KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) -- The Atlanta Braves were ready to add some more experience to their starting rotation - and boy, did they succeed.
Bartolo Colon, the 43-year-old right-hander whose longevity and jovial disposition have turned him into one of the game's fan favorites, joined Atlanta in November. Around the same time, the Braves acquired R.A. Dickey, the 42-year-old knuckleballer who is one of baseball's elder statesmen - but whose big league debut back in 2001 came four years after Colon's.
After three straight losing seasons, the Braves are hoping for a bright future led by young pitching as they move into a new ballpark.