February 1
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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He'll turn 40 in April, had surgery on each knee in the past two years, and has tired of speculation about when he'll retire. But Chipper Jones is not tired of playing baseball. Atlanta's iconic third baseman is preparing for his 19th season with the Braves, and Tuesday he made it clear the 2012 season might not be his last. "As long as I stay healthy and I'm having fun, I'm going to keep going," he said before an informal hitting session at Turner Field. "I sit here with three weeks to go before spring training and I'm not ready to say this is it.""
January 14
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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With the Braves prepared to turn over the shortstop position to a rookie with no major league experience in Tyler Pastornicky, they wanted a veteran to back him up. They filled that need Friday when they signed Jack Wilson to a one-year $1 million deal, with an additional $500,000 in incentives. Wilson, 34, returns to the Braves after coming to them in a trade from Seattle last August 31. He said he's glad to have a chance to make a few amends, both team-wise and personally after hitting .220 (9-for-41) with one double and one RBI in 17 games in September. "It's always nice, especially when a team trades for you, and they call back," Wilson said Friday. "I really didn't perform like I"
January 14
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Braves agreed to terms on a one-year contract with Martin Prado on Friday, avoiding arbitration. The deal, which will pay Prado between $4.5 and $5 million, has no real bearing on the whether the Braves end up trading him because any conversations have come with the understanding that Prado would draw this kind of salary for 2012. But the closer the Braves get to spring training, the more apparent it seems neither he or Jair Jurrjens is going anywhere, despite their mention in multiple trade scenarios. "We had a number of discussions today and will continue to explore other opportunities," Braves general manager Frank Wren said Friday, speaking in general terms after signing shortstop"
December 9
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Before leaving baseball's winter meetings at the Hilton Anatole Hotel on Thursday afternoon, Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said he expected to sign a shortstop soon. He wasn't kidding. Melvin barely had gotten to the airport when news leaked that he had reached agreement with veteran free-agent shortstop Alex Gonzalez on a one-year deal with a vesting option for 2013. Gonzalez will be 35 in February. Because Gonzalez must pass a physical exam to make the deal official, the Brewers did not confirm it. He is traveling from Venezuela for the physical, so it probably won't be announced before Monday. "We're not there yet, but it's a good possibility," Melvin said."
December 8
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports is reporting that the Brewers have reached agreement with free-agent shortstop Alex Gonzalez on a one-year deal with a vesting option. Brewers GM Doug Melvin said today at the winter meetings that he expected to have a shortstop soon and he apparently wasn't kidding. With Jimmy Rollins headed back to Philadelphia, the three remaining shortstops on the market were Gonzalez, Rafael Furcal and Yuniesky Betancourt, who started for the Brewers last season. Gonzalez, who will be 35 in February, played in 149 games for Atlanta last year and batted .241 with 15 homers and 56 RBI. He walked only 22 times, struck out 126 times and had a .270 OBP."
December 3
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Some general managers predict an eventful four days of wheeling and dealing at the Winter Meetings starting Monday in Dallas, and the Braves will be involved in plenty of rumors — whether they like it or not, and whether or not the reports have validity. They are still looking for a shortstop and a power-hitting outfielder, and it's no secret they are more inclined to trade for players than sign expensive free agents. While Braves general manager Frank Wren rarely discusses with reporters any specific players he's pursuing, officials with many teams aren't nearly so tight-lipped. As a result, trade talk is leaked by some teams, fueling even more speculation. Rumoring tends to become"
November 20
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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If Liberty Media decides to sell the Braves, billionaire Mark Cuban said he wouldn't make an offer. "I like franchises that need a lot of help," the iconoclastic Dallas Mavericks owner said in an email Saturday. "The Braves have a great franchise." Cuban recently looked into buying the Los Angeles Dodgers, but said the asking price of $1 billion to $1.2 billion was too high. He lost a bidding war for the then-bankrupt Texas Rangers in 2010, and expressed interest in buying the Chicago Cubs in 2009. A recent poll in an Atlanta Journal Constitution's Braves blog asked fans if they would like to see Cuban try to buy the Braves. Ninety-five percent of nearly 8,000 people who responded voted"
November 19
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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A year ago, the Braves made the first big trade of the 2010 offseason by dealing for Dan Uggla at the mid-November general managers meetings, where usually there is more groundwork done for trades later in the winter than actual trades completed. Then there was a rumor two weeks ago that spread quickly, a rumor that the Braves might be willing to trade pitcher Jair Jurrjens and left fielder Martin Prado in order to free up cash to pursue a shortstop and power-hitting outfielder. Couple those two situations — the Uggla trade of Nov. 16, 2010 and the Jurrjens/Prado rumors of the past couple of weeks – and it was understandable that Braves fans were braced for a trade or two to go down at the"
November 15
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Braves closer Craig Kimbrel shattered the major league rookie record for saves in 2011, and on Monday he and Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman accomplished something no rookie teammates had done in more than two decades. Kimbrel was a unanimous winner of the National League Rookie of the Year award from the Baseball Writers Association of America, and Freeman was the runner-up. Philadelphia pitcher Vance Worley finished third. The Braves became the first team with the top two finishers in National or American League rookie of the year balloting since 1989, when the Chicago Cubs' Jerome Walton and Dwight Smith finished first and second in the NL. "It's an award you only get one chance to"
November 3
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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A September swoon didn't keep Braves catcher Brian McCann from winning his fifth Silver Slugger award in six years on Wednesday night and enter even more elite company. McCann became the first player to win five Silver Sluggers as a Brave and only the sixth catcher to win five or more in his career, and he's only 27. Silver Sluggers are awarded to the top offensive players at each position as voted on by players and managers. McCann has won it each of the past four years and five times in only six full seasons in the major leagues."
November 1
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Was just about to write a new blog when the news broke that Tony La Russa is going out on top, retiring after his Cardinals won the World Series. This came only about 30 minutes after I got a call in my Phoenix hotel room from someone asking me if I thought Terry Pendleton might be interested in becoming a manager. My guess is that TP, who started his career in the Cardinals organization and played seven seasons for St. Louis, will be mentioned as a candidate for the Cardinals managerial job, a year after being switched from hitting coach to first-base coach with the Braves."
October 31
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Now that Tony LaRussa surprisingly has decided to retire as St. Louis manager, don't be surprised if the Cardinals place a phone call to Braves coach Terry Pendleton. Pendleton for a time was considered a candidate to replace the eventually retiring Bobby Cox — before Fredi Gonzalez became available. He spent the first seven seasons of his major league career in St. Louis. He is liked and respected by players. He's a leader. He certainly showed that on the field as a player with the Cardinals and the Braves. His acquisition was key in the Braves going to the World Series in 1991, his first season in Atlanta. Pendleton told our Carroll Rogers that he has not yet been contacted by anybody in"
October 7
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Braves' franchise-worst September collapse, in which they blew an 8-1/2-game wild-card lead in 3-1/2 weeks — matching the largest lead ever blown by a National League playoff contender in the final month — has resulted in an unusual response from the top of the organization to season ticket holders. In what amounts to an organizational mea culpa, Braves president John Schuerholz sent a letter that thanks fans for continued support, cites several accomplishments by the team during the 2011 season and notes the depth of the organization, and then says that ultimately the team failed to reach its ultimate goal because of a performance in September that was "unnacceptable to all in the"
October 5
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Last winter and at spring training, Braves general manager Frank Wren was asked if he would try to sign Jason Heyward to a long-term contract, as Tampa Bay did with Evan Longoria early in his rookie season and Milwaukee with Ryan Braun after his rookie year. Last week, Wren was asked about a rumor that the Braves might consider trading Heyward after a disappointing, injury-plagued second season. "We've never had one discussion about trading Jason Heyward," Wren said. "That's the furthest thing from our mind. That's never come up. Nobody's contemplated it.""
September 30
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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After the Braves' season ended with a five-game skid and no postseason berth, Chipper Jones reiterated his intention of returning for the 2012 season. Jones said the team's September collapse would have no bearing on his decision. "I've committed to playing next year," he said. "I won't commit past that; let's put it that way. [But] I'm looking forward to it. As tough a pill as it is to swallow, for a lot of these young guys it's a learning experience. "We got our butts kicked for the last couple of weeks of the season, and they're going to learn a lot from it and be better ballplayers for it.""
September 29
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Braves' wild-card lead vanished Tuesday, and their playoff hopes were flushed away Wednesday. After closer Craig Kimbrel blew a save in the ninth, the Philadelphia Phillies scored on Hunter Pence's two-out single in the 13th inning for a 4-3 win to end the Braves' season and complete the worst September collapse by a National League wild-card leader. Up by 8-1/2 games on Sept. 5, the Braves lost their final five games, 13 of the final 18 and 20 of their last 30 to finish 89-73, a game behind St. Louis for the wild card. "Our slump combined with the Cardinals playing really good baseball in September, you've got a shocking situation," Braves third baseman Chipper Jones said. "Having"
September 28
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Braves shortstop Alex Gonzalez is doubtful for Wednesday's final game against the Phillies after he had to leave Tuesday night's game with a strained right calf, the same injury which had kept him out of the final four games of the Braves last road trip. The Braves have called up shortstop prospect Tyler Pastornicky from the Instructional League to give them another shortstop to back up the veteran Jack Wilson Wednesday in Gonzalez's absence. "It looks doubtful for (Gonzalez) tomorrow," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said after the game Tuesday night, characterizing it as more serious than just re-aggravating his sore calf. "But hopefully it's not one of those things that's a lingering"
September 27
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Braves third baseman Chipper Jones acknowledged he's been playing with lingering soreness in his right knee, and he tweaked it again in the game on Monday, but Jones said he doesn't plan to let it keep him out of the lineup against the Phillies. "It's bugging me," Jones said. "But you've got to go to the post." When asked if his knee "bit" him as he hit the third base bag running the bases in the sixth inning, he said: "It bit me all night." When he asked if he thought he could play against the Phillies on Tuesday night, Jones said, "probably.""
September 23
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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With six games left in the season, the skidding Braves are on the precipice of dubious distinction, with the possibility of owning one of the worst collapses in baseball history unless they get their act together. Their wild-card lead over St. Louis was cut from 8 1/2 games Sept. 5 to two games by the surging Cardinals, who blew a late lead and lost 8-6 to the New York Mets on Thursday. The Braves' magic number to clinch the wild card is five. "We need to come out and start winning games, whatever it takes," catcher Brian McCann said after losing 4-0 at Florida on Wednesday, the Braves' third loss in four games and 15th in 24."
September 20
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Braves are making their last scheduled visit to Sun Life Stadium, the multi-purpose stadium that's had multiple names since the Florida Marlins began playing there in their first season in 1995. There will be no tears shed. Also home to the Miami Dolphins and University of Miami football team, the stadium is always ranked as one of least-favorite stadiums by major league players and by fans, who stay away in droves. The Marlins will move next season into a new, retractable-roof, baseball-only ballpark in the Little Havana area near downtown Miami, and will change their name to Miami Marlins. "I won't miss this place a bit," said Chipper Jones, the Braves' all-time leader in most"
September 19
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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So it's the last Sunday home game of the regular season, and you have to feel pretty good now about where the Braves stand. The Phillies clinched their fifth straight NL East division last night, but thanks to the Braves' 1-0 win over the Mets, and the Cardinals losing to the Phillies, the Braves are 4 ½ games up in the wild card with only 10 games left to play. (The Cardinals have 11 games left.) The magic number is 7, any combination of Braves wins and Cardinals' losses totaling seven and the Braves are popping champagne. I actually had a request yesterday for some math, so I'll oblige. It was "please give one of those if the Braves go 1-for-x the rest of the way" scenarios. So here it"
September 14
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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There's a chance Jair Jurrjens has worked his last inning of 2011, and that doesn't augur well for a team that stands to play beyond the 162nd game. But the Braves can win the Division Series without Jurrjens if — and this is a mammoth "if" — Tommy Hanson is OK. A team doesn't need four starters in Round 1. Figure Tim Hudson starts Games 1 and 4, Hanson (assuming he's healthy) works Games 2 and 5, and Derek Lowe or Brandon Beachy or Mike Minor gets Game 3. The Braves can win with that rotation."
September 13
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Jair Jurrjens is trying to stay positive as he attempts a comeback from a bone bruise in his right knee, but with a little more than two weeks left in the regular season, the odds are long and he knows it. Jurrjens has been playing catch while wearing a specially-fitted knee brace for the past four days, and working on strengthening his right quadriceps muscle to take pressure off his knee. But he's got no immediate timetable to start throwing off a mound, unlike Tommy Hanson who threw a bullpen session Sunday and plans another one Wednesday. If all goes well, Hanson is headed to the instructional league to get in some rehab work against hitters to try to get in one start before the"
September 6
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Braves don't know if they'll get Tommy Hanson or Jair Jurrjens back in their starting rotation before or during the postseason, but developments Sunday and Monday at least gave them some hope. Jurrjens flew to Colorado over the weekend for a second opinion on his injured right knee from Dr. Richard Steadman, who concurred with the original diagnosis of a bone bruise and no other structural damage. However, Jurrjens said he was advised not to throw off a mound for another two weeks, which would make it difficult for the right-hander to prepare and show he's ready for the first round of the playoffs that starts Oct. 1. "He's going to try a different brace and continue his rehab and try"
September 2
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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A two-week stint on the disabled list did little to help Jair Jurrjens' sore right knee, and now he's planning to travel to Vail, Colo., to get a second opinion from knee specialist Dr. Richard Steadman. Jurrjens was scheduled to pitch Sunday against the Dodgers, but that's doubtful now. The Braves held back Randall Delgado in Triple-A Gwinnett so he can pitch in that spot. They'll still have Julio Teheran available to pitch the second game of the doubleheader in New York on Sept. 8. Jurrjens said his concern now is not finishing the regular season, but being ready for the postseason. This same knee kept him out of the postseason a year ago. "My main concern right now is the playoffs,""
September 1
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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A two-week stint on the disabled list did little to help Jair Jurrjens' sore right knee, and now he's planning to travel to Vail, Colo. to get a second opinion from noted knee specialist Dr. Richard Steadman. An MRI taken on it Wednesday revealed a bone bruise. Jurrjens is scheduled to pitch on Sunday against the Dodgers, but that's looking doubtful now. The Braves could slot Randall Delgado from Triple-A Gwinnett in that spot – he hasn't pitched since Aug. 26 – and then have Julio Teheran pitch the second game of the doubleheader in New York on Sept. 8. Jurrjens said his concern now is not finishing the regular season but being ready for the postseason. This same knee kept him out of the"
September 1
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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After trading for outfielder Matt Diaz on Wednesday morning, adding a right-handed bat off the bench, the Braves acquired shortstop Jack Wilson from Seattle on Wednesday night to shore up their middle infield. They had been looking for a solid backup for Alex Gonzalez at short and Dan Uggla at second, and they got a 33-year-old veteran and former All-Star for the Pirates. The Braves acquired Wilson along with cash considerations for a player to be named. Wilson is on the disabled list with a bruised heel, but has been cleared by doctors to play when he's eligible Saturday. Braves general manager Frank Wren had his special assistant Dick Balderson in Seattle on Wednesday to watch Wilson go"
August 30
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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With September a few days away and the minor league seasons set to wrap up next week, several prospective Braves players have had breakout performances and many will have find themselves in the majors soon. The Braves have already benefited from the minors this season by inserting Mike Minor into the rotation with recent injuries, calling up outfielder Jose Constanza to spark their lineup and getting productive spot starts from Julio Teheran and Randall Delgado. Arodys Vizcaino has also proved a valuable asset to the bullpen the past few weeks. More reinforcements are on the way when rosters expand Thursday. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Delgado and Teheran will be among the"
August 20
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Chipper Jones' fifth-inning homer off Tim Lincecum on Thursday accounted for all the of the scoring in a big 1-0 Braves win against the Giants, and it moved Hoss past Vlad and real close to Bags on the career homer list, and not far behind Yaz. It was the 447th homer for Chipper, moving past Vladimir Guerrero into sole possession of 35th on the all-time list. He's two homers behind Jeff Bagwell and five behind the great Carl Yastrzemski. Yes, Atlanta's 39-year-old 3B is in some serious company, and the only other active player (other than Guerrero) with a shot at passing Jones anytime soon is Albert Pujols, currently tied with Andre Dawson for 38th with 438 homers. The other active players"
August 16
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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With the passing of Monday's signing deadline for the 2011 draft, the Braves had signed 28 of their top 30 picks, including each of the top 19. One of their objectives was to draft sign-able players by going college heavy, and it paid off. The Braves signed 35 of their 50 picks overall. The only players not to sign among their top 30 picks were 20th rounder Carlos Rodriguez, a left-hander out of Iolani High (HI) School, and 30th round pick Jonathan Youngblood, a center fielder from Lafayette (Ky.) High. But the Braves signed two high schoolers – first baseman Jackson Laumann (31st) and center fielder Cody Livesay (42nd) – in the past couple of days."
August 10
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The end of struggling relief pitcher Scott Proctor's Braves career triggers the much-anticipated arrival of flamethrower Arodys Vizcaino, a top prospect being brought to the majors from Triple-A Gwinnett. The Braves released Proctor and called up Vizcaino, a 20-year-old right-hander with a fastball that's registered 100 mph on radar guns. Vizcaino was 5-5 with a 3.06 ERA and 100 strikeouts with 28 walks in 97 innings this season at three minor-league levels, including eight strikeouts with no walks and one earned run allowed in seven relief innings for Gwinnett. He's the youngest of the Braves' so-called "big four" pitching prospects along with Julio Teheran, Mike Minor and Randall"
July 31
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Braves have made a trade hours before the deadline, acquiring outfielder Michael Bourn from the Astros. The left-handed center fielder was acquired for center fielder Jordan Schafer and three minor-league pitchers, left-hander Brett Oberholtzer and right-handers Paul Clemens and Juan Abreu. Schafer is currently on the disabled list with a finger fracture. The Braves are also without centerfielder Nate McLouth, who is on the disabled list with an abdominal strain. Here is the team release: The Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros announced today that the two clubs have completed a five-player trade. The Braves have acquired outfielder Michael Bourn and cash from the Astros in exchange for"
July 31
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Fredi Gonzalez heard the news on his way home Friday night. The Phillies had acquired all-star outfielder Hunter Pence, whom the Braves had also pursued heavily. When the Braves manager arrived home, he sent a text message to pitching coach Roger McDowell. "Pitch your [butt] off," Gonzalez wrote. "They got a pretty good player," Gonzalez said Saturday, less than 24 hours before Major League Baseball's non-waiver trade deadline. "There is no question about it. They've made themselves a pretty good team. That's a good piece to add in that lineup." The Braves players are well aware of what the Phillies, who lead the National League East, have done. "They've made every move you can make in"
July 30
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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With just two days left till the trade deadline, the suspense is killing Braves Country. Hunter Pence ? Carlos Quentin ? Two legit candidates the Braves have targeted who quicken the pulses of at least a good portion of the fan base. Josh Willingham ? Ryan Ludwick ? Two other outfield candidates the Braves have discussed, but who don't seem to do much for the majority of fans, and can't say I blame them. B.J. Upton ? Michael Bourn ? Two dynamic talents that aren't perfect fits for the Braves, but who are options nonetheless. Marlon Byrd ? Reed Johnson ? A couple of others who might be able to help if Braves want one. Only thing that's wrong with Bourn, for Atlanta's purposes, is"
July 29
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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It's Chipper Jones Bobblehead Night at Turner Field, and by the time I finish writing this blog in 25 minutes we should know whether the third baseman is back in the Braves lineup after missing two starts with a right quad strain. What we do know, which I just double-checked with my infamous math skills to make sure, is that Chipper has 999 career extra-base hits. He's got 516 doubles, 38 triples and 445 home runs. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's 999, right? Anyway, Carlos Quentin. That's right, we've got no time for transitions today, so let's get right into the rumor du jour. And let me start by saying, it's legit. Checked it with someone this afternoon who would know, and the Braves"