More photos » by Gregory Smith - AP

Atlanta Braves hitter Brian McCann winning his third Silver Slugger award was just one of the highlights from this past week.

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Here's a look at the major stories in the world of the Atlanta Braves for the week ending on November 15th:

  In the Press...

• Brian McCann won his third Sliver Slugger Award.
• The Braves officially named Dave Wallace minor league pitching coordinator. They also named Garey Ingram hitting coach at double-A Mississippi.
• The Braves signed a minor league shortstop as organizational depth.
• After a couple of weeks of talking about it, and a week after it was signed, the Tim Hudson contract extension was officially announced.

At Talking Chop...

• The SBN Awards were released, and Tommy Hanson won the SBN NL Rookie of the Year. Let's see if he can win the real thing this week.
• CB presented the top-10 Braves right-handed starting pitching prospects in two parts, here and here.
• Matt presented the top-10 Braves left-handed starting pitching prospects in two parts, here and here.
• I think the Braves should sign Billy Wagner, simply because his agent is named Bean Stringfellow.
• The bloggers at Talking Chop had round tables on right-handed and left-handed minor league starters.
• Take the Braves out of the running for these free agents.
• The Atlanta Braves Fan Confidence continued to climb.

Notable FanPosts and FanShots...

• royhobbs has a great review of the Brain McCann charity softball game.
• tenesseejed1 shared some pictures of his trip to the AFL.
• mvhsbball has a nice and nostalgic post about "Your first memory of the Atlanta Braves."

Here's a look at the major stories in the world of the Atlanta Braves for the week ending on November 8th:

  In the Press...

• Baseball America released their top-10 Braves prospects for 2010.
• SI.com reported that the Braves might make a play for Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman, but then Frank Wren shot down that rumor.
• Talking Chop was one of the first to report that the Braves signed reliever Scott Proctor to a very affordable minor league contract.
• Tim Hudson says his contract extension is essentially done, but we are still waiting on the MRI result on his right elbow before the Braves officially announce the deal.
• Four Braves players filed for free agency.
• Mike Minor got roughed up big-time in his start in the AFL Rising Stars game.
• The blog, Stadium Journey, reviewed their visit to Turner Field.
  

At Talking Chop...

• The Atlanta Braves Fan Confidence continued to rise this off-season.
• We reviewed the 2009 seasons of the Braves starting pitchers, Derek Lowe, Javier Vazquez, Jair Jurrjens, Tommy Hanson, and Kenshin Kawakami.
• Riaan Spanjer-Furstenburg was named the Topps Appy League Player of the Year.
• I asked if J.J. Putz could be an option at closer for next year.
  

Notable FanPosts and FanShots...

• jmorris811 shared a bunch of his Braves photos with us.
• ryan c thinks Chipper Jones should be moved into the number-2 spot in the batting order.
• arnec reprints a nice story about Ralph Garr and the Richmond Braves.
• rbravesfan shares some pictures of the Rome Braves.
• justincredubil02 cannot bring himself to believe that the Braves would trade Javier Vazquez.
• mvhsball takes issue with columnist Mark Bradley's suggestion to make Tommy Hanson a closer.
• PWHjort passes along a comment about Mike Minor from BA's Jim Callis.

Upcoming Events...

• The first ever Brian McCann Celebrity Softball Game is set for November 13th... details here. We're making this a bit of a Talking Chop outing, so everyone get your tickets!
  
• The Gwinnett Braves have a whole slate of off-season events planned at their ballpark, the list is here.

Here's a look at the major stories in the world of the Atlanta Braves for the week ending on November 1st:

  In the Press...

• John Sickels released his top-20 Braves prospects for 2010.
• The Braves hired former major league pitching coach Dave Wallace as their minor league pitching coordinator.
• Chipper Jones was interviewed by Forbes.com.
• It was reported by several different sources that Tim Hudson was close to a contract extension with Atlanta.
• David O'Brien gave us an update on how our prospects are faring in the Arizona Fall League.

At Talking Chop...

• Talking Chop was the first to report that Jason Heyward would return to Atlanta to have his injured hamstring examined. It was later learned that he would not be returning to the AFL, and will instead use the winter to recover.
  
• We reviewed the 2009 season of center fielders Nate McLouth and Jordan Schafer and outfielder Matt Diaz.
  
• CB reviewed the top-5 minor league center fielders and the top-5 minor league right fielders in the Braves organization.
• The bloggers of Talking Chop conducted two round tables about the state of the left fielders, center fielders, and right fielders in the Braves system.

Notable FanPosts and FanShots...

• royhobbs gave us a pictorial recap of the 2009 season.
• Sid Bream's Moustache shared a link about the source of baseball's magic mud.
• TradeAndruw linked to MLBTR's off-season outlook for the Braves.
• traphicg thinks that the hiring of Mark McGwire as the Cardinals hitting coach paves the way for Chipper Jones to one day be the Braves hitting coach.
• schaef888 was nice enough to recap a fan chat by prospect guru Jim Callis.

Here's a look at the major stories in the world of the Atlanta Braves for the week ending on October 25th:

  In the Press...

• There were some suggestions by beat writers David O'Brien and Mark Bowman about the off-season direction the Braves will take.
• Talking Chop first reported that Jason Heyward was sidelined with a leg injury, which was later reported by the Braves.com site.
• The Braves "got the ball rolling" on contract extension talks with Tim Hudson.
• The Braves hired another former member of the Orioles front office. 
• The AJC reported that Martin Prado is likely going to be the Braves 2010 opening day second baseman.

At Talking Chop...

• The Atlanta Braves Fan Confidence Poll showed that Braves fans are already feeling better about the off-season.
• We reviewed the 2009 season of third baseman Chipper Jones.
• The 2009 seasons of Omar Infante, Kelly Johnson, and Garret Anderson were also reviewed.
• Matt reviewed the top-5 Braves third base prospects and the top-5 left field prospects.
  
• Matt Diaz chatted with fans on ESPN, we wrapped up the most interesting Qs & As.
• The bloggers of Talking Chop conducted a round table on the third basemen in the Braves organization.
• We continue to recap the Braves prospects' performances in the games of the baseball fall and winter leagues, here and here.
  

Notable FanPosts and FanShots...

• GoBravesNY told us about prospect Jeff Lyman's Arizona Fall League blog, and cbwilk told us about L.V. Ware's blog.
  
• justincredubil02 informed everyone how to get free Braves merchandise.
• Dale Murphy for HOF gave us his top-5 best and top-5 worst Braves trades.
• GoBravesNY asked everyone what their screen names meant, mine (gondeee) is a play on my last name, Gandy.
• PWHjort expanded upon a link from the USS Mariner about roster construction theory.

Upcoming Events...

• The first ever Brian McCann Celebrity Softball Game is set for November 13th... details here. We're making this a bit of a Talking Chop outing, so everyone get your tickets!
  
• The Gwinnett Braves have a whole slate of off-season events planned at their ballpark, the list is here.

More photos » by John Amis - AP

Atlanta Braves' starting pitcher Tim Hudson says he wants to in Atlanta, and would give the team a hometown discount on his contract.

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Here's a look at the major stories in the world of the Atlanta Braves for the week ending on October 18th:

  In the Press...

• The Braves lost longtime scouting director Roy Clark to the Nationals, then promoted Tony DeMacio as their new director of scouting. 
• After there was initially a report that Tim Hudson was going to leave the Braves and opt for free agency, he came out and denied that report, saying that he would accept a "hometown discount" to stay with Atlanta.
• Kris Medlen pens his own column, and says he's open to either starting or relieving next year, and that he really learned how to be a reliever on the fly at the Major League level.

At Talking Chop...

• Our on-going wrapup of the 2009 season continued with reviews of Martin Prado and Yunel Escobar
• CB reviewed the top-5 second base prospects and the top-5 shortstop prospects in the Braves organization.
  
• The Arizona Fall League has begun and Matt kicked off our daily recapping of how our prospects are faring out there.
  
• I warned of a possible Baltimoreification of the Braves after the hiring of Tony DeMacio as Braves director of scouting.
  
• The bloggers of TC participated in a round table discussing the second base position for the Braves, as well as a round table for the shortstop position. 
• Brian McCann will undergo his second Lasik eye surgery.
• The Braves shed their roster of four players in some early off-season roster management.

Notable FanPosts and FanShots...

• NCChopper shared with us a picture of the swag she got by winning the TBS Hot Corner NAHWAL contest.
• Baseball America spotlighted minor league righty Todd Redmond.
• mvhsbball shared with us his trip to the Arizona Fall League.
• esadb and a bunch of others think Rudy Jamarillo is the solution to everything.
• The Keith Lockhart Era is excited, then laments the end of the Furman Bisher Era.