The image wasn't what Lee Fiocchi had expected.

The former college teammate of Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo had heard about the Maserati of big league outfielders, Carl Crawford, and the anticipation of getting a chance to help fine-tune the already freakishly athletic All-Star was leaving the Houston-based trainer relishing the final few months of 2008.

But when the then-28-year-old big-leaguer arrived at Houston Christian High to begin a new era of offseason workouts, Fiocchi was presented with an unexpected challenge.

"He has really a gift of athleticism, but when he came to see me he had gone through a season in which he went through quite a bit more of what he had ever endured in terms of his body," the 32-year-old trainer said. "If you have something and you don't know what you had, and you lose it, you come to realize a lot about yourself. I think it was at the point where he knew he had lost a step, or wasn't able to apply his athleticism like he was typically able to do.

"I can typically have a guy in here and notice his speed, acceleration or first step needs work. But with Carl, the only thing I noticed was that he was really protected and guarded because his body was barking at him. So for me, it was really about just letting him know what was going on."

This was the man who could have been quarterback at the University of Nebraska or point guard at UCLA. He had stolen 50 or more bases in four of his first five full big league seasons. And now, Fiocchi was being charged with finding an athleticism that had smacked Major League Baseball in the face since 2002.

Crawford's regular season had been limited to 109 games due to a torn hand tendon in '08, and while he returned for a successful postseason, something had been siphoned from his overall athletic aura.

But through some innovative techniques and methodology, Fiocchi became Mr. Fix-It. Just more than two months later, Crawford added his own punctuation to the transformation.

"We were at the end of our off-season training prior to the 2009 season, and at the end of our speed portion of the training -- which is very taxing -- Carl does a standing back-flip. He then tells me that's when he knows he is ready," Fiocchi remembered. "It was the biggest smile I had seen him have during the whole training process, and at that moment I thought people have only caught a glimpse of what was to come."

Crawford and Fiocchi, who was introduced to the Houston native by former major-leaguer Cliff Floyd, have been together each offseason since prior to the '09 season. The outfielder had developed a commitment to offseason excellence ever since beating himself up for poor preparation prior to 2001, routinely heading to Athletes' Performance in Arizona until making the decision to spend his winters closer to home.

The choices, and approaches, have paid off.

Crawford and Fiocchi's partnership has flat-out worked. The on-field numbers have remained on an upswing, with the off-field digits making an even more dramatic ascent (as his newly inked, seven-year, $142 million deal with the Red Sox would suggest). And, judging by the current state exhibited by the 29-year-old, it's a progression that doesn't appear ready to slow down.

Now with a small army of major-leaguers (Adam Dunn, Chris Young, Michael Bourn, James Loney) joining in the fray at the Houston high school, the uneasiness of '08 once again feels foreign.

"We have a 55-yard sand pit that he was training in today and he looked as explosive as anyone on solid ground," said Fiocchi following Crawford's first workout of the new year. "He's the type of guy that never gets too far out of game-shape, and I'm talking about ANY game. That's how adaptable he is."

Crawford is unique, which isn't a newsflash for those watching his time in a Tampa Bay Rays uniform. But for Fiocchi, the reminders keep coming outside the season over four days a week for 2 1/2 hours a day.

"His blend of athleticism is as pure as anybody in terms of blending speed, strength, agility and power. That is what people automatically notice about him," the trainer said. "He makes certain things look easy. Sometimes you think he could do things better here or there, but in all honestly, I think it is the fluidity that makes things look easier. But his intensity is always 100 percent. He doesn't really lack in any area."

But perhaps what makes the whole thing click is the insistence of both Crawford and Fiocchi that they find something that is wrong. 

There has been talk between the two about the differences of playing home games on a grass field instead of the artificial turf of Tropicana Field. And Crawford continues to work on tailoring his swing for Fenway Park following the sessions at Houston Christian, participating in baseball activities down the way at the "Baseball USA" training facility.

But what has really consumed the teacher and his student this offseason has been figuring out form. More specifically, the are working to discover what will make one of the game's most feared base-stealers appreciably scarier.

Their focus? Crawford's spine.

"This year we're looking at his ability to accelerate, and that is dictated by his head position," Fiocchi explained. "If you're stealing a base, your goal is to get to second base. So, naturally, after you initiate those first two or three steps, the tendency is to look up at that bag. But when you look up at that bag you're getting extension of your spine, and when you're extending your spine you have these spinal reflexes that actually activate all the muscles in your spine that causes you to pop up quicker than you should be. As you're running, the degree should be more fluid."

Simply put: When you see Crawford sprinting toward second base, head pointing toward the bag that most likely will be swiped, he's doing it for a reason. The technique represents a small but meaningful way in which the left fielder can improve.

"With Carl, that's honestly what drives him sometimes," the trainer said. "And for us, that's how we connect. I'm looking at everything as detailed as possible, so when he comes in we're ultra-focused.

"I think that what he does in the offseason is finding that flaw. It can be something said by a reporter, or a teammate. It could be anything. You never really know what grabs his attention. But whatever it is, he says, 'I'm going to do something about it.'"

Thanks to Fiocchi, he's doing just that.