BRAVES' RAFAEL FURCAL.

Injury curtailed young shortstop from adding to the rookie honors he won last year

THERE IS ONLY ONE TITLE Rafael Furcal wanted to own this year--most improved.

It was an odd goal for a player who last season made the jump from Class A to the majors, stole 40 bases, was named National League Rookie of the Year and did it all before his 21st birthday.

Then again, for a player who barely understood his bosses and co-workers last year, improvement was the only option.

The Braves shortstop did more than work on his hitting and fielding back home in the Dominican Republic during the offseason. He bought stacks of English workbooks and reading books. He watched videos for better ways of learning the language of his new country. He wanted to be the most improved English speaker in the Braves' clubhouse.

"English is part of my job," Furcal said in English. "It's one of the most important languages in the world. I have to be able to understand what my teammates are saying."

"Last year, he was barely able to communicate," third baseman Chipper Jones said. "He plays an important position ... where you always have to be communicating with your teammates. Now, you can carry on a full conversation with him."