I'm Grant Gardner and you're listening to Statistically Speaking, a podcast from the Samford University Center for Sports Analytics in Birmingham, Alabama. I'm Zachary Taunton and each week we are going to explore how big data and advances analytics is impacting the business side of sports. So, here is this week's episode... --- Grant Gardner (GG): I'm here with Tim Hudson, former Braves player, and he's being inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame this weekend with the 2018 class. So, we do a podcast called Statistically Speaking where we talk about data analytics in sports, can you talk about how baseball has evolved since you started playing and how you think data impacts that? Tim Hudson (TH): Well, it's definitely evolved. I came up 20 years ago when I made my Big League debut, so obviously a lot has changed since then. Even in the last 3 or 4 years with the analytics and all the different ways to measure players and then measure pitches with spin rates...there's so much information for players to analyze, and to be on top of to be prepared for their start, to be prepared for the at-bats or what have you. So, it has changed a lot and there is a lot of information out there. It seems like the sport sciences have kind of taken hold to not only baseball, but a lot of other sports as well. GG: Do you think that kind of takes out some of the natural kind of fun of a sport when you get too numbers heavy? TH: Yeah, I think it can there is a term of "paralysis by analysis," but I was a guy that tried to take advantage of every opportunity that I could to get whatever information that I feel can help me succeed on the field. I look at it as just another tool to help you be successful, there is a lot of information out there, but for me as a player the one thing that you can't measure is somebody's heart and somebody guts when they are out there on the field. When somebody takes the mound or gets in the batter's box, you just wonder how are they going to respond? There's a lot of different ways to measure velocity or bat speed or launch angles and that kind of stuff, but it's hard to measure how tough somebody is out there on the field. GG: Lastly, what are you excited about this weekend and what do you think about the other inductees here in the class of 2018? TH: I am excited to be here, just to be a part of it and you know getting to be a part of any kind of Hall of Fame is special, but to be a part of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, the state where I'm from, the 50th Anniversary, the the inductees coming in with me are a who's who of sports, and I'm humbled to be a part of it. I just thank the Lord for the opportunities that he blessed me with to get to this point and it's going to be a fun weekend. --- Thank you for listening to Statistically Speaking. This podcast was created and produced by Zach Taunton and Grant Gardner. To learn more about the Samford University Center for Sports Analytics, and download more episodes of the podcast, visit our webpage at samford.edu/sports-analytics and follow us on Twitter @SamfordSACenter.