Here’s a really nice gesture from veteran right-hander Tim Hudson, who left the Braves earlier this week when he agreed to a two-year, $23 million contract with the Giants.

Hudson decided to submit a letter to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in order to say thanks to the Braves and the fans for making him and his family feel welcome during his nine seasons in Atlanta. The entire letter is not free — you’ll find it behind a paywall — but feel free to read a couple of paragraphs below.

“When I was traded from the Oakland A’s to the Atlanta Braves before the 2005 season, a childhood dream was realized. I grew up a Braves fan just a few hours south of Atlanta, and it was hard for me to believe that I was going to actually play for the Atlanta Braves and legendary manager Bobby Cox. My family was young. We had a toddler (Kennedie), a baby (Tess), and a baby on the way (Kade). We were welcomed into the Braves organization with open arms. Our son was born two weeks into my first season, and our journey began. The Atlanta Braves are really all that our children know about this crazy baseball life, and we are so thankful for this upbringing for them.” “And to the city of Atlanta and the amazing fans in all of Braves country…my deepest thanks. Braves fans are one-of-a-kind. Your passion to win comes close to equaling that of the players that go out on the field each and every game. But when the team goes through rough patches, you’re there to encourage and cheer and believe that things will turn around. In my 9 seasons, we definitely had some very high moments and some extremely disappointing moments. But one thing that I learned is this – once a Braves fan, always a Braves fan. No matter what. And as a player, that means more than you could understand.”

Classy stuff. Hudson has strong ties to Georgia and Alabama, so he’ll surely continue to have a presence in the area.

Hudson went 113-72 with a 3.56 ERA during his time with the Braves. He made one All-Star appearance in 2010.

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