SAN FRANCISCO -- In the middle of a champagne-and-beer-soaked clubhouse after the San Francisco Giants won the National League Championship Series, Tim Hudson was given the chance to speak to his team.
The message was as simple as Hudson's approach on the mound: "World Series, baby!"
After 16 years, 214 regular-season victories and seven failed trips to the postseason, Hudson has finally made it to baseball's biggest stage.
Hudson, 39, is set to take the mound tonight for the Giants when they return home to face Jeremy Guthrie and the Royals in Game 3 of the World Series after a two-game split in Kansas City.
"It's almost a sense of relief that it's finally here, that what I've hoped and dreamed for throughout my career is finally here, and there's not going to be anybody on the field that's more ready than I am tomorrow night," Hudson said Thursday.
Hudson's brilliant career began on the other side of San Francisco Bay as he helped Oakland make four consecutive trips to the postseason that ended with Game 5 losses in the division series.
Hudson got back to the playoffs with Atlanta, losing in the division series in 2005 to Houston and 2010 to San Francisco. The Braves made it again last year when Hudson was hurt but lost again in the division series.
After signing a $23 million, two-year contract this offseason with San Francisco, Hudson finally got to experience postseason success.
"You often wonder, is it ever going to happen? Obviously, last year the way my season ended with my ankle injury, things looked a little bleak there for a few moments," Hudson said. "I'm just really lucky."
Hudson got no-decisions in his first two postseason starts, allowing five runs in 13 2/3 innings against Washington and St. Louis.
The limited work of late has paid dividends. Hudson looks much fresher than he did in September when he went 0-4 with an 8.72 ERA in 5 starts to end the season while dealing with a bum hip. He finished the season with a 9-13 record for his first losing season.
"It's hard enough to play this game when you're healthy, but when you're pitching and your hip's bothering you a little bit ... he's a warrior," Manager Bruce Bochy said. "He was never complaining. He was never making excuses, but it was a fact. I think it was affecting him a little bit."
Guthrie had a long wait just to get to the playoffs. He made his first postseason appearance at age 35 when he allowed one run in five innings of a no-decision against Baltimore in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.
That start is Guthrie's only outing the past four weeks. He did not pitch in the division series sweep against the Angels, so Guthrie has done his best to stay sharp with side work instead of pitching in games.
With a stellar bullpen led by Greg Holland, Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis behind him in Kansas City, Guthrie won't be asked to go too deep on a team that has had only one starter pitch into the seventh this postseason.
"That's been the result, but we're out there trying to get as deep as we can," Guthrie said. "For us to win a game without having to throw all three of our relievers at the back end -- Kelvin, and Wade, and Greg -- will only give our team a better chance to win throughout the series."
Sports on 10/24/2014