Thanks for all the years of service Tim Hudson

Last night while getting pumped for the big Monday Night NFL game between my Carolina Panthers and the New England Patriots, I got word that Tim Hudson was no longer a Atlanta Brave.  I heard there was a chance that Huddy may not return to the club in 2014, but I chose to be ignorant and just enjoy the rest of the Braves' run for the playoffs.  After the team clinched I was glad to see Tim in the clubhouse w/ his teammates celebrating.  I believe he was interviewed at that time about his future and he was vague.

Tim spent 9 seasons w/ the Braves and won 113 of his starts while losing 72.  He pitched 9 complete games, 5 being shut outs.  He finished with a 3.56 ERA w/ the Braves.

Being a NL guy, I never knew much about Tim Hudson prior to him joining the Braves in 2005.  However it didn't take long for me to gravitate to being a huge fan of his for several different reasons.  1) The guy was a beast on the mound...at least before injuries kept creeping in.  When he was pitching I just felt better about the Braves' chances at winning that particular game.  2) The guy off the field was just as impressive with what he and his wife do w/ their organization, Hudson Family Foundation, working w/ children in need.  3) His faith.  If you've followed my blog for very long then you know where I stand in my beliefs.  Though I've dropped the ball w/ my Sunday Verse posts over the last 6 months, a lot of players I collect cards of are players of whom I can relate too from a faith perspective.  Tim is one of these guys.  For that reason he'll remain a staple in my card collection despite changing his Braves jersey for a Giants jersey.


When Tim was drafted by the Athletics he joined Barry Zito and Mark Mulder and became a key part of their rotation.  After all these years later, Tim will rejoin his former teammate, Zito, in the same state he started his professional baseball career.

I admit it'll be weird watching Tim pitch against the Braves next season, but I can't help but still root for him...just as long as he is not too harsh on my team!

These last few weeks/months have been rough on us Braves fans.  Of course to lose to the Dodgers in the playoffs hurt.  Seeing all that payroll "wasted" on Uggla and B.J. Upton hurts.  Then we hear that the team is leaving Atlanta for Cobb County and Turner Field will be demolished.  Granted I've only been to a handful of games @ Turner Field, I loved that stadium and I thought it was perfectly fine.  I'm not a resident of Atlanta or Georgia for that matter, so I really can't comment on the ease of accessing the stadium (I always use the MARTA system when I visited), but from a fan experience I always had a blast.  I can see why Braves fans are so frustrated right now, but let's put aside some of that frustration and wish Tim and his family the best of luck out west.

Thank you Tim for your years of service in Atlanta.  You'll be missed by everyone in the clubhouse and by everyone in the stands and especially by those of us behind TV screens in South Carolina.