At this point in his young major league career, the twenty-eight year old second baseman is living a dream.

   Orlando Hudson grew up in a small town by the name of Darlington in the rural portion of low country South Carolina. As the only major professional athlete to ever come from the small town, he carries a large burden. The only other notable that you may have heard of from this town is the author of this column. Growing up in Darlington, Hudson excelled in three sports. On the football field, he was a savvy quarterback. On the basketball court, Hudson spotted up for three pointers as the steady point guard. He made his name, however, on the baseball diamond. As a gritty third baseman, Hudson showed the flare, attitude, and work ethic that would lead him to the major leagues.

   The road to glory was not an easy one for Hudson. Like a South Carolina back road, it was filled with potholes and bumps. Drafted out of high school in the late rounds by the Toronto Blue Jays, Hudson decided to pack his bags and take his game to Spartanburg Methodist College in the upstate of South Carolina. The program, noted for putting numbers of prospects into the minor and major leagues, was a boon to Hudson's career aspirations. He went on to become a junior college All-American at Spartanburg, and parlayed that success into a higher draft position.

   The small town kid took his smile to Blue Jays camp, where he quickly worked his way from rookie ball to the A and AA ranks. Coming through Medicine Hat, Tennessee, and Syracuse, Hudson learned to take advantage of his opportunities and kept his vision of becoming a major leaguer. Upon reaching AA Tennessee, he made the change to second base, where he excelled greatly. He developed his gold glove defense and was able to work on his bat. After just three full years in the major leagues, Hudson won his first award last season, taking home the American League Gold Glove award as the league's best second baseman. He has become a regular on ESPN's 'Baseball Tonight" and is ready to take his game to the next level. In December, the 'O-Dawg" was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he will take his lunch pail mentality and his trademark smile.

   "I really enjoyed playing in the Arizona Fall League," Hudson said, "It will be nice to go back out there."

   Supporters of Hudson hope the move to the bigger Phoenix markt will spark greater interest in his game and will allow people to really appreciate his personality.

   Whether or not Hudson's game can propel the young Diamondbacks to the playoffs remains to be seen. The team has been re-tooled, with an emphasis on youth. The signing of Hudson and the drafting of #1 overall pick Justin Upton has reinforced a commitment to the future of the organization. Whatever the outcome of this season and those to come, it is certain that Hudson's electric personality and personable small town ways will have a positive impact on the baseball team and the community in Arizona.

You can reach Coby DuBose @ cdubose@featurepresentationonline.com.