Braves to honor Hudson, Simpson
Former All-Star pitcher Tim Hudson and longtime broadcaster Joe Simpson will be inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame on Jan. 27 as part of the team’s Chop Fest weekend. “It’s the nicest thing that has ever happened to me in baseball,” said Simpson, who will work his 27th season as a Braves broadcaster in 2018. “I’m also proud to be inducted with Tim Hudson, a great pitcher and a class act.” Hudson had a 222-133 record, 3.49 ERA, 2,080 strikeouts and four All-Star appearances in a 17-year career that ended in 2015, including a 113-72 mark in nine seasons with the Braves (2005-13). The former Auburn University standout and Phenix City, Ala., native was a fan favorite and highly respected team leader with the Braves, an undersized athlete with an outsized impact in the clubhouse and in the community through a foundation established by Hudson and his wife,
Kim. Hudson is one of only 21 pitchers in MLB history with at least 200 wins, 2,000 strikeouts and a winning percentage of .600 or better. Simpson, who turned 66 on New Year’s Eve, will return for his 27th season as a Braves broadcaster, including his 12th as analyst on Fox Sports South and Fox Sports Southeast. He’s also an analyst on MLB playoff games for Turner Sports.
› The San Diego Padres are likely to sign relief pitcher
Kazuhisa Makita, a 33-yearold right-hander who combines modest velocity with a submarine delivery, according to a Japanese report. Sports Hochi reported Friday that Makita was traveling to the United States to undergo a physical. Makita and two-way star Shohei Ohtani were made available by their Japanese clubs and given 30-day windows to reach deals with a major league team. The window for Makita, who was posted by the Seibu Lions, closes next week. If the Padres finalize a contract with Makita, they will pay the Lions a relatively inexpensive release fee. San Diego emerged as one of seven finalists for the highly coveted Ohtani before he chose the Los Angeles Angels. Makita, like Ohtani, has been among Japan’s more prominent players, but he would represent a smaller signing. Makita originally went undrafted by a Nippon Professional Baseball team and did not make his professional debut until age 26. He quickly established himself, however, winning the league’s rookie of the year award, and posted a 2.83 ERA over six seasons.
MOTORSPORTS
› DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Four-time NASCAR Cup Series season champion
Jeff Gordon was an obvious choice for the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. One of his fellow inductees seemed like a totally random selection. Some might even think his name was plucked out of thin air. Gordon and record-setting pilot and eccentric billionaire
Howard Hughes are among the seven-person 2018 class, which was announced Friday at Daytona International Speedway. The other inductees are dragster builder John Buttera, Indianapolis Motor Speedway founder Carl G. Fisher, motorcycle great Fred Merkel, three-time Indianapolis 500 champion owner U.E. Pat Patrick and sports-car team creator Bob Tullius. They will be inducted March 13 in Daytona Beach. Hall of Fame president Ron Watson called the joint selection of Hughes and Gordon “probably the best example we’ve ever had to illustrate the breadth of our inductee roll.”