Pitcher Perfect
Even if Atlanta Braves ace Tim Hudson isn’t invited to the 2010 MLB All-Star Game, we shouldn’t overlook the stellar season he’s having away from the diamond
by DeMarco Williams 
Enough already about Stephen Strasburg, Ubaldo Jimenez and Roy Halladay. Okay, we get it. Every five days they grab the ball and make complete fools of the National League’s finest hitters. But if you’re only focusing on ESPN highlights, you’re missing out on a fine season from right in your own backyard. A robust 7-2 and owning the NL’s sixth best ERA at press time, Atlanta Braves hurler Tim Hudson is proving to be quite the example for the team’s young aces Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrjens. But even more impressive than Hudson’s achievements on the mound –With Oakland and Atlanta, Tim has 155 career wins, two one-hitters and has been in the top 10 in season strikeouts three times- may be the things he and his wife, Kim, do off of it with the Hudson Family Foundation (www.hudsonfamilyfoundation.com), a not-for-profit organization that helps families with children who have physical and emotional issues. So, while the likes of Jimenez and Halladay might get the all-star game call on July 13, everyone in the Braves family knows the true ace in the National League wears a No. 15 Atlanta jersey.
The economy is still pretty rough. It must have been a tough decision to unveil the Hudson Family Foundation under the circumstances.
Well, honestly, everybody that advised us told us that it wasn’t a good time to start it. With the economy, for obvious reasons, we know it isn’t the time to ask people for charitable giving. If anything, people are cutting back—especially from a corporate standpoint.
How did the idea come about?
I had just gotten hurt. I just had my [Tommy John] surgery. I was doing all my rehab. God only knew if I was going to play again. I didn’t know if I was going to play again. It was just one of those things. I was 33 years old and just had major surgery. [A charity] is kind of a big venture to take on when you don’t know where your career is going to go. Obviously, it was going to be a pretty substantial donation from us to get this thing started. After that, who knew how supportive the community was going to be just ‘cuz the economy was so bad.
You guys do extremely good things with families who are struggling with medical bills for their children. Talk about the gratification you get from helping out.
We feel really good when we see a family in need and we’re able to help them. We see how much they appreciate it and [see] the impact it’s making. As opposed to giving $80,000 in grants and just hope it does good. We come across a lot of families in hospitals. It’s just so heart-wrenching. You hear about the dad losing his job because he had to be at the hospital three weeks out the month with his kid. Any parent is going to spend every waking moment they can with their sick child. Unfortunately, the consequences are that mortgages get behind. Jobs are lost. Travel is expensive. Hotels are expensive. There’s just so much of a burden on these families and these parents the last thing they need to worry about is where is the money going to come from to pay the rent or light bill. It’s stuff like that where I feel like we can help out a lot through our foundation.
Some may have questioned the timing of the Foundation’s birth, but you’ve always been one to defy odds, right?
Growing up, I was always the small kid. I was never the best player on my team, but I knew from an early age that I had a talent to play baseball. But not only that, I was blessed with a love and a passion for the game. I grew up in a humble household. My dad worked every day of his life. He and my mom did everything they could to raise us right. For me, it was just a drive early on to be successful.
What makes the Braves one of the teams to beat this season?
I think our starting pitching is one of the best, if not the best, in the game. You can say what you want about the Yankees. You can say what you want about the Phillies. I know what I can do when I’m healthy. I feel very confident in hoping to have one of the best years of my career. I’m excited. Our defense is playing good. I think, with our pitching and defense, we’re a team that a lot of teams don’t want to see come to town.
Nobody wants to see Braves phenom Jason Heyward come to town. What were your first thoughts when you saw the guy bat?
I’m telling you, he is a stud. I saw him last year at spring training. I was amazed that this kid was going to start at A ball [in 2009]. I was like, “Why don’t you put him in the AAA and call him up in a month?” That was my view. He’s so good and he’s such a talent, you almost have to baby those guys along. You don’t wanna give him too much at one time.
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