Books and articles about Brett Butler

The pint-sized, 160-lb. Butler developed into one of baseball's surest and most wide-ranging centerfielders, with errorless seasons in 1991 (when his 380 total chances tied for the NL lead) and 1993. As a hitter, Butler was largely perceived as a throwback, with talents better suited to the deadball-era style of play. Butler had very little power, so if he wasn't slapping the ball to the opposite field, he was often bunting for a hit. His four consecutive years leading the NL in singles (1990-93) is a league record.

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Despite leading the NL in triples (13) in 1983, Butler was sent by the Braves to the Indians as part of an ill-conceived trade for starter Len Barker. From 1984 through 1987, he averaged 41 stolen bases as Cleveland's [left-handed] leadoff hitter. In 1985 he led AL outfielders with a .998 fielding percentage, and his 14 triples in 1986 topped the league.

Butler left the Indians for his hometown Giants as a free agent for 1988, prompting Cleveland's Andy Allanson to call Butler a selfish player. Back in the NL, Butler led the league with 109 runs for his new team.

Always patient at the plate, Butler grew more selective as he got older, tying the NL record with five walks in one game while with the Giants on April 12, 1990. His OBP was above .400 three of his first four years with the Dodgers, and in 1991 he led the NL with 108 walks and 112 runs. An aggressive basestealer with below-average success rate, he led his league in caught stealing three times. Still, his skills made him the prototypical pesky leadoff hitter, and he scored 100 or more runs six times and topped 90 runs eight straight years (1984-'91).

The bitter 1994-'95 strike/lockout made the outspokenly pro-player Butler temporarily unpopular with the L.A. fans and management. He was let go, and signed with the Mets. After a poor start, he caught fire in mid-season and was reacquired by the Dodgers for their successful pennant drive.

A born-again Christian who publicly proclaimed his faith, Butler proved his toughness and desire in the remarkable 1996 season when he came back from a mid-season throat cancer operation, inspiring his pennant-chasing teammates. He suffered a broken hand in his fifth game back in September -- his second "season-ending" injury of the year, though he hoped to come back had the Dodgers had lasted further into the post-season. He did return the following year, though by the end of the season the Dodgers' acquisitions of Darren Lewis and Otis Nixon reduced Butler to part-time status. (ME/SH)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » June 6, 1979: The Mariners make OF Al Chambers the number-one pick in the free-agent draft, but his big league career will last just 57 games. The Mets take UCLA P Tim Leary with the 2nd pick. The Blue Jays, picking 3rd, take high school C Jay Schroeder, who will play football for UCLA and will be drafted #1 in 1984 by the Colts, but will never catch in the ML. Kansas City picks football players on the 4th (Dan Marino) and the 17th (John Elway) rounds. Brad Komminsk (Braves) is the 4th pick, SS Juan Bustabad (A's) is 5th, with Andy Van Slyke (Cards) 6th. Bustabad is one of 13 of 16 picks who will not sign with the A's, but he does sign with the Red Sox, who will pick him #1 in the 1980 January draft. The Dodgers pick Orel Hershiser in the 17th round and the Yankees take Don Mattingly in the 19th round. Brett Butler goes to the Braves in the 23rd. The Reds take prep infielder Daniel Lamar in round one, then get slightly better results in the second round with Bob Buchanan and Keefe Cato. » August 20, 1982: In Atlanta, the Braves top the Mets 6–4 as Brett Butler makes his debut for the Braves. Butler has a single and RBI. » August 28, 1983: The Indians trade pitcher Len Barker to the Braves for Rick Behenna, cash, and two players to be named later. The two turn out to be OF Brett Butler and 3B Brook Jacoby. » December 1, 1987: Free-agent OF Brett Butler signs a 2-year contract with the Giants. He hit .295 with 33 SBs for Cleveland in 1987. » July 19, 1988: In the top of the 9th at Wrigley Field, Cubs pitcher Rick Sutcliffe picks Brett Butler off 1B unassisted. With Jose Uribe at 2B, Butler wanders too far off the bag and the Cubs pitcher nabs him for the out. But Sutcliffe loses, 3–1, to Rick Reuschel. » April 12, 1990: San Francisco's Brett Butler ties the major-league record by drawing five walks in a 13–4 win over Atlanta. » December 15, 1990: American League Cy Young Award winner and free agent Bob Welch re-signs with Oakland, while "free look" free agents Jack Clark and Brett Butler sign with the Red Sox and Dodgers, respectively. » September 16, 1991: Bonehead baserunning almost costs the Dodgers a win over the Reds. With one out in the 11th, and the score 3–3, L.A. has Jose Offerman on 3B, with Brett Butler on 1B. When Lenny Harris hits a ground ball, Offerman tries to score but fails to touch the plate and is tagged out on the throw. Harris is called out for passing Butler, who inexplicably stands watching the play. But the Dodgers rally with three runs in the 12th to win, 6–5. Eddie Murray hits his 1st triple of the year and Eric Karros has his 1st ML hit, a double, before Joey Hamilton's game winning single. L.A. sets a NL-record in the four 1/2 hour marathon by using 27 player, including nine pitchers. The Reds use 19. » July 20, 1995: Mets' OF Brett Butler strokes four hits, but its not enough to prevent an 8-6 NY loss to the Cardinals. The hits give Butler 15 for his last four games, one shy of the record of 16 set by Brooklyn's Milt Stock in 1925. » May 7, 1996: Eric Anthony and Eric Davis hit back-to-back homers in the 12th inning off reliever Todd Worrell to give host Cincinnati a 3–2 win over the Dodgers. Before the game, the Dodgers announce that CF Brett Butler has throat cancer and will not return to baseball. Butler, 38, has been on the DL since May 2, and a tonsillectomy revealed the cancerous lump. He will undergo surgery on May 21. » July 31, 1996: The Dodgers obtain OF Chad Curtis from the Tigers in exchange for pitchers Joey Eischen and John Cummings. Curtis will lead off in place of the cancer-stricken Brett Butler. » September 6, 1996: Dodgers OF Brett Butler returns to the team following two operations for throat cancer. He walks and scores the winning run in LA's 2-1 victory over the Pirates. » September 10, 1996: In the Dodgers 5–4 win over the Reds, Brett Butler breaks his hand on a bunt attempt when he is hit by a pitch. The 39-year-old Butler, who battled back from cancer surgery, is out for the year after playing five games. » April 16, 1997: Brett Butler is 5-for-5, collecting four more hits than the Mets, as the Dodgers win, 5–2. Carlos Baerga has the only New York hit, a 7th-inning double off Pedro Astacio.