Fans embrace opportunity to meet prospect, former players.

CHICAGO - Pitching great Greg Maddux has rejoined the Chicago Cubs as an assistant to general manager Jim Hendry. The 355-game winner, who started his major league career with the Cubs in 1986 and rejoined them from 2004-06, retired as a player after the 2008 season.

A person familiar with the negotiations says Eric Hinske and the Atlanta Braves have reached a preliminary agreement on a one-year contract.

ATLANTA - Now that his shoulder is finally healthy, Troy Glaus is ready to learn a new position and regain his power stroke.

ATLANTA --- The power-hungry Atlanta Braves are hoping longtime third baseman Troy Glaus can fill the team's void at first base.

NEW YORK --- Pitcher Javier Vazquez was traded back to the Yankees by the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday for outfielder Melky Cabrera, a move that pushed New York's payroll for next season to more than $200 million.

ATLANTA - Chip Caray is headed back to the Atlanta Braves broadcasting booth.

Outfielder Matt Diaz agreed Saturday to a $2.55 million, one-year contract with the Atlanta Braves, who let second baseman Kelly Johnson go free by failing to offer a 2010 contract.

ATLANTA --- The Atlanta Braves' surplus of late-inning relievers forced the team to part ways with outfielder Ryan Church on Tuesday.

The Atlanta Braves made another move to strengthen their pitching staff Thursday, agreeing to a one-year contract with right-handed reliever Takashi Saito .

ATLANTA --- The Atlanta Braves took another major step toward solidifying their pitching staff for next season, agreeing Wednesday to a $7 million, one-year contract with closer Billy Wagner.

ATLANTA - The Braves packed up their lockers, exchanged phone numbers and started looking ahead to next season with a lot more hope than they had a year ago.

ATLANTA --- The Washington Nationals completed a dismal season with a glimmer of hope. The Atlanta Braves finished a promising year with a brutal final week.

ATLANTA --- The Washington Nationals are playing as if they were contenders the last week of the season, not the team that has the worst record in the majors.

ATLANTA --- Rookie Ian Desmond homered, tripled and drove in three runs and the Washington Nationals kept up their strong finish to a dismal season by beating the Atlanta Braves 6-3 Friday night.

ATLANTA --- The only champagne in Atlanta's clubhouse was intended for an individual milestone.

ATLANTA --- Ricky Nolasco struck out nine Atlanta Braves in a row and set a Marlins record with 16 strikeouts -- the most by a major league pitcher in more than two years -- in Florida's 5-4 victory Wednesday night.

ATLANTA --- Jorge Cantu hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the seventh and the Florida Marlins damaged Atlanta's playoff hopes, winning 5-4 on Tuesday night to snap the Braves' seven-game winning streak.

ATLANTA - Jair Jurrjens pitched seven outstanding innings, Chipper Jones homered and the Atlanta Braves beat Florida 4-0 Monday night for their 15th win in 17 games, a stretch that has lifted them into playoff contention with less than a week to go in the regular season.

WASHINGTON --- The Atlanta Braves have forced their way into the playoff picture unburdened by the usual late-season nerves and anxieties. They threw all that stuff out long ago, back when they were so far behind they thought they were pretty much out of it.

WASHINGTON --- Tommy Hanson is a major reason why the Atlanta Braves are closing the season with a flourish. They're going to need more than Hanson's help to get into the playoffs.