Rob Butler facts for kids

Robert Frank John Butler (born April 10, 1970) is a Canadian former professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for teams like the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies. Rob also played for the Toronto Maple Leafs in a league called the Intercounty Baseball League.

Rob Butler's MLB Career

Rob Butler first joined the Blue Jays team on September 24, 1990. He started playing in the Major League Baseball (MLB) on June 12, 1993. In his first year, he played 17 games. He had to stop playing for a bit because of a hand injury. This happened when he tried to steal a base.

1993 Season Highlights

During those 17 games in 1993, Rob had a batting average of .271. This means he got a hit almost 27% of the times he tried to hit the ball. He also hit four doubles and had two RBIs (Runs Batted In). RBIs are when a player hits the ball and helps a teammate score a run.

He also got seven walks, which means the pitcher threw four balls outside the strike zone. Rob also tried to steal bases four times and was successful twice.

Winning the World Series

In 1993, the Toronto Blue Jays won the 1993 World Series. Rob Butler played a small but important part. He got one hit out of two tries. This hit was a pinch hit single against Curt Schilling. A pinch hit is when a player bats in place of another player. Because of this, Rob Butler became the only Canadian player to win a World Series with the Blue Jays.

Playing in 1994 and Beyond

In 1994, Rob played in 41 games for the Blue Jays. His batting average was .176, and he hit one triple. A triple is when a player hits the ball and reaches third base safely. He also had five RBIs that season.

Rob spent a lot of this year playing for both the Blue Jays and their minor league team, the Syracuse Chiefs. On December 5, 1994, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Time with the Phillies

With the Phillies, Rob mostly played in their minor league teams. But in 1997, he was called up to the main team. He played in 43 games and had a good batting average of .292. He also hit nine doubles, one triple, and had 13 RBIs.

After his time with the Phillies, Rob signed with the Houston Astros on December 22, 1997. He spent 1998 playing in their minor league system.

Return to the Blue Jays

On December 23, 1998, Rob Butler came back to the Blue Jays. He played in eight games with the team in 1999. His last game in Major League Baseball was on July 10, 1999.

Semi-Pro Baseball Career

In 2001, Rob Butler joined the semi-pro Toronto Maple Leafs. This team plays in the Intercounty Baseball League. His brother, Rich Butler, also played for the team. Later, former Blue Jays pitcher Paul Spoljaric joined them too.

For many years, Rob was the best hitter on the team. In 2002, he helped the Toronto Maple Leafs win the league championship! In 2005, Rob played his last game with the Leafs and announced he was retiring from playing baseball.

As of April 2009, Rob Butler is a coach for the Canadian National Junior Team. This means he helps train young baseball players in Canada.