Reporter: TIM HUDSON IS

AT THE TOP OF HIS GAME.

THE 12-YEAR VET HAS BEEN

TURNED HEADS SINCE HE

DEBUTED WITH THE OAKLAND A'S

IN 1999.

HE CREDITS ALL OF HIS

SUCCESS TO HIS RELATIONSHIP

WITH JESUS CHRIST.

I FELT THE LORD AT A

YOUNG AGE.

IT WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS

THAT THAT SEED WAS PLANTED

WHEN I WAS A KID.

Reporter: TIM HAS BEEN

PLAYING BASEBALL FOR AS LONG

AS HE CAN REMEMBER.

AFTER A STELLER HIGH SCHOOL

CAREER, HE WAS TOLD TOO

SMALL TO PITCH IN COLLEGE,

LET ALONE IN THE BIG

LEAGUES.

I ALWAYS KNEW I WAS A

SMALL GUY, BUT I ALWAYS KNEW

I WAS ONE OF THE BETTER GUYS

ON THE FIELD, REGARDLESS OF

MY SIZE.

IT WASN'T THAT I WAS COCKY.

I JUST KNEW I WOULD LET THE

TALENTS THAT GOD BLESSED ME

WITH ON THE FIELD.

Reporter: HE HELPED

LEAD HIS TEAM TO A DIVISION

TWO CHAMPIONSHIP.

IT LED FOR AUBURN UNIVERSITY

TO RECRUIT HIM.

I LET MY TALENTS AND THE

ABILITY THAT GOD BLESSED ME

WITH TO TAKE OVER AND JUST

PLAY AND HAVE FUN.

THE ONE THING MY DAD ALWAYS

TOLD ME, JUST GO OUT THERE

AND HAVE FUN.

PLAY HARD AND GIVE IT ALL

YOU'VE GOT, AND GOOD THINGS

WILL HAPPEN.

AND THAT'S WHAT I DID.

Reporter: TIM HAD AN

EXCEPTIONAL CAREER AT

AUBURN.

AND HE WAS SELECTED BY

OAKLAND DURING THE 1997 N.L.

B. DRAFT.

IN SIX SEASONS, HE BECAME A

TWO-TIME ALL STAR.

AND AFTER THE 2004 SEASON,

HE WAS TRADED TO HIS

CHILDHOOD TEAM, THE ATLANTA

BRAVES.

THEY GAVE ME AN

OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY IN THE

BIG LEAGUES.

FOR THAT, I THANK THEM.

IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE FOR

ME.

BUT ALSO, ON THE FLIP SIDE

OF THAT, I GOT A CHANCE TO

GET TRADED TO A TEAM I GREW

UPROOTING FOR.

I WAS A HUGE FAN OF TIPPER

JONES AND JOHN SCHMULTZ.

I GREW UP WATCHING THOSE

GUYS.

I WONDERED EARLY ON IN MY

CAREER IF I WOULD HAVE A

CHANCE TO PLAY FOR THE

ATLANTA BRAVES.

AND GOD ANSWERED MY

PRAYERS.

IT WAS REALLY EXCITING, TO

GET HERE AND PUT THE UNIFORM

ON AND COME INTO TURNER

FIELD AND SEE ALL OF THE

FANS.

AND HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY

FOR ALL OF MY FRIENDS AND

FAMILY FROM BACK HOME TO

DRIVE AN HOUR AND A HALF TO

COME HERE AND WATCH ME

PLAY.

IT IS SOMETHING VERY

SPECIAL.

Reporter: TIM IS IN HIS

EIGHTH SEASON WITH THE

BRAVES.

AND HE SAYS ALTHOUGH THE

GOAL OF THE TEAM IS TO WIN A

CHAMPIONSHIP, HIS PERSONAL

GOAL IS TO GLO GLORIFY GOD

BY BEING AN EXAMPLE FOR

OTHERS.

ANYBODY WHO PLAYS AT A

PROFESSIONAL LEVEL, THERE IS

A LOT OF CHALLENGES.

THE ONLY THING THAT HAS BEEN

A CONSTANT FOR ME IS MY WALK

WITH JESUS CHRIST.

I'M NOT WHERE I WANT TO BE,

BY ANY MEANS.

I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IS.

BUT JUST BEING AN EXAMPLE

FOR OTHER PLAYERS.

MY TEAMMATES.

MY FRIENDS FROM HOME.

I THINK IT IS ONE OF THOSE

THINGS WHERE YOU NEED TO BE

A BEACON OF LIGHT AND JUST

SHINE ON PEOPLE.