the-world type of thing."
A slight change in Lopez's stance -- barely noticeable to the casual fan when made it in early May -- gave him the needed confidence boost. Instead of flailing helplessly at pitches, he started hitting them over the fence.
Has 23 homers
Going into the weekend, Lopez was among the major league leaders with 23 homers -- more than doubling the 11 he hit a year ago. His average had climbed from a dismal .233 in 2002 to a robust .316. He already had 46 RBIs, not far off the 52 he managed all of last season.
"There's no comparison in the way I feel this year compared to last year," Lopez said. "Last year was very negative. I was trying to hit .300 in every at-bat."
At 32, Lopez has managed to reverse the normal career path of a catcher, who often falls into a spiral of declining productivity as the years of wear and tear take their toll. Certainly, he has silenced those critics who believed his days were numbered.
"That's what keeps me motivated," he said "I have a chance to shut all those people's mouths by playing good baseball. Whoever thought my career was over, I have to tell them I'm sorry. I still have a long way to go."
Transformation
With that, Lopez reveals a long, satisfying smile. Clearly, he is proud of this amazing transformation -- and willing to admit culpability for letting himself go.
"I'm doing more lifting during the season, usually three or four times a week," he said. Then, sounding a bit embarrassed, he added, "Last year, it was maybe once a month."
A cynic might point out that Lopez is in the final year of his contract, willing to put in some overtime to protect his $7 million salary. There's been speculation that the Braves might trade their hard-hitting catcher before July 22, when he gains enough seniority to veto any trade.
In pursuit of a 12th straight division title, Atlanta seems more likely to keep Lopez for the rest of the season, then cut him loose. Johnny Estrada, currently playing at Triple-A Richmond, has been touted as the catcher of the future. Just as important for the budget-conscious Braves, he will command far less money.
"I've been hearing all sorts of rumors," said Lopez, who has played his entire career in the Braves' organization. "I don't even want to think about it. All I can say it I'm having a great season. One thing I don't have to worry about is a job. I will be playing somewhere next year."
Top vote-getter
Lopez was the leading vote-getter among NL catchers heading into the final days of balloting for the All-Star game. If he doesn't get elected as a starter, he almost certainly will be going to Chicago as a backup.
Lopez made the All-Star game in both 1997 and '98, the latter coming during the best season of his career: .284 with 34 homers and 106 RBIs. The following year, he was hitting .317 when a torn knee ligament ended his season after just 65 games.
From there, a steady decline. For three seasons in a row, Lopez's numbers got progressively worse, culminating with that grim wake-up call in 2002.
Pendleton acknowledged that Lopez wasn't exactly the hardest-working player on the team.
"The difference this year and what he did last year, I have to say, is that he gets prepared every day," the hitting coach said. "His work is more frequent. He came into spring training and worked harder this spring. He prepared himself."
Fewer swings
Lopez is actually taking fewer swings during batting practice, believing that trying to show off for the fans lures him into some bad habits. But beneath the stands, away from prying eyes, Lopez works diligently in the batting cage before every game.
Of course, it takes more than hard work.
On May 10, the slimmed-down Lopez was hitting just .227 when he stepped into the box against San Francisco's Kirk Rueter. In one of those spur-of-moment decisions that makes baseball such an intriguing game, Lopez tightened up his stance, pulling his legs closer together and pushing his arms a bit farther away from the plate.
Voila!
"Since that day, I've just felt totally different," Lopez said. "Fastball in, fastball away, it doesn't matter. They all feel like they're right down the middle now."
Some prodigious shots
He's not trying to hit homers -- "I just want to hit the ball hard" -- but the result has been some prodigious shots. Last week, Lopez crushed a 436-footer into the center-field stands off Philadelphia's Kevin Millwood, one of the longest homers in Turner Field history.
"Even before I came to the Braves, he always struck me as the guy with the most power," said teammate Gary Sheffield, also having an All-Star season. "He has the most power on this team by far."
That's saying something, considering the Braves went to the weekend with more homers than any team in the majors.
Sheffield also noticed Lopez's physical makeover.
"When you're in shape, it ends up carrying over to the field," Sheffield said. "His flexibility is better. He's moving around better. He's not wearing down like he did last year. It's a big difference."
Millwood, who played for the Braves a season ago, was stunned by the change in his former battery mate.
"I wish he had done more of it when I was here," Millwood quipped. "I don't know what's going on. I know he's a lot better hitter this year than I've ever seem him."