Alan Schwarz, a contributor to ESPN The Magazine, is filing regular Pulsecards from spring training. Today he's the go-between for a champion and a chatterbox.

Even though the Braves are looking forward to MLB's security presentation in a few minutes -- they love watching the "Just Say No" video of Mafia types describing how they recruit athletes to throw games -- tensions seem to be running a tad high in the Atlanta clubhouse this afternoon. In fact, isn't that Greg Maddux yelling at Rafael Furcal?

"Stop telling me to hurry up out there," says Maddux, who in a couple of hours will be making his second spring start against the Astros. "I'll throw the ball when I damn well feel like it!"

Seems as if Furcal doesn't exactly respect his elders. Last year, as a 19-year-old (we think) rookie, the shortstop had a tendency to chatter a bit too much for a certain future Hall of Famer's liking. The waterbug who scooted his way to 40 stolen bases last year would prefer that Maddux, who has the get-up-and-go of a sack of potatoes, pick things up a bit. "Let's go!" he'd say, before summoning the other half of his English vocabulary. "Come on!"

"Sometimes he just won't stop chirping," Maddux says, "and you'll do anything to shut him up."

Thankfully, Furcal has since learned a few more words -- and uses them now to explain himself. "When you talk, it helps you concentrate and stay in the game. He'll stop there on the mound and say back to me, 'Take it easy, Chico.' I think he likes it."

Maddux admits he doesn't mind his chatty little friend that much. "I don't even understand him half the time," Maddux laughs. "All I know is that after he gets a hit, he gets even louder."