You've Not Seen the Last of Tim Hudson

Anybody who has been around sports in any capacity for any period of time can tell you this: sports are cruel.  Last night that reminder hit the Atlanta Braves and their star pitcher Tim Hudson head-on when he was lost for the season due to a broken ankle that will require surgery.  Hudson was pitching his best game of the season and had been Atlanta’s best starter for the past two months.  With one out in the bottom of the eighth inning and two runners on, what should have been a routine play turned into the heart and soul of the team lying at first base in agony, only to be followed moments later by a stretcher, a cart, and an ignominious exit.  Yes sports fans, we follow a cruel, unjust spectacle that oftentimes leaves us feeling vacant and unrewarded.

But we only have an emotional tie to the event and last night Tim Hudson had the physical reminder of the random viciousness that befalls a professional athlete.  It was a type of play that Hudson had made thousands of times in his career and is a basic that is covered in spring training relentlessly year after year.  The pitcher MUST cover first base on a ball hit to the first baseman so the first baseman can toss it to him instead of trying to outrun the runner to the base.  Last night, a perfect storm occurred on what could have been a routine play.  First, a sharply hit ball by speedy base runner Eric Young, Jr. takes a bad hop and hits first baseman Freddie Freeman in the chest and trickles away.  Even with a runner on first and second, Freeman is playing in close out of respect for Young’s speed.  Second, Hudson makes a mad dash for the bag trying to beat the speedy Young and be in position to catch a toss from Freeman.  Third, Hudson doesn’t have time to grab the bag and position himself to receive a throw.  His foot landed on the foul side of the base which he stabbed at blindly because the throw from Freeman was already on its way.  Fourth, Young arrives at the base a split second after the ball arrives but accidentally lands on Hudson’s leg; and as close-up replays have shown us many times, legs and ankles aren’t made to bend like that. 

Just like that, Hudson’s season had come crashing to an end.  It was obvious that the injury was serious when Eric Young, Jr. came running back to the base to check on Hudson and you could tell he was visibly upset that he had injured him.  (This is a good time to point out that Young did nothing wrong.  It was a freak accident  and there was nothing he could do but it is refreshing to see an opposing player have that kind of compassion toward another player.)  The whole Braves team on the field huddled around first base out of concern for Hudson, a man well-respected in the MLB community and who has the longest tenure of any current Brave and by far the most experience in the clubhouse.  You could tell the wind had gone out of the team’s sails.  Mets superstar David Wright even came out on the field to check on Hudson and stood fraternally beside Braves catcher Brian McCann until the cart arrived and Hudson was carried away.  As Huddy, the affectionate nickname bestowed upon Tim by his teammates, was loaded onto the cart, Young took a moment to apologize to Hudson and you could see Hudson telling him it was ok.  As Young walked back to the dugout, it appeared that he was wiping tears from his eyes with his jersey.  Tom Hanks may have famously said, “There’s no crying in baseball!” in A League of Their Own but it was apropos last night.  When the cart finally began to drive off the field, the New York Mets fans, a rabid fan base that is infamous for booing anyone with a pulse (they have booed Met first baseman Ike Davis so much this year that he said he feels like an away player when he plays at Citi Field), stood and respectfully cheered Hudson’s exit.  In a footnote, the Braves held on to win the game 8-2 and Hudson was credited with his fourth straight win.

There are two cruel ironies (one I will mention now, the other will come later) that come from Hudson’s season-ending injury, the first of which is getting the win last night made him 8-7 on the season and ensured that he would finish the season with a winning record for the 15^th consecutive year.  Even in 2009 when Hudson returned from Tommy John surgery, he only started seven ballgames but still finished the season with a 2-1 record.  This remarkable streak seemed to be in danger a month ago when Hudson was sitting at 4-7.  To grasp the magnitude of this feat, it has only been accomplished by one other pitcher in the history of baseball: Grover Cleveland Alexander, who never had a .500 or worse season until his 20^th  and final frame. 

Hudson is 38 years old and it is too early to say how long recovery on a surgically repaired ankle may take.  Just ask Derek Jeter; it’s not easy for a player of that age to make a speedy recovery.  He has been in Atlanta since 2005, just missing the heyday of the franchise.  In that time, he has won 113 games in nine seasons, good enough to rank him fifth on the all-time Atlanta Braves win list (not franchise wins, just since moving to Atlanta in 1966) behind one Hall of Famer (Phil Niekro) and three probable HoFers (Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and John Smoltz).  But beyond his accomplishments on the field, he is the unquestioned leader of the clubhouse and a man who is highly regarded by teammates and competitors alike.  He is a tenacious competitor on the field who rarely loses his professionalism and according to those who have played with him, he is a pleasure to be around off the field.  He and his wife are even very active in the Atlanta community and have their own foundation to serve children in need as well as being visibly active in other charity projects as well.  All in all, they just don’t make them any better than Tim Hudson, which brings me to another cruel aspect of the game: business. 

The business side of the game is a necessary evil, one that fans would like to forget about if they could but I guarantee Braves GM Frank Wren woke up this morning with many more questions than answers.  A month ago, the team was in great shape and many guys were beginning to recover from injuries.  The starting rotation was in tact and it appeared as if they may have a surplus of arms to get them through the season.  The only need was in the bullpen where three guys have fallen victim to TJ surgery but the need was not glaring.  But all that has changed in the last few weeks and has been put under a microscope after last night.  It may seem cruel to be thinking about the business side of the game so soon after a devastating injury but that is Frank Wren’s job.  Here are just some of the questions that he and Braves face moving forward.

1)      Who fills the spot in the rotation?  Well, the answer to that may just be the second cruel irony that I mentioned earlier.  Brandon Beachy was to make his final rehab start last night on his road back from TJ surgery that ended his great start to last season.  The question had been who gets bumped from the rotation.  The likely candidates were either Paul Maholm who has been atrocious in road games this year or Kris Medlen who has been unable to repeat his miraculous season of a year ago.  The Braves also have planned to insert highly touted prospect Alex Wood into the rotation at some point giving them seven arms for five slots.  One thought was to move Medlen back to the pen where is has proven he can succeed.  But now Maholm hurt his wrist and will likely be placed on the 15-day disabled list and Hudson is out for the season.  That means the most experienced starter in the rotation is Mike Minor who has made 73 career starts compared to Hudson’s 426 and Maholm’s 236.  The young rotation of Minor, Teheran, Medlen, Wood, and Beachy (combined 187 career starts) may be the way to go.  Funny how things tend to have a way of working out, isn’t it?  But there is another possibility.

2)      Are the Braves now in the trade market for a starting pitcher?  One, and possibly the only, fortunate thing about the Hudson injury was the timing.  The trade deadline is just six days away and if this injury had occurred a start or two later, a decent trade would not have been a viable option.  The major holdback is there just aren’t many quality starters, or players for that matter, on the market.  The Rangers put the ball in play pulling the trigger on the Matt Garza deal.  The three other most talked about names are Jake Peavy, Bud Norris, and Ervin Santana.  The Braves know firsthand from seeing Peavy handle them last week in Chicago that he still has very good stuff…when he’s healthy.  Health has been a concern for Peavy since being traded to the White Sox in 2009.  Peavy is also more than just a rental as he is under contract for $14 million next year.  Bud Norris, the man who would be the Astros ace if you had to declare one, has only won 34 career games and has not even had a sniff of the postseason.  Ervin Santana has been a solid pitcher over the past six or seven years but he is strictly a rental and while he does have postseason experience and has won over 100 games, is he worth giving up prospects for? 

3)      What will happen to Tim Hudson after the 2013 season?  His contract is up and it is speculated that the Braves will not be able to re-sign him especially when they have so many young arms already in their stable.  Some of that may depend on how long it takes Hudson to recover from the injury.  There will be a market for a man of his experience and talent but at what cost?  The Braves have shown in the past that they are not afraid to let veterans go to save some cash and if they are in a situation where they can only sign either Brian McCann or Hudson, I imagine they would go with McCann because of his age.  In a perfect world, Hudson would rebound flawlessly from this setback and sign a lower than market rate one-year deal to stick around in Atlanta.  If for no other reason, doing so would allow him to have a much better final image as a Brave than being carted off the field, an image we all wish we could erase.  But that happening is highly unlikely. 

One thing we do know for sure is that Hudson will handle this adversity with great class and professionalism.  In a week where there has been so much negative attention on MLB (thanks Ryan Braun and A-Rod), it would be a nice change of pace to hear more about the truly good guys of the game.  It’s a shame that it takes a freak injury for everyone to realize that there are still great guys in the league.  So, here’s to you Tim Hudson and all that you have done (and hopefully will continue to do) in an Atlanta Braves uniform and as a beacon in your community!  Good luck and God bless, #15.

A Weekend to September

September is a wonderful time of the year for me.  The weather begins its transition from the sultry heat of summer to the crispness of fall.  You have the stretch run of the Major League Baseball season in conjunction with the start of the NCAA and NFL football seasons.  And my youngest son, Spencer, celebrates his birthday in September as well.  What could be better? Here is a look at the weekend that was in the world of MLB, NCAA, and NFL.

*The University of Louisiana-Monroe shocked the world defeating #8 Arkansas in OT, 34-31.  Kolton Browning was 42-68 passing for 412 yards and 3 TDs and scored the winning TD on a fourth and one from the 16 yard line in overtime.   The turning point for Arkansas came when All-SEC QB Tyler Wilson was knocked out the game with a head injury.  You would have to expect that this ends any hope the Razorbacks had of competing for the crystal football.  Oh yeah, ULM plays Auburn next and if you saw Auburn play against Mississippi State this weekend, the Tigers should be on upset alert.

*Kansas St. opened up a can butt-kick on Miami.  That just goes to show that you can never underestimate a Bill Snyder coached team.  Wow, how the U has lost its swagger?  Those falls from grace tend to have the hardest landings.  At the pace things are going  at the U, don't be surprised if head coach Al Golden's seat starts to get warm.

*Texas A & M and Missouri both got rude welcomes to the SEC.  One can't help but question whether A & M really expected to get away with the billboard in Gainesville and all that trash talk?  It looked as if they might early in the game but the Gators finally found their footing and were able to pull ahead of the Aggies.  And Missouri hung in well with Georgia for three quarters but the Bulldogs' physical defense proved too much for MIZZOU to handle, even without several key starters being out due to suspension.

*Take note of this name.  Maxwell Smith.  It is probably only know by University of Kentucky football fans and his family but the sophomore QB has been sick in the first two games of the season.  He is 65-89 passing for 634 yards, 6 TDs and no interceptions.  Watch out SEC, this Cat is for real. 

*The Pac 12 was looking to make a statement against the Big 10 (which has twelve teams) and the Big 12 (which has ten teams).  On a day that former Kentucky coach Rick Brooks and his 1962 Oregon St. Beaver teammates were honored for their Liberty Bowl victory that year, the 2012 edition of the Beavers laid the wood to #13 Wisconsin.  It is not often a team can play as physical with Wisconsin as OSU did.  Also, UCLA defeated #16 Nebraska.  And for all of you West Virginia and Michigan fans, Rich Rodriguez is back with a vengeance.  Arizona and Rich Rod flexed their muscles against #18 Oklahoma State beating the Cowpokes 59-38. 

*Savannah State's  athletic director is pimping out his team to get big pay days and his coach and players are not happy about that. His team has lost 139-0 the last two weeks and it could have been worse if not for the mercy of a weather situation forcing the game against Florida State to end in the third quarter.

*How bad do you feel for Penn State kicker Sam Ficken?.  The  young man was 1/5 on field goal attempts, including a potential game winner as time expired.  He also missed an extra point as the Nittany Lions lost to Virginia 17-16.  We all knew things were going to be tough for Bill O'Brien and his players but the way they have lost their first two games has been absolutely brutal.

*It doesn't get much better than baseball in September.  In a great baseball city like Baltimore, the fans there have not had much to cheer about in the past fifteen years.  But this year is different.  The Orioles went  toe-to-toe with the Yankees, splitting a four game series and remaining just one game back.

*How impressive have the Braves and their pitching been this September?  The Braves have already won seven games in nine days this September (it took them 17 games to do that last year).  They are winning the games they were losing last year.  And Dan Uggla has responded to his brief time riding some pine.  He had six hits over the weekend against the Mets, including a homer.

*The Nationals finally shut down their ace, Stephen Strasburg, after his performance was being affected by his lack of focus. Strasburg only went three innings Friday night because he got shelled by the Marlins.  On Saturday, a day when it looked as if the Nats were folding the tent and possibly allowing Atlanta back into the race, they staged an unlikely rally to win in extra innings.

*The Saints received great news late in the day on Friday.  Jonathan Vilma and the rest of the players suspended for their part in Bountygate are vindicated and eligible to play this season.  Looks like they will need them on the field as soon as possible.  New Orleans gave up 40 points to Washington and rookie QB Robert Griffin III.

*Speaking of RG3, he looked for real in his debut.  He threw for 320 yards and 2 TDs.  The other heralded rookie, Indianapolis Colt starting QB Andrew Luck, had an eerily similar pro debut  to Peyton Manning.  Luck threw for 309 yards and 1 TD but did have 3 INTs.  (Manning threw for 302, 1 TD, and 3INT in his debut in 1998).

*Adrian Peterson is apparently healthy.  He ran for 84 yards on 17 carries and had 2 TDs.  Of course, I listened to the fantasy experts and kept him on the bench this week.  Great coaching on my part!

*Apparently the Jets offense is not as screwed up as the meaningless preseason made everyone believe.  Mark Sanchez looked like he had some confidence and he ran the offense in such a way that one would never have known there had been so much preseason drama.

*In what very well could be an NFC Championship matchup game, the 49ers defeated the Packers in what could prove to be a significant game.  If the two teams finish tied for the best record in the conference, then home field will be in San Francisco.  I think the Niners will find it much more difficult to beat the Pack in Lambeau in January.

*Peyton Manning is still Peyton Manning.  The wily veteran led his new team, the Denver Broncos, to a big win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Peyton's final numbers were 19-26 for 253 yards and 2 TDs (numbers 400 and 401 of his illustrious career).

*Four former Kentucky Wildcats had nice games on Sunday.  Wesley Woodyard (10 tackles, 1 sack) and Jacob Tamme (5 rec, 43 yds, 1 TD) came up in Denver's win.  Randall Cobb (9 rec, 77 yds, 75 yd punt return for a TD) was used as an H-back in many formations but the he was not able to help the Pack defeat San Fran.  Stevie Johnson (4 rec, 55 yds, 1TD) proved to be Buffalo's go to guy once again in a blowout loss to the Jets.

*Couple of get well wishes.  Brandon McCarthy, a pitcher for the Oakland A's who took a line drive off his head last Wednesday, had to have emergency brain surgery.  He is in stable condition and has been up and moving around but he is not completely out of the woods yet.  And Tulane safety, Devon Walker,  broke his neck on Saturday and had to have emergency procedures performed on the field.  He was taken to an area hospital and is now in stable condition.  Doctors say it is too early to tell if the young man will be paralyzed.  Here's wishing both players a speedy recovery. 

Twitterfied

As some of you may have noticed, I finally broke down and joined Twitter this week.  (Yeah, I know.  I'm only about five years late on that trend.)  For those who are interested, you can follow me @thrumy4eyes.  Even though I have only been a part of the Twitterverse for a few days, I have already gleaned several interesting facts.  Here's a sample of what I have discovered thus far:

*From Richard Justice (@richardjustice), columnist for MLB.com: The Tampa Bay Rays have not started a pitcher over the age of 30 since June 25, 2006 (Mark Hendrickson).  That covers a span of 1,033 games.  Seriously?  Can you imagine?  With the success the Rays have had over the past five seasons, you would have thought that they would have taken a chance on a wily veteran at some point along the way.

*From Jim Powell (@Jim_Powell), Atlanta Braves radio announcer: Craig Kimbrel is on pace to finish the season with four times as many strikeouts as hits allowed.  That has never been done before from anyone who has pitched 50+ innings.  Wow!  That is an unbelievable statistic.  In 51.1 innings pitched, he has struck out 94 batters and has allowed only 22 hits.  And anyone who saw him pitch against the Rockies the past couple of days has to believe that the odds will be ever in his favor.

*From Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN), ESPN college football writer: Purdue University will wear helmet stickers this season with a picture of Neil Armstrong in his spacesuit holding a Purdue flag.  Armstrong graduated from Purdue in 1955 with a degree in aeronautical engineering.  Kudos to the Boilermakers.  Armstrong was a true American hero and deserves such recognition from his alma mater.

*From Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN), ESPN baseball guru: The defensive player of the month for August in MLB is none other than Paul Janish.  Many of you are probably saying, "Who?"  Currently, he is the starting shortstop for the Atlanta Braves, who were desperate for help at that position after two injuries and an error prone rookie.  Atlanta traded a minor league pitcher to the Cincinnati Reds in mid-July to get Janish, who is not much of a stick guy but can flash some leather.  Ironically, Janish beat out teammate Michael Bourn and became the second Brave to win the award this season (the other being rookie Andrelton Simmons, the man whom Janish replaced).

Buster Olney also provided me with this interesting tidbit about the Baltimore Orioles starting rotation.  Through first 135 games this season, the Orioles only had one starting pitcher make over 20 starts this season.  That one is rookie Wei-Yin Chen who has made 27 starts.  Not until Wednesday night when Tommy Hunter started for the O's did another reach the 20 start mark.

*From Rich Brooks (@UKcoachbrooks), former University of Kentucky football coach: According to his tweets, the retired lifestyle seems to fit Coach Brooks.  It seems he golfs almost daily and isn't too bad (most of the scores he reports are in the mid 80s).  And the other day he went on a fishing trip to Hart Mountain Antelope Reserve and caught several fish, saw several antelope, and even a badger.  Hope I get to do things like that in my golden years.

*From Kris Medlen (@KrisMedlen54), pitcher for the Atlanta Braves:  He is really excited to be having a son.  Upon being named the National League pitcher of the month for August, Medlen had to take to Twitter.  But not just because he was excited about winning the award.  Apparently, he just found out that day that his unborn child had a "wiener" which he was very stoked about.  What a day!  This has been by far the most hilarious tweet I have read.

*From Athlon Sports (@Athlon Sports): MLB is approaching 500,000 all-time errors.  That is a large number, and one I actually would have thought they had already passed.  After sitting down and doing some math, that number seems right, though.  Going into Friday, there have been 499, 845 errors in major league history.  They even offer a list of ten guys they think could make that historic error.  Naturally, six of them are shortstops.  From the ones on the list, my money is on Ian Desmond.

*From the Atlanta Braves (@Braves): Atlanta's back-to-back 1-0 victories over the Rockies on Wednesday and Thursday marked the first time in franchise history they had won games of that score with both runs being unearned.  What made the run on Thursday afternoon even more unbelievable was the way it was scored.  Rockies pitcher, Jhoulys Chacin, looked away a split second early and missed the return throw form the catcher allowing the fleet-footed (wink, wink) Juan Francisco to score.  What a tough way to lose.

*From Tim Kurkjian (@Kurkjian_ESPN), the other ESPN baseball guru: The Tampa Bay Rays have used 126 different starting lineups this season, by far the most in the majors.  Matt Joyce, outfielder for the Rays, is the only player ever to hit ninth on opening day and bat cleanup the next.  He has batted in eight different spots this season.  This is a testament to the depth that the Rays have, but injuries have also played a  contributing role.  Also, Tampa manager Joe Maddon is never afraid to roll the dice and see what happens.

*From Peter Gammons (@pgammo), the Babe Ruth of baseball gurus: Prince Fielder has only missed four games in the past five seasons.  There is not much else to say about that other than for a hefty lad, the big boy sure is durable.

So, now that I'm officially a Twit (that is what you call someone on Twitter, right?), I look forward to sharing more of these thoughts from around the world of sports.