--RHP Tommy Hanson, 22, was named Arizona Fall League pitcher of the week on Oct. 20. He won both of his starts the previous week, striking out eight of the first nine batters Oct. 18.
--3B Chipper Jones has added some new weight-training equipment to his home gym in anticipation of being able to start strengthening work. Jones is undergoing therapy for acute right shoulder tendinitis. --LHP Tom Glavine (left flexor tendon surgery) and RHP John Smoltz (right shoulder surgery) are on roughly similar rehab schedules: November off; December, ground work; January, mound work probable; February, ready to throw off a mound at the normal time during the Braves' early throwing program in the two weeks before spring training.
--RF Jeff Francoeur has learned his lesson about offseason weight regimens. He got bigger and stronger a year ago, reasoning he would hit more home runs. Unfortunately, it cost him his quickness, and his stats declined across the board. He went from hitting .293 with a .444 slugging percentage in 2007 to .239 with a .359 slugging percentage in 2008. His homers fell from 19 to 11, and his RBI total dropped from 105 to 71.
--General manager Frank Wren is confident the current outfielders on the Braves roster -- including but not limited to Matt Diaz, Gregor Blanco and Josh Anderson -- could be moved around if it meant accommodating a newly acquired big bat, which is one of Wren's stated goals.
BY THE NUMBERS: 33 -- Years of superlative work by Pete Van Wieren, who retired as a Braves broadcaster on Oct. 21.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I never wanted to be in the position where I was going to continue to work until I can't do it anymore. Because if you can't do this, you can't do anything. All you're doing is sitting and talking." -- Braves broadcaster Pete Van Wieren, on why he is retiring.
