Darlington's Hudson hoping for big season in L.A.

Welcome to Hollywood, Orlando Hudson.

The Darlington native is getting ready for the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles as he begins his first season at second base for the Dodgers.

Hudson, who spent the last three seasons with the Diamondbacks, signed a one-year deal worth $3.38 million, which might reach $8 million if he achieves all the incentives.

But Hudson, whose hobbies including hunting and fishing, says he definitely won’t get caught up in the Hollywood lifestyle.

That’s one of the reasons he is in the process of building a house in Darlington to live in during the offseason.

“I’m not a West Coast dude,” Hudson said this week from Arizona before the Dodgers broke training camp. “I’m a Southern dude and proud that I’m from Darlington.

“I mean L.A.’s nice and there are a lot of good places to eat, but I enjoy being from the South.”

Being in L.A., Hudson says, will help his C.A.T.C.H. Foundation, which is designed to help children with autism enjoy a normal life through the funding of outlets for proper therapy, education, and extracurricular activities.

“There are some actors and actresses whose kids have autism, so it will be fun getting a chance to work with them,” Hudson said.

Injuries take toll
The Dodgers open up Monday against the Padres, and Hudson is anticipating the start of this season because his last two have been cut short by injuries.

Hudson had a career year in 2007 and made his first All-Star game before tearing a ligament in his thumb in September. He played one more game after the injury but had season-ending surgery and missed out on Arizona’s postseason run.

The Diamondbacks swept the Cubs in the first round of playoffs before losing to the Rockies in the National League Championship Series.

Last year, Hudson suffered a more serious and almost career-ending injury when he collided with Atlanta’s Brian McCann on Aug. 9 while trying to catch an errant throw from pitcher Juan Cruz.

Hudson’s left hand was bent backward so hard that the lunate bone, which stabilizes the wrist, did a 180-degree flip down and 180-degree twist and blew out all the ligaments which hold the wrist together.

It’s believed Hudson’s injury is the first of its kind in baseball and is common among rodeo cowboys, who use their wrist to break their fall.

“They have been playing baseball for over 100 years and it happens to a small kid from Darlington,” Hudson said. “It’s just crazy.”

Hudson said he briefly thought about retiring but that was more out of frustration. He said he has come to grips with the injury and has put it behind him.

“I hate that I got injured again and feel like I let my teammates down and they just missed the playoffs,” Hudson said. “But it’s been easy to deal with when you got a powerful man upstairs in God. If it
wasn’t for him I don’t know where I would be. He puts obstacles in your way and you just got to fight through them.”

The journey back
Hudson had surgery the night of the injury to put the bone back in place and underwent a second surgery a few days later to put the ligaments back in place.

Hudson began the rehab process in Florence at McLeod Regional Medical Center. He started hitting by late November and fielding ground balls in December.

Hudson, a switch hitter, said he has no limitations when he bats, but feels a little tweak sometimes when he hits from the left side.

Hudson, who also got married in November, struggled at the plate during spring training and hit just .212 with four RBI.

“It’s been terrible,” Hudson jokingly said about his hitting. “But it’s been spring training and I’m just getting things together. I’m hoping for a great year.”

But it’s in the field where Hudson, a three-time Gold Glove winner and regular contributor to “Baseball Tonight’s” web gems on ESPN, has had to make the biggest adjustment. He has trouble bending the
wrist upward and has learned to ease the pain of catching a throw by allowing his left arm to give way some when the ball makes impact with his glove.

“I just have learned to do what I can and cannot do,” Hudson said.

Hudson also wears a brace on his left hand when he runs the bases because of his tendency to slide head first.

“I’m still going to slide head first,” he said. “I’m not going to stop that.”

Dodger blue
Hudson, who became a free agent after last season, spent most of the offseason not knowing where he would play next.

The Diamondbacks offered him salary arbitration but Hudson said it was more a symbolic gesture.

“They just did it to say they offered me something,” he said of the offer. “It’s a business and I don’t have any hard feelings. I had a great time there and played with a lot of great players.”

Because Arizona offered him arbitration, any team that signed Hudson had to give up a draft pick. That and Hudson’s injuries the past two seasons might have been the reasons it took so long to get a deal done.

Hudson said several teams expressed interest, including the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, Nationals, Royals and Indians.

He eventually signed with the Dodgers, who worked him out twice. Hudson is paired with with shortstop Rafael Furcal, giving L.A. one of the better defensive middle infields in the baseball.

The duo spent a lot of time on and off the field together during spring training, and Dodger manager Joe Torre even gave the pair the same days off.

“We have been clicking already. It’s great getting a chance to play with someone like Furcal,” Hudson said.

Hudson said he is looking forward to playing for Torre, who has won six World Series, and with Manny Ramirez, one of the game’s top hitters.

“Mr. Torre just knows so much about the game because he is been through it all,” Hudson said. “He does a great job of taking care of his players and letting us go out there and do our jobs.”

And Ramirez?

Hudson says there is more than people know to the quirky slugger, who is known for awkward behavior in addition to his hitting ability.

“Manny is unbelievable,” Hudson said. “He is one of the hardest working guys in baseball and a lot of people don’t see just how much he works hard at the game.”

Hudson will wear No. 13 this season for the Dodgers. He wore No. 1 with Arizona and Toronto, but the number, formerly worn by hall-of-famer Pee Wee Reese, is retired.

Hudson had No. 30 during spring training wanted to switch to a “lower number.”

The Dodgers, picked by many experts to win the NL West, are one of baseball’s most storied franchises and Hudson has been able to catch a glimpse of that during spring training. Legends Don
Newcombe and Tommy Lasorda are constantly around the team.

Hudson said he has been able to take drills with former Dodger second baseman Maury Wills.

Hudson also takes pride in getting to play second base just like Jackie Robinson, the first black player in the majors, did for the Dodgers more than 50 years ago.

“It definitely feels great being in Dodger blue,” Hudson said. “But to be an African-American man and getting to play second base is quite an honor and not something I take lightly.”