2037.01 - Willie Hudson's Reality

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2037.01 - Willie Hudson's Reality

Post by mikeb41 » Thu Feb 14, 2019 11:37 am

For those that might not remember, Willie Hudson was a BBA 1B for Valencia from 2011-2014 and then with Montreal from 2016-2017. At the age of 29, Hudson was unable to crack a BBA roster. He spent almost his entire 30's in AAA Death Valley.

Upon being drafted out of McDonald's High School, Hudson was the pride and joy of Newport, Kentucky. A small town in Northern Kentucky right at the Ohio border.

To get a better feel for who Hudson is and what it's like to be around him, I am allowing my recording device to transcribe his words to me - rather than typing out what he said, or what I think he said.

When I asked him what it was like growing up and being a star in his hometown, Hudson told me:

"Ya know back the-yn in 2003 in kentucky, we done had george dubbya bush who was really thuh hero awf our community because 'e done took thuh country back in some ways. So ya know all ah done had ta do back the-yn was git base hits an tell people ah loved me some dubbya an people nary gave it a second thought."

Hudson wasn't a very powerful hitter. He got by in High School thanks to his ability to avoid striking out and slapping base hits across the diamond.

Former New Orleans Crawdad outfielder Monte Perry remembers his time with Hudson quite vividly.

"The sweetest guy you'll ever meet. Wants to succeed, hell he wants you to succeed before I think he worries about himself. But man, he was dumber than a box of rocks. I'm not kidding you, and I bet there is video of this somewhere. One time back in 2003 I think it was, when I was a senior there. Willie slapped a base hit to right, just past a diving 1B. I kid you not, Willie ran to third base instead of first. Now, when he was tagged out - he swore up and down he was just joking around. He didn't take too well to people mocking his intelligence you know? But, that base hit was in the bottom of the 9th in a tie game. Ain't no way Willie would take that opportunity to joke around. His brain just shut off for a second. That's Willie."

We checked, and he's right. It happened. I've never seen anything like it. Willie just got tagged out at third base like it was a scene in a slapstick comedy movie. Instead, it was the bottom of the 9th in a High School game. Willie in front of his classmates, had a brain fart.

"Yeah alraahyt ah 'member that well but listen sumtaahms whe-yn ya gawt as much goin' awn in maah head as ah do, thin's kinda git gone up in smoke or forgotten. Ah'm allers figurin stuff out ya know? people say ah ain't smart but ah thihnk ah'm prolly thuh smartest awf em all. I got a guh-reat brain"

So when Willie was contacted to be the VP of Talent Relations with the Manama Pearls, I was assigned this opportunity.

When I knocked on Willie's door, I witnessed that brain of his in full speed.

He answered the door wearing sunglasses, a tank top, plaid cargo shorts, flip flips and what appeared to be newly applied sunscreen on his face.

"Well howdy thair mister jennin's. Hey, come awn in"

I asked him about his outfit since it didn't quite seem very much like Willie to dress so "beachy".

"Well ya know, thuh weather down thair in panama is purty gosh darn nahce. Ya 'member batting eyes 'em wcw wrestlin shows back in thuh 90's? ya know where thay done took puh-lace don't ya? panama bundle of joy"

Not being a fan of pro-wrestling, I wasn't exactly sure what he was talking about. Truthfully, until later on - it had not hit me what Willie actually said.

I asked him about the sunscreen. You see, it was very rainy the day I met him at his home. So, it seemed a bit odd.

"Ah done talked t' maah health coach an 'e done told me that it maahyt be a bit hoder down thair than it is hair. Eend ya know, maah puss burns like bacon awn a fryin' pan. So ah done wanted t' try this hair spf 250 out. Kinda makes maah skin burn ta be honest. Ah wonder ifin' that's a saahd effective or sumthing?"

I asked him what our day would be like because he had to report to Manama soon.

"Man ya pronounce thuh leder p ina funny way. Everhoo thay gawt jus' a lidl goin' away shin-dig for me goin' awn down by thuh high school. So we'll check that out, an the-yn mr. B gawt me a duhrect flaahyt from hair ta thuh team fuh-acility so ah reckon we'll prolly jus' jet awn over yonder eend 'ave puh-lenny awf taahm todee ta git ta work "

Willie was so excited because he had been wanting to get an executive role within the BBA for years. Ever since retiring in 2025, he had kept his eye on the league. Hoping that one day he would get the call to really showcase to the league what he can do as an executive. He felt like he let his town down by not succeeding on the field like he thought he would. So today marks his first chance to try and make it right.

I asked him about the team, and the newness of their roster and the dynamic of the league on our way to the high school.

"Ah'm excited ya know? ah don't know which team is movin' out thair or what puh-layers we gawt ta evaluate yet but ah'm syhaw mister b will feel me in awn thuh puh-lan once ah fly down thair. Ah'm kinda hopin its edmonton that is relocatin'. Hooaah do we need a team in canada everhoo ya know? shoulda built a wahwl uhp thair too. But, america loves 'em some maple syruhp so. Ah git it."

And here's the thing. I know what you might be thinking. It seems like Willie has the wrong idea about the team he is taking over right? Well, it's easy for you the reader to sit there and say that. But trust me, it's hard to understand what he is saying or trying to say. A lot of the time it's just smile and nod.

When we got to the high school we saw signs that read "Panama City here comes Willie!" and "Van Halen's Panama is gonna love you!"

They write long signs in Kentucky it seems.

At that moment it hit me as we got out of Willie's car.

As I tried to get his attention before he greeted the crowd, he told me to just enjoy the day and that everything would be fine.

I never got to tell him what I think he needed to know.

He got on the microphone to greet the crowd.

"Ah need t' git t' thuh auhrport, shouldn't be but a quick flaahyt but ya know ah gawt lots awf work t' do down thair! ah jus' wanted t' thank ya all for comin' out todee eend wishin' me luck. Ah know ah done let ya down awn thuh field, but ahm gonna build thuh guh-reatest bba franchise evher - an may-uk ya proud! we're gonna tay-uk it t' thuh hustlers an thuh crawdads awf thuh bba an may-uk syhaw thay know willie hudson represents the best of kentucky!"

Another car pulled up, and he got in it - leaving me in his own personal car without saying a word.

I had assumed it was taking him to the airport and he just forgot to tell me that, or forgot about me altoghether.

So I followed him to the airport, and we boarded the plane for Manama.

"Ah git balmy awn thuh puh-lane, but we should be thair duhrectly - we kay-yun tawk whe-yn we done landed."

The second we hit the air, Willie fell asleep.

He literally slept for 20 hours. A metaphor for the life of Willie Hudson that I couldn't have come up with on my own had I tried.

"Prepare for landing in Manama, Bahrain" the pilot announced.

Willie looked out the window, not knowing what really any of that meant. But you could see the same look on his face as the one he had the moment he stepped on third base.

"We're not aboutt-ta go panama city ahr we?"

"No Willie we're not," I replied. I had tried to tell him prior, but his excitement just couldn't allow me to get a word in.

"Ah man, this is that new league ain't it? amoeba"

I answered, "Well it's UMEBA but yes. You're taking over the role of managing the team in Manama. The Pearls."

As we landed, Willie looked out the window in silence. I could tell he was upset. A prisoner of his own simple mind, he once again felt like he had let down everybody who had supported him - and he'd never get to accomplish his dream of running a BBA franchise.

I didn't say a word to him, just let him be one with his thoughts.

As we landed and got his one bag of luggage (because he thought he could easily stop home in a few days), Willie turned to me and said

"Ya know what? this may not be panama city or thuh bba. But ah'm gonna git thair sumdee. So ifin' it means ah gotta kick some amoeba tail fuhrst - so be it."

And that is what it was like to follow Willie Hudson for 24 hours on his way to Manama.

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Re: 2037.01 - Willie Hudson's Reality

Post by bschr682 » Thu Feb 14, 2019 11:43 am

nice
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Re: 2037.01 - Willie Hudson's Reality

Post by usnspecialist » Thu Feb 14, 2019 11:51 am

I look forward to catching some pearls games while im over here. Might have to see if there is an actual stadium here and post some pics for you.
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Re: 2037.01 - Willie Hudson's Reality

Post by recte44 » Fri Feb 15, 2019 9:34 am

Strong first article- so glad to finally have you join us, Michael.

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Re: 2037.01 - Willie Hudson's Reality

Post by Fat Nige » Fri Feb 15, 2019 12:32 pm

Great stuff Micheal, I used to think I was master of the tear jerker but you win that one I think :hi5: Here's one of mine from the 1995 season viewtopic.php?f=25&t=189
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An MBBA GM since 1995 (off & on)

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