Nationals Pitcher Daniel Hudson Slammed for Absence During Playoffs to Attend Daughter’s Birth

Getty Images | Jerritt Clark

MLB pitcher Daniel Hudson found himself in the middle of a heated debate about paternity leave after skipping Game 1 of the National League Championship Series to be present for his daughter’s birth.

The Washington Nationals star, 32, was in a maternity ward in Scottsdale, Arizona, when his team beat the St. Louis Cardinals on Oct. 11, 2019. Hudson’s wife, Sara, had just given birth to the couple’s third daughter, Millie Lou.

Hudson quickly realized that his decision to be with Sara for the birth had roused controversy. “I knew I was going to go, no matter what,” Hudson told ESPN on Oct. 12. “I didn’t know that this was a new thing, to have a playoff paternity leave list. I had no idea.”

“I was like, ‘I can’t be the only person to have a baby in the middle of the postseason,’” he added, “and for it to blow up like it did, man, it’s kind of crazy.”

Sara’s original due date was Oct. 14. Anticipating a late arrival—both of the couple’s older daughters were born later than their due dates—the couple scheduled an induction for Oct. 10, but the induction was delayed.

“You try to plan something,” Hudson reflected, “and everything goes crazy.”

The Backlash

Former president of the Miami Marlins, David P. Samson, was quick to share his opinion of Hudson’s familial priorities on Twitter. “Only excuse would be a problem with the birth or health of baby or mother,” he wrote. “If all is well, he needs to get to St. Louis. Inexcusable. Will it matter?”

Samson’s tweet was met with heated criticism from followers and fans who defended Hudson’s choice. “So, you’re saying his wife should be able to handle childbirth, alone, without her husband there, but his team of 40 guys can’t handle one playoff baseball game?” came one response.

“In 2019, this is really what you’re saying?” they continued, adding, “Some lady must be lucky to have you!”

The following day, Samson posted an addendum on Twitter:

“I didn’t say he should miss the birth and didn’t mean to judge his decision. I would have done everything possible to try to get him to St. Louis for game 1 of #NLCS, once health of baby and mom had been established. Respect his decision.”

Supportive Voices

“I think if your reaction to someone having a baby is anything other than, ‘Congratulations, I hope everybody’s healthy,’ you’re an (expletive),” Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle chipped in, showing his support for Hudson, as per USA Today.

Tennis star Serena Williams’s husband, Alexis Ohanian, the founder of Reddit, has also long been an advocate for paternity leave. When Ohanian’s daughter Olympia was born in 2017, the proud father took his full 16 weeks’ allowance.

“I use 16 [weeks] as the example that we use in our office, and that is the bare minimum when you look across the world,” he told Good Morning America. “If there is a new child entering your life, you should be able to spend time with them.”

Ohanian believes passing federal legislation on paid paternity leave is “a question of when, not a question of if.”

Hudson and his wife, Sara, at the 6th Annual PingPong4Purpose at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Aug. 23, 2018 ©Getty Images | Jerritt Clark

As of 2019, survey data shows that nine out of ten U.S. fathers take at least some time away from work for the birth or adoption of a child, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Seventy percent of those fathers take fewer than ten days of leave.

For Hudson, the decision to be by his wife’s side during the birth of their third daughter was a no-brainer. “I didn’t really give much thought about not going,” he clarified. “My family is top priority for me.”

The baseball star rejoined his team for Game 2 of the playoffs but was left reeling at having unwittingly instigated a nationwide conversation on paternity leave.

Hudson, #44 of the Washington Nationals, delivers in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals on Oct. 12, 2019. ©Getty Images | Scott Kane

“Life comes at you fast, man,” he commented, speaking to ESPN. “I don’t know how that happened and how I became the face for whatever conversation was going on. Everybody’s got their opinions, man. I really value my family and my family time.”

Notably, Hudson claimed to have received full support from his team throughout his absence. After the Nationals’ Game 1 win, General Manager Mike Rizzo told USA Today Sports, “It’s all about family, man. We said, ‘You have to take care of your family, that’s a number one priority, and you do what you have to do.’”

By Hudson’s account, both Sara and baby Millie are happy, healthy, and doing well; family comes first.