Hope springs eternal in the ATL

Welcome back, Tim Hudson. We've missed you.

As the Atlanta Braves and their fans try to get over the shock of losing Mike Hampton to another elbow surgery, they can take hope in a, however brief, renaissance from Mr. Hudson.

Prior to his trade to Atlanta between the 2004 and 2005 seasons, Hudson was as dominant a starter as their was in baseball. He won 92 games and lost 39 in Oakland. With free agency looming, the A's sent Hudson home. Home to Atlanta, 1 hour away from Hudson's college home of Auburn.

Two of my buddies and myself saw one of Hudson's first starts in a Braves uniform in April 2005. He won that game, 11-1, but something my friend Phil said stuck out. He came away unimpressed with Hudson and that became a label that stuck with the Georgia-born, Alabama-bred right-hander.

Now, throughout spring training and his first couple of regular season starts, it appears Hudson is back on track. And for Braves' fans who saw an Atlanta-free postseason for the first time in 15 years it's coming not a moment too soon.