- Mark Bowman over at MLB.com has the shocking story of Atlanta Braves pinch-hitting extraordinaire Greg Norton as he reflects on the 20th anniversary of his father taking his mother’s life. This story is more about the person than the ballplayer and Bowman does a great job rehashing the tragic events. (MLB: Norton Lives With Pain)
- The Atlanta Journal Constitution’s David O’ Brien has the scoop on Brian McCann’s new glasses. The Braves catcher will be behind the plate for AAA Gwinnett’s Thursday night game against Syracuse. (AJC: McCann Tries New Glasses)
- Speaking of the G-Braves, Tommy Hanson was on the mound last night in the Braves 8-1 loss to Syracuse. But don’t let the score deceive you. Hanson was lights out. The righty tossed six innings of one-run ball, while striking out 10 and allowing just two hits — one of those which was a home run to former Brave Ryan Langerhans. (Hanson Dominant in G-Braves loss)
- For some reason or other, this next link slipped my mind and I forgot to create a post on it this past weekend. Our old friend Greg Maddux had his No. 31 retired by the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. The salute was a shared-venture with longtime Cub great and Hall-of-Famer Ferguson Jenkins, who also donned the number. The Mad Dog will have his number retired by the Braves come July. (SunTimes: Cubs Call Maddux’s Number)
- John Smoltz sat down for a Q&A with Golf Digest and dished about who’s a better golfer between the trio of Maddux, Glavine and himself. A lot of interesting info here, including what Smoltzie’s lowest score at Augusta was and how he held up playing against the great Tiger Woods. (Golf Digest: Question and Answer with Smoltz)
- The Clairon Ledger has a nice profile of Braves prospect Gorkys Hernandez. Every time I hear this kid’s name, I think back to the Edgar Renteria trade and wonder how on Earth we were able to steal Jair Jurrjens and Hernandez away from the Detroit Tigers for an aging shortstop. Either way, I’m excited for Hernandez’s future. Kid has a great glove, top-notch speed and is thriving at AA Mississippi. (ClarionLedger: Hernandez a can’t-miss prospect)
- Tom Glavine threw for about 15 minutes off the mound on Monday with0ut pain. He told reporters that the side session was the best he has had all season — Spring Training included. (ESPN: Glavine Throws Off Mound)
The Braves Beat: Around The Net is a weekly post on “Tomahawk Take” that will highlight a variety of stories from other news outlets that cover the Atlanta Braves.
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