Former Oakland Athletics pitcher Tim Hudson put together a long and productive career in the MLB.
The right-hander played for three different teams throughout his 17-year career.
Over this time, he was one of the most consistent arms in the entire MLB.
He was known as a finesse pitcher that was able to get outs without posting a ton of strikeouts.
While he may never have been at the absolute peak of starting pitchers during his generation, he thrived in an era where inflated offense forced pitchers to adapt.
Here is a breakdown of Hudson’s career and where the former MLB star is now.
Hudson Debuts With A’s
Hudson was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the sixth round of the 1997 MLB draft.
He spent two seasons in the minors before getting called up during the 1999 season.
Quickly, he developed himself into a solid contributor on the mound.
In his rookie season, he went 11-2 with a 3.23 ERA over 21 games.
On September 4th, 1999, Tim Hudson strikes out eight Tigers in a dominant complete game, and Ramon Hernandez drives in Scott Spiezio to walk it off in the 9th! #RootedInOakland pic.twitter.com/SN2EzU1jP4
— Amazin’ A’s Craze (@AmazinAsCraze) August 7, 2020
He followed this up with a Cy Young runner-up in 2000, as he led the MLB with 20 wins and a 4.14 ERA.
Over the next few seasons, he was an integral part of the A’s Moneyball success.
Him and fellow pitchers Barry Zito and Mark Mulder formed one of the most formidable pitching trios in the entire league.
The group was known as the “Big Three” and they created one of the best pitching cores of the past generation.
Tim Hudson, Barry Zito, and Mark Mulder during a spring training photo shoot at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. These three guys were absolute studs. #Oakland #Athletics pic.twitter.com/Y6i88Z6xjl
— Amazin’ A’s Craze (@AmazinAsCraze) April 14, 2020
After posting a 3.37 ERA in 2001, Hudson strung together two straight seasons with an under-two ERA.
In 2002, when the A’s set the then winning streak record, Hudson went 15-9 with a 2.98 ERA.
He then posted a 2.70 ERA the next season.
In 2004, he earned his second All-Star appearance as he went 12-6 with a 3.53 ERA in 188.2 innings.
After the 2004 season, the “Big Three” split up as Hudson and Mulder left the Athletics.
For Hudson, this set up a second act for his career that was nearly as dominant.
Hudson Thrives In Atlanta
Prior to the 2005 season, Hudson was traded to the Atlanta Braves and later signed a four-year contract extension with the team.
Happy Birthday to Braves Hall of Famer Tim Hudson! 🎉🎉 pic.twitter.com/031tAqfYfo
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 14, 2019
He continued his solid play with his new team as he had a 3.52 ERA his first season.
After a down year in 2006, he bounced back with another ERA in the low threes.
From 2007-2014, Hudson never posted an ERA above four.
Over this period, his most notable season was in 2010 when he went 17-9 with a 2.83 ERA.
This earned him the third All-Star appearance of his career, and a fourth-place finish in the Cy Young voting.
While his 2011 season wasn’t quite as good, he still won 16 games with another low ERA of 3.22.
World Series Champion
Before the 2014 season, Hudson signed a contract to join the San Francisco Giants.
At 38-years-old, he still became a critical part of the Giants World Series run.
While he went 9-13, he logged 189.1 innings and had a 3.57 ERA.
In the playoffs, he started in four games as the team worked their way through the National League.
Tim Hudson talks about the most important start of his career. #WorldSerieshttps://t.co/dPyY6EiZ04
— Cut4 (@Cut4) October 24, 2014
As a result, he won the first World Series ring of his career, well into the 16th year of his career.
The next year, Hudson struggled as he had the second highest ERA of his career (4.44).
Being 39 years old, Hudson decided to retire from baseball.
By the end of his career, Hudson accumulated a record of 222-133 with a 3.49 ERA in 3,126.2 innings.
Life After Baseball
Now, Hudson has established an off-field charity that supports areas of need in the community, providing families with different kinds of assistance based on their needs.
Hudson spoke about the charity work.
“We have our Hudson Family Foundation that we’ve been involved, been passionate about for the last eight or 10 years. That’s something that we obviously serve families in Georgia and Alabama and families with children who are having a problem in one area or another. We’ve been getting very involved with our local church, in ministry with the homeless ministry and that’s something that we’ve reached out to over the last month or so. We just try to follow where God wants us to go and help whoever needs to be served.”
Hudson also coaches his son, Kade’s, JV baseball team at Lee Scott Academy.
“I’m helping out with the varsity a little bit as well, but I’m more hands-on right now with the JV. It’s been fun coaching him; he’s in the seventh grade so it’s been coaching him, trying to stay out of his way a little bit but also spending time with him.” he said.
Hudson was also asked if he ever sees himself coaching at the professional level.
“I don’t know about the professional level. I probably see myself more at the amateur level than I do at the professional level just because the professional level, there’s a lot of travel that goes into it and a lot of time away from home. Obviously, if doors are open and God wants me to go then that’ll be where I head but definitely, I’m open to all options. I just have to weigh them all.”
He leaves behind a career as a stand-up guy in the sport of baseball.
Many other players in the league that have either played with or against Hudson view him as one of the best people in the sport, and his contributions after his career show this even further.
On the field, he left behind a legacy as one of the best and most consistent arms of the 2000s.
NEXT: What Happened To Barry Zito? (Complete Story)