Player’s Name: Tim Hudson
Player’s Position: P – Starter
Player’s Current Team: Atlanta Braves (Pictured with the A’s)
Price I Paid for the Card: I bought this card on eBay for $0.20.
Set it’s from: 2004 Donruss Classic
What it’s Worth: Beckett has it listed for $8.00.
Why I like this card: In 1999 a young fireballer came up by the name of Tim Hudson, he went 11-2 that season and was everyone’s darling. The next year he fired off a 20-6 season and was 2nd in Cy Young voting. He was on top of the world! Then he just got lost in the sea of pitchers. Was it because he was bad? No, actually he was one of the better pitchers in the AL. So why was he traded? He wanted big dollars and he was going to be 29 years old. Billy Beane likes his pitching rotation to be in the 23 – 28 range or be a real cheap veteran. Hudson was neither at the end of the 2004 season. So he was traded to the Braves. Even still, he is now 32 and has 140 wins. The three players gotten in that deal have all been moved, but Huddy keeps chugging along. Beane made the right decision on Mulder and Zito, but he should have kept Hudson. I mean look at that face? How can you say no to that look?
Why it’s a Cheap Hit: Of the three aces on that late 90s A’s staff (Zito, Mulder, and Hudson), only Hudson has emerged as a consistent no – injured threat. He is not going to be remembered as one of the great pitchers of his time, which is sad. Had he been a Yankee or a Cub, that might have been different. But he is just not mentioned in the NL elite pitchers even though he should. I still think that when it’s all over he is going to top 200 wins with only 120 losses. He’ll have a career ERA around 3.70 and a WHIP around 1.25. Very solid guy and one of the best in the NL right now.
Will if ever be worth more? He just isn’t a collected guy. He may be good, but there is just not enough interest in him as a collectable (see Roy Halladay). No his cards will never be worth more.
