Why this card is awesome: Because I've got an interesting story about Hudson. When I was in high school, we got a new gym teacher named Mr. Hudson. We didn't know his first name, but a few students thought he looked a lot like Charlie Hudson the ballplayer. Lots of students asked him if he was, in fact, the former big-league player, but he never gave a straight answer. I had my doubts until one day when Mr. Hudson wore shorts when we played softball outside. I saw that both of his knees had very significant scars, and I remembered that Charlie Hudson's career ended when, as a member of the Tigers, he hit a patch of ice while driving and severely injured both legs, requiring surgery. When nobody else was around, I asked Mr. Hudson if he had injured his knees in a car accident and he asked how I knew that. I told him I'd read it in the paper. He smiled, picked up a softball, and threw it further than I have ever seen any other human being throw anything. Then he looked at me, put his finger to his lips, went "shhhh", and smiled. It was our secret: I never told another soul that Mr. Hudson was indeed Charlie Hudson.
Well, until now!
Cool stat: Hudson pitched a lot better on 5 days' rest than any other number of days. Trouble is, of course, that it's tough to use a guy pitching every 6 days when everybody else on your staff goes every 5 days.
4 comments:
That's a great story!
Yeah, wow, that must have been cool for you!
Have you ever met any of the other guys from this set?
Yes, a number. My most memorable meeting was with Dave Winfield. I think I'll save the story for Winfield's card in the 1978 set.
I've chatted with quite a few other players, including a bit of a confrontation with Juan Samuel during spring training this year. His card is still coming up, so I'll tell that one there.
That is a great story! Charlie Hudson won the first game I ever went to - a shutout of the Royals in a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium in 1987. I still remember chanting "Charlie, Charlie" with the crowd in the bleachers as a nine-year-old that day - so he has always been one of my favorites.
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