Tim Hudson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tim Hudson |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Hudson with the Atlanta Braves in 2008
|
|||
| Pitcher | |||
| Born: July 14, 1975 Columbus, Georgia, U.S. |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| June 8, 1999, for the Oakland Athletics | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 1, 2015, for the San Francisco Giants | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 222–133 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.49 | ||
| Strikeouts | 2,080 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
|
|||
Timothy Adam Hudson (born July 14, 1975), known as "Huddy", is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 17 seasons.
Hudson played for the Oakland Athletics (1999–2004), the Atlanta Braves (2005–2013), and the San Francisco Giants (2014–2015). He won the 2014 World Series with the Giants. After retiring from playing, he became a baseball coach. He is currently the head coach for the Lee-Scott Academy baseball team in Auburn, Alabama.
Tim Hudson was known as a very steady pitcher. For most of his career, he won more games than he lost. He was chosen as an All-Star four times. When he retired in 2015, he was one of the few active pitchers with over 200 career wins. He is also one of only 15 pitchers in MLB history to have beaten every team in the league.
Contents
Tim Hudson's Early Life
Timothy Adam Hudson was born on July 14, 1975, in Columbus, Georgia. He went to Glenwood School in Phenix City, Alabama. In his final year of high school, he helped his team win the 1993 state championship. He had a great record of 12 wins and 1 loss.
Even with his good record, scouts thought Hudson was too small for a major college scholarship. So, he decided to go to a local two-year college, Chattahoochee Valley Community College (CVCC).
College Baseball Career
Playing at Chattahoochee Valley Community College
In 1994, during his first year at CVCC, Tim Hudson was named a First-team All-American. He helped his team win the AJCCC Division II championship. He was a great hitter, leading his team in batting average (.385), home runs (9), and RBI (42). As a pitcher, he had 10 wins and 2 losses, with 76 strikeouts.
In his second year, he was named Second-team All-American. He set a school record with 117 strikeouts, which was the most in the nation. He also continued to hit well, with a .345 batting average.
Playing at Auburn University
Before his junior year, Hudson moved to Auburn University. He played two seasons there. In 1997, he played in all 65 games for the Auburn Tigers. He was both a pitcher and an outfielder. He hit .396 with 18 home runs and 95 RBI. As a pitcher, he had 15 wins and 2 losses with a 2.97 ERA.
He was named SEC Player of the Year and an All-American. He was the first player to be named First Team All-SEC at two positions (pitcher and outfielder) in the same year. The Oakland Athletics drafted him in the sixth round of the 1997 amateur draft.
Professional Baseball Career
Starting with the Oakland Athletics (1999–2004)
Tim Hudson made his first Major League game start on June 8, 1999. He played for the Oakland Athletics. He got his first career win in his next game on June 13.
In his first season, Hudson had 11 wins and 2 losses. He became part of Oakland's "Big Three" pitchers, along with Mark Mulder and Barry Zito. In 2000, he won a career-high 20 games. He finished second in the AL Cy Young Award voting. Over the next three seasons, he continued to pitch well, with records of 18-9, 15-9, and 16-7. In 2004, he had 12 wins and 6 losses. Overall, with the A's, Hudson had 92 wins and 39 losses.
.jpg)
Time with the Atlanta Braves (2005–2013)
Before the 2005 season, Hudson was traded to the Atlanta Braves. On August 6, 2005, he won his 100th career game.
His second season with the Braves in 2006 was not as good. But he returned to his strong form in 2007, finishing with 16 wins and 10 losses. He struck out a career-high 13 batters in one game.
In 2008, Hudson had surgery on his pitching elbow and missed the rest of the season. He returned to play in September 2009. In November 2009, he signed a new contract with the Braves.
.jpg)
On October 5, 2010, Hudson won the NL Comeback Player of the Year Award. This award is given to a player who performs well after facing challenges.
On June 20, 2011, Hudson hit his second career home run. This home run helped the Braves win the game 2-0. On July 15, 2011, Hudson was the winning pitcher in the Braves' 10,000th win in team history.
In 2012, Hudson had 16 wins and 7 losses. On April 30, 2013, he reached 200 career wins, a major milestone for a pitcher. In that game, he also hit a home run. On July 24, 2013, Hudson broke his ankle during a game, which ended his season. After the season, he became a free agent. With the Braves, he had 113 wins and 72 losses.
Playing for the San Francisco Giants (2014–2015)
On November 18, 2013, Hudson signed a two-year contract with the San Francisco Giants. He started his time with the Giants very well, setting a team record for pitching many innings without walking a batter.
In his first year with the Giants, he was chosen for the All-Star Game. This meant he had been an All-Star with every team he played for. On August 27, 2014, Hudson got his 2,000th career strikeout.
On October 29, Hudson became the oldest pitcher to start Game 7 of the World Series. The Giants won the game, 3-2, and the series, 4-3. This gave Hudson his first and only World Series ring in his 16-year career.
Before the 2015 season, Hudson said it would likely be his last. On July 26, 2015, he became the 15th pitcher in MLB history to win a game against all 30 current major league teams.
On September 26, 2015, Hudson started a game against Barry Zito and the Oakland Athletics. This game was a special tribute to the "Big Three" pitchers from the early 2000s. Both pitchers received big cheers from the crowd.
On October 1, Hudson started his last career Major League game. He received a standing ovation from his family, friends, and fans as he left the mound. On October 3, the Giants honored Hudson with a special ceremony. His family, teammates, and coaches were there.
How Tim Hudson Pitched
Hudson was known for throwing a "sinkerball". This pitch moves downward as it gets to the batter. He also used a "cutter", a "curveball", and a "splitter". He used these different pitches to make it hard for batters to hit the ball.
Achievements and Awards
- Professional Baseball
- 2010 Hutch Award winner
- Nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award twice. This award honors players who are great on the field and in the community.
- Set a Major League record for having 10 or more wins and 9 or fewer losses for seven seasons in a row (1999 to 2005).
- 2010 Major League Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Award
- Four-time All-Star (2000, 2004, 2010, 2014)
- Led MLB in winning percentage (2000)
- Led the American League (AL) in wins (20, 2000)
- Led the AL in games started (35, 2001)
- Led the AL in shutouts twice (2003–04)
- Won 15 or more games five times (2000–03, 2007)
- Pitched three games where he only allowed one hit: August 28, 2000; May 1, 2006; and May 4, 2011.
- On April 30, 2013, Hudson won his 200th career game.
- 2014 World Series Champion
- On July 26, 2015, Hudson became the 15th pitcher to win a game against all 30 major league teams.
- College Baseball
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Tim Hudson became a guest instructor for the Braves and Giants during spring training. In January 2020, he became the pitching coach for the Auburn Tigers baseball team. In 2022, he became the Head Coach of the Lee-Scott Academy baseball team.
Broadcasting Career
In 2016, Hudson also started working as a part-time broadcaster for some Braves games on Fox Sports South and Fox Sports Southeast.
Personal Life
Tim Hudson is married to Kim Bruner, whom he met at Auburn University. They have two daughters and one son. They live in Auburn, Alabama.
Faith
Hudson is a Christian. He has spoken about how his faith has helped him through challenges in his sports career. He believes in being a good example for others.
Helping Others
Philanthropy
Tim Hudson and his wife are very involved in helping children through their organization, the Hudson Family Foundation.
See also
- Atlanta Braves award winners and league leaders
- Oakland Athletics award winners and league leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual shutout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career games started leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career putouts as a pitcher leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders
- List of World Series starting pitchers
