"As his right knee provided daily discomfort through the early portion of November, Braves third baseman Chipper Jones wondered if he had already played the last game of his legendary baseball career. But as he completed preseason preparations in pain-free fashion throughout January, Jones determined it is still too early for him to be contemplating retirement.

"I sit here with three weeks to go before Spring Training and I'm not ready to say this is it," Jones said. "I still feel I can go out and play a solid third base, which I did last year. And I feel I can still be productive in the middle of the lineup, whether it's in the three-hole, five-hole, six-hole or whatever. It doesn't bother me where I hit.

"I think if I struggle with the knee injuries again and I'm not having fun and the team is struggling, I'll make that decision when it hits me. But as of right now, I'm signed through this year and I have an option for [2013]. I'm certainly going to take everything into account. But my body will tell me when it's time." "