Kelly Johnson arrives in T.O. at 'the right time'

Terry Pendleton reads the news on the TV ticker inside the Atlanta Braves' clubhouse and immediately reaches for his phone, firing off a text message to one of his "kids."

On the receiving end is second baseman Kelly Johnson, who broke into the major leagues with the Atlanta Braves in 2005 when Pendleton served as the team's batting coach.

On this day, Johnson, who eventually lost his job in Atlanta to Martin Prado and signed with Arizona as a free agent in December 2009, is traded from the Diamondbacks to Toronto for fellow second baseman Aaron Hill and utility infielder John McDonald.

In his text, Pendleton tried to reassure Johnson that others still believed in him, that another team wanted him and to not let a forgettable season at the plate become a major setback.

"I said, 'Keep battling. There's another team out there that wants you. You gotta look at it that way,'" Pendleton said in a phone interview less than 24 hours after the trade was announced.

Johnson, 29, arrives in Toronto the owner of a .209 batting average in 114 games this season, far below his 2010 mark of .284 when he set career highs in runs scored (93), home runs (26), runs batted in (71), stolen bases (13) and slugging percentage (496).

He's like many major leaguers in that he can let his struggles eat at him and have it affect his game, both at the plate and in the field, where Johnson currently boasts a career-best .988 fielding percentage and is said to be strong at turning the double play.

'He'll give you his heart'

"He's a kid that'll get down … because he wants to do so much," said Pendleton, a former major league third baseman in his 10th season on the Braves' staff and first as their first-base coach. "He's one of those kids that comes out and works his rear end off to be the best player he could possibly be. … He'll give you his heart.

"I think Kelly can be his worst enemy sometimes, and I've told him that over and over again. Two years ago he went to [Arizona] he got relaxed and just started playing. The stats he showed last year, that's Kelly Johnson."

It's the Johnson Blue Jays fans and general manager Alex Anthopoulos hope to see after watching Hill tail off considerably from a 2009 campaign in which he hit .286 with 36 homers and 108 RBIs.

"He has the ability to get on base, draw some walks and he's got power to all fields," said Anthopoulos of Johnson at Tuesday's news conference. "He'd be the first one to tell you I'm sure he's not performing the way he expected to, especially off the year he came off of last year."

In his text, Johnson told Pendleton the Blue Jays "got me at the right time." Those words told Pendleton that Johnson is at a maturing stage.

A native of Austin, Tex., Johnson is father to Cole, who turns two in November, and is expecting another child with his wife Lauren.

"A player who's having little ones as a [29 year old] in the game, it matures you in another way. It really sets the tone on what's really important and what you really need to go out and do to be successful, to take care of your family and help your ball club win," said Pendleton, a father of three who was named the 1991 National League MVP and an all-star the following season.

Pendleton, whose nickname is T.P., remembers fighting with Braves management several years ago whenever it considered recalling Johnson from the minor leagues or inviting him to big-league camp. He always wanted the player to remain in the minors an additional week to build his confidence.

Worth fighting for

Pendleton always fought for Johnson because he believed in him, believed in his talent and his future in the game.

"Kelly knows I love him. I see him at golf tournaments in the winter and we practically run to each other to give each other a hug," Pendleton said. "He's like one of my kids, plain and simple."

Johnson will make his Blue Jays debut Thursday night in the series finale against the visiting Kansas City Royals. A former leadoff man in Atlanta, he'll bat in the seventh hole between Brett Lawrie and J.P. Arencibia. In July, Johnson hit second for Arizona and was dropped to eighth in his final days with the club.

Pendleton said Johnson has power from left-centre field to the right-field line and possesses the ability to hit the ball over the fence in left-centre with authority. Is he a rah-rah type? Not so much, but he'll work his butt off.

'Remind your fans — and forget the baseball player — you've got a special man there, and he will be a positive in your organization.' — Atlanta Braves 1st base coach Terry Pendleton on Johnson

The energetic Lawrie from Langley, B.C., burst on the scene earlier this month at Baltimore and picked up his first hit and RBI in Game 1. Two games later came the 21-year-old third baseman's first homer, as Lawrie racked up 12 hits in his first 10 starts with three long balls and eight RBIs. He continues to pound the ball.

Colby Rasmus, the 25-year-old centre-fielder acquired from St. Louis in an eight-player trade a few days before the July 31 non-waiver deadline, wasn't as fortunate. Resembling a deer in headlights in his Jays debut, he went hitless in his first 13 at-bats before singling in his second at-bat of his fourth game.

So T.P., what do you think is in store for Johnson?

"He could be the guy that walks in the door and immediately takes off and the fans just cling to him," Pendleton said. "Or, he could be that guy that comes there trying to get acclimated and struggle a little bit.

"He's going to run ground balls out hard. You'll see his work ethic and the way he goes about playing the game. Remind your fans — and forget the baseball player — you've got a special man there, and he will be a positive in your organization."