Giants sign Tim Hudson to two-year deal

Posted on November 19, 2013

Tim Hudson of the Oakland Athletics pitches during a game at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California in 2002. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

 

The news broke yesterday afternoon and it was good for all San Francisco Giants fans. Free agent pitcher Tim Hudson had reached an agreement with the Giants to sign a two-year deal worth $23 million. Like I said on the Murph and Mac Show this morning on KNBR, it’s not my money. But wait! The Giants raised our season ticket prices for 2014 AGAIN- so it kinda is my money! That’s OK. Huddy is one guy I am in favor of the Giants spending some cash on.

The Giants are in desperate need of starting pitching for the 2014 season. By signing Hudson as a solid 4th started behind Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, and Tim Lincecum they look much better on paper than they did a few days ago.

I have always been a big Hudson fan since he broke in with the Oakland A’s in 1999. Hudson went 11-2 that year and showed signs of being a tremendous competitor, especially when he was able to get a few at bats during interleague play. Hudson has always been a complete athlete who can do anything on the baseball field. He has always been a good hitter and will immediately become the best hitter on the Giants pitching staff.

Hudson was the first of the A’s “Big Three” to pitch for the green and gold in 1999, helping to lay the foundation for one of the great post-season runs during the Billy Beane era. By the time Barry Zito and Mark Mulder joined the club in 2000 the A’s had the best young starting staff in all of baseball, with Hudson being the guy you wanted on the mound in a big game.

Hudson was dealt away by Beane to the Atlanta Braves in December of 2004 in a salary-dump trade that brought Juan Cruz, Dan Meyer, and Charles Thomas to Oakland. Yikes! Hudson went on to have a good run in Atlanta compiling a 113-72 record over 9 seasons. His career record is 205-111, giving him a .649 winning percentage and putting him in pretty elite company.

Besides being a winner, tough competitor, and great clubhouse guy Hudson is also super fun to photograph. He has a long stride like Lincecum does, which means he looks great from third base, and also looks good from behind the plate. He has a terrific smile and fields his position well. I can’t wait till I get a chance to shoot him in the home creams in April!

I know one guy who has to be jacked up about Hudson coming back to the Bay Area- longtime A’s photographer and local legend Michael Zagaris. The Z-Man has been good friends with Hudson since the right-hander broke in with the A’s in 1999. The pair have not had much of a chance to see each other over the years with the Braves making only one trip a year into town. That will change in 2014. I have a feeling the Z-Man will be making a few more trips to AT&T Park on the N Judah to see his old  friend. That’s good news for Huddy and good news for us at the ballpark!