Butch Huskey facts for kids

Robert Leon "Butch" Huskey (born November 10, 1971) is a former professional baseball player from the United States. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) mainly as an outfielder. His career in the big leagues spanned from 1993 to 2000.

Butch Huskey's Early Life and Football Talent

Butch Huskey grew up in Anadarko, Oklahoma. His grandmother raised him for his early years. When he was about 10 or 11, he moved to Lawton, Oklahoma. There, he lived with his father, who was a police officer. He had a big family, with five brothers and three sisters.

Growing up, Butch was a big fan of the Texas Rangers baseball team. This was because he lived close to the Oklahoma City 89ers, a minor league team. He went to Eisenhower High School in Lawton. There, he was a talented football player. He played as a tight end and was even named All-State. He was offered a scholarship to play college football for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Starting His Baseball Journey (1989–1993)

Even though he was great at football, Butch Huskey chose baseball. The New York Mets drafted him in 1989. He was picked in the seventh round as a third baseman. That year, he played for the Gulf Coast Mets in Sarasota, Florida. He won the Doubleday Award for being a top rookie player. He hit for a .263 batting average, with six home runs and 34 runs batted in (RBIs).

Butch won the Doubleday Award again in 1991. He was playing for the Columbia Mets in the South Atlantic League. He had a great season, hitting .287 with 26 home runs and 99 RBIs. He also stole 22 bases. He shared this award with another player, José Martínez.

In 1993, Butch won his third Doubleday Award. He was playing for the Binghamton Mets in the Eastern League. He hit .251 with 25 home runs and 98 RBIs. By this time, the Mets saw him as a very promising player. In August 1993, he got to play his first Major League game. It was against the Houston Astros. He was called up again in September when teams could have more players. He finished that season with a .146 batting average in the big leagues.

Climbing to the Major Leagues (1994–1996)

In 1994, Butch Huskey played the whole season with the Norfolk Tides. This team was part of the International League. He might have been called up to the Mets again, but a baseball strike stopped that from happening.

Butch had a strong comeback season in 1995. He won his fourth Doubleday Award, sharing it with pitcher Jason Isringhausen. He played for Norfolk and hit .284 with 28 home runs and 87 RBIs. Because of his great play, he was called up to the Mets in September. However, he didn't play as well in the Major Leagues that year, hitting .189.

In 1996, Butch was ready to compete for a starting spot with the New York Mets. He was hoping to play third base. However, the team made some changes to their infield. Butch was then given the job of starting right field. He had only played this position once before in the Major Leagues. Butch found it tough to play defense in the outfield. Other players, like Carl Everett and Alex Ochoa, started to play in the outfield more. Butch also began to share time at first base with Rico Brogna. He ended the 1996 season with a .278 batting average, 15 home runs, and 60 RBIs.

Career Highlights and Changes (1997–1998)

The 1997 season was a busy one for Butch Huskey. He started the year as the team's third baseman. But he struggled with defense again. So, Edgardo Alfonzo took over at third base and had a great season. Butch then moved back to right field.

This season turned out to be his best. He hit for a .287 batting average. He also hit 24 home runs and had 81 RBIs. Butch was only 25 years old at the time. Some baseball experts even compared his power to famous slugger Mark McGwire. A memorable moment in 1997 was when he hit a home run at Veterans Stadium. The ball landed in a very high section of the stadium. Only a few other players had ever hit a ball that far there.

In 1998, Butch's performance wasn't as strong. He hit .252 with 13 home runs and 59 RBIs. After the season, the Mets decided to look for other players for right field. In December 1998, the Mets traded Butch Huskey to the Seattle Mariners.

Playing for New Teams (1999–2000)

With the Seattle Mariners in 1999, Butch Huskey was expected to be a backup player. But he hit well, with 15 home runs in limited chances. This earned him more playing time. In July 1999, the Boston Red Sox traded for him. They needed a right-handed hitter for their designated hitter spot. Butch played well for Boston, hitting seven home runs and helping the Red Sox reach the playoffs.

In 2000, Butch signed with the Minnesota Twins. He was expected to be their everyday designated hitter. However, he struggled at the plate. In July 2000, he was traded to the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies were trying to make the playoffs and needed power from their bench. Butch did well for them, hitting four home runs in limited chances while playing mostly left field.

Retirement and Later Years

Butch Huskey signed with the Cleveland Indians in January 2001. But he did not make the team during spring training. He then decided to retire from baseball at age 29. His career had a quick rise and then a sudden end. In 2006, Butch Huskey took part in some Mets fan events in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

Butch Huskey's Jersey Numbers

During his time with the New York Mets, Butch Huskey wore two different jersey numbers. In 1993, he wore number 10. From 1995 to 1998, he wore number 42. Major League Baseball officially retired number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson on April 15, 1997. This meant no new players could wear it. However, players who were already wearing it, like Butch, were allowed to keep it.

When he joined the Red Sox in 1999, he changed his number to 44. He went back to number 42 with the Twins. He finished his career with the Rockies wearing number 35.