Orlando Thill Hudson (born December 12, 1977) is an American former professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
second baseman. He played in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
from 2002–2012 with the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
,
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...
,
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
,
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
,
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
and
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
. Hudson was known for his fielding abilities, and for making spectacular lunging catches and diving stabs at grounders. His defensive talents were recognized in , when he won his first
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...
while with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Early life and high school career
Hudson was born on December 12, 1977 in
Darlington, South Carolina
Darlington is a city located in Darlington County, South Carolina, United States. In 2010, its population was 6,289. It is the county seat of Darlington County. It is part of the Florence, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Darlington ...
. He attended Darlington High School, where he was a three-sport standout in baseball,
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
, and
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
. In baseball, he was the Player of the Year and an All-State selection.
Hudson was the
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
of Darlington High School's first-ever football team, and also served as the team's
punter.
After high school, Hudson went on to play baseball at
Spartanburg Methodist College
Spartanburg Methodist College is a private Methodist college in Saxon, South Carolina, with a Spartanburg postal address. The college serves approximately 1,000 students (2020-2021 academic year). The college awards six associate degrees, a custo ...
.
Professional career
Toronto Blue Jays
Hudson was drafted 4th in the 33rd round by the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
in the
1997 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1997 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1997. A total of 1607 players were drafted over the course of 92 rounds.
First round selections ...
. He began his professional career with the
Medicine Hat Blue Jays
The Medicine Hat Blue Jays were a Rookie League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, playing in the Pioneer League and located in the city of Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. They played a total of 25 seasons; 1978 through 2002. Their home field wa ...
in the rookie leagues in 1998, hitting .298. He continued through the minors with the
Hagerstown Suns
The Hagerstown Suns were a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland. They were a member of the South Atlantic League and, from 2007 through 2020, were the Class A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They played their home g ...
(1999),
Dunedin Blue Jays
The Dunedin Blue Jays are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and are the Single-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball club. They are located in Dunedin, Florida, and play their home games at TD Ballpark, ...
(2000),
Tennessee Smokies
The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Kodak, Tennessee, a suburb of Knoxville. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They play at Smokies Stadium, directly off Int ...
(2000–01) and
Syracuse Sky Chiefs (2001–02). In 2001, he was a
Southern League All-Star and a
Baseball America
''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...
1st team Minor League All-Star at second base.
He made his major league debut on July 24, 2002 for the Blue Jays against the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
. He was hitless in four at-bats in that game. Hudson recorded his first Major League hit in the second inning on July 26 against the
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
when he slapped an RBI single to center field off pitcher
Joe Mays. His first home run was hit on August 5 against Baltimore's
Rodrigo López. He played for the Blue Jays from 2002 to 2005.
Arizona Diamondbacks
In , Hudson was traded to the
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...
along with
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
Miguel Batista
Miguel Descartes Batista Jerez (born February 19, 1971) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos, Kansas City Royals, Ari ...
for
third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
Troy Glaus
Troy Edward Glaus (; born August 3, 1976) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and third baseman. Glaus played in Major League Baseball with the Anaheim Angels (–), Arizona Diamondbacks (), Toronto Blue Jays (–), St. Lou ...
and
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...
prospect
Sergio Santos.
In the season, his first full season with Arizona, Hudson set career-highs in
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
with a .287, in
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s with 15, in
RBI with 67, and
runs scored with 87.
After the 2006 season, Hudson became the recipient of his second career Gold Glove Award, as announced on November 3. Hudson became only the sixth infielder in major league history to win a Gold Glove award in both the American and National Leagues. He was also honored with a
Fielding Bible Award
A Fielding Bible Award recognizes the best defensive player for each fielding position in Major League Baseball (MLB) based on statistical analysis. John Dewan and Baseball Info Solutions conduct the annual selection process, which commenced in 2 ...
as the best fielding second baseman in MLB.
Hudson was selected to his first
All-Star Game in 2007, and won his third Gold Glove that season. He also raised his
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
from his previous career-high of .287 set the year before to a .294 clip.
In 2008 Hudson raised his average for the third straight year with a career-best .305
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
. Hudson missed the last month of the season, with a
dislocated
A joint dislocation, also called luxation, occurs when there is an abnormal separation in the joint, where two or more bones meet.Dislocations. Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. Retrieved 3 March 2013 A partial dislocation is refe ...
left
wrist
In human anatomy, the wrist is variously defined as (1) the Carpal bones, carpus or carpal bones, the complex of eight bones forming the proximal skeletal segment of the hand; "The wrist contains eight bones, roughly aligned in two rows, known ...
he suffered against the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
and became a free agent at the end of the season.
Los Angeles Dodgers
On February 21, , Hudson signed a one-year deal with the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
, reportedly worth $3.4 million (with an additional $4.6 million more in performance bonuses).
On Monday April 13, 2009, Hudson became the eighth Dodger to
hit for the cycle
In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter who hits a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are rare in Major League Ba ...
, in the 2009 home opener against the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
before a record crowd of 57,099. Hudson was the second Los Angeles Dodger to accomplish this, since
Wes Parker
Maurice Wesley Parker III (born November 13, 1939) is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers from to . He also played one season in Japan for the Nankai Hawks in .
As of 2009, Parker has been a me ...
in 1970, and the only Los Angeles Dodger to do it at
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of ( ...
. Hudson singled in the first inning, hit a home run in the third inning, doubled in the fourth inning and tripled in the sixth inning. All of Hudson's hits came off of
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson (born September 10, 1963), nicknamed "The Big Unit", is an American photographer and former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (1988–2009) for six teams, primarily the Seattle M ...
except for his triple, which was off middle reliever
Merkin Valdez
Merkin R. Valdéz Mola (born November 10, 1981) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. Valdez graduated from Escuela Rural Palenque High School in his native Dominican Republic.
Career
Atlanta Braves
Valdez was signed by the Atla ...
.
He was selected to his second All-Star Game and won his fourth Gold Glove Award at the conclusion of the season.
Minnesota Twins
On February 4, 2010, Hudson signed a 1-year, $5 million deal with the
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
. He became the Twins
second baseman, replacing
Nick Punto
Nicholas Paul Punto (born November 8, 1977) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers ...
and
Alexi Casilla
Alexi Casilla Lora (born July 20, 1984) is a Dominican former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles.
Professional career Minnesota Twins
Casilla was sign ...
. In 126 games, Hudson hit .268 with a career-low .710
OPS
In ancient Roman religion, Ops or ''Opis'' (Latin: "Plenty") was a fertility deity and earth goddess of Sabine origin. Her equivalent in Greek mythology was Rhea.
Iconography
In Ops' statues and coins, she is figured sitting down, as Chthon ...
.
San Diego Padres
On December 20, 2010, Hudson signed a 2-year contract with the
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
worth $11.5 million.
On July 21, 2011, Hudson hit his head against the wall when he caught the ball in foul territory. He found himself unconscious after he hit the wall but avoided a disabled list stint. Through 2011, he had the second-highest career
range factor per game of all active major league second basemen, behind
Ian Kinsler
Ian Michael Kinsler ( he, איאן קינסלר; born June 22, 1982) is an American-Israeli former professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for ...
.
He was released by the Padres on May 17, 2012.
Chicago White Sox
On May 19, 2012, the White Sox agreed to sign Hudson. Hudson finished 2012 with a career-low .204 batting average.
2013
Hudson sat out the entire 2013 season due to little interest from MLB teams. Hudson stated that he is "not ready to retire."
Activism
On April 13, 2010, Hudson hinted that there is racism toward blacks in free agency. He said, "You see guys like
Jermaine Dye
Jermaine Trevell Dye (born January 28, 1974) is an American former professional baseball right fielder. Dye grew up in Northern California and was a multi-sport star at Will C. Wood High School in Vacaville. Dye attended Cosumnes River College in ...
without a job. Guy with 27 home runs and 81 RBIs and can’t get a job. Pretty much sums it up right there, no? You’ve got some guys who miss a year who can come back and get $5, $6 million and a guy like Jermaine Dye can’t get a job. A guy like
Gary Sheffield
Gary Antonian Sheffield (born November 18, 1968) is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played in Major League Baseball for eight teams from 1988 to 2009. He is a sports agent.
For most of his career, Sheffield played right ...
, a first-ballot Hall of Famer, can’t get a job."
Community involvement
Hudson founded the C.A.T.C.H. Foundation, a 501c3 organization that seeks to provide resources and a support system for youth coping with autism.
Family and retirement
Hudson married Keisa Carr in the 2008 offseason. He has two daughters and one son.
Hudson currently works for the Diamondbacks as a player development assistant.
See also
*
List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
In baseball, completing the cycle is the accomplishment of hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. In terms of frequency, the cycle is roughly as common as a no-hitter; ''Baseball Digest'' calls it "one of the ra ...
References
External links
*
:
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hudson, Orlando
1977 births
Living people
African-American baseball players
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
Arizona Diamondbacks players
Baseball players from South Carolina
Charlotte Knights players
Chicago White Sox players
Dunedin Blue Jays players
Gold Glove Award winners
Hagerstown Suns players
Lake Elsinore Storm players
Los Angeles Dodgers players
Major League Baseball second basemen
Medicine Hat Blue Jays players
Minnesota Twins players
National League All-Stars
People from Darlington, South Carolina
San Diego Padres players
Spartanburg Methodist Pioneers baseball players
Syracuse SkyChiefs players
Tennessee Smokies players
Toronto Blue Jays players
Tucson Padres players
21st-century African-American sportspeople
20th-century African-American sportspeople