Warren Spahn, Goose Gossage and Steve Carlton pitched for the Giants toward the end of their Hall of Fame careers. So did future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson and All-Star closer Dan Quisenberry.

But with the possible exception of Johnson, who posted an above-.500 record and as a Giant won his 300th game in 2009, none of these excellent pitchers distinguished himself in San Francisco.

Tim Hudson intends to make sure that his Giants tenure doesn't become that kind of afterthought.

The 205-game winner, who ended his foray into free agency by signing a two-year, $23 million contract with San Francisco, vowed to sustain the passion that has helped him thrive for 15 Major League seasons.

Hudson, 38, welcomes the challenge of overcoming the fractured right ankle that ended his 2013 season after 21 starts.

"Not only to get back on the field but to perform at a high level," Hudson said during a conference call on Tuesday. "That's the one thing that I've taken pride in. I've never wanted to be and never will be a guy who just went out there [to] go through the motions and tried to get by."

Assuming Hudson returns at full strength, which appears to be a safe assumption, Bay Area fans should have no trouble recognizing the right-hander who launched his career with the A's (1999 to 2004).

"I feel like I still go out there and bring the same intensity now that I did 15 years ago when I first came to the league," he said. "I feel that's something that you're born with, and hopefully, it never fades."