Rich Butler


Richard Dwight Butler is a former outfielder for the Major League Baseball Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He is the brother of another former Blue Jay, Rob Butler.

Career

Butler was signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Toronto Blue Jays on September 24, 1990. After seven years in Minor League Baseball, he was called up to play for the major league club on September 6, 1997. He played seven games that season with the Blue Jays.
In the Major League Baseball expansion draft of 1997, Butler was selected 10th overall by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, now the Tampa Bay Rays. In 1998, the inaugural season for the Rays, Butler played in 72 games at the major league level and 38 games with AAA Durham..
Butler remained at AAA Durham in 1999, where he played 90 games. He was called up to the Devil Rays again, but this time only for seven games.
On October 15, 1999, Butler was granted free agency. A month later, he was signed by the Seattle Mariners, although he never made it back to the big leagues.
After his MLB career Butler played for the minor league Toronto Maple Leafs from 2001 to 2002.

Highlights

1992 - A Ball Myrtle Beach Hurricanes, South Atlantic League Champions
1993 - Florida State League All Star, voted most exciting player of the year by Baseball America
1996 - Australian League MVP, Sydney Blues
1997 - First MLB hit, September 9
1998 - First MLB home run, April 1

Statistics

Batting
GABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSOSBCSAVGOBPSLGOPS
Minors924334545987414541764393296539568.261.330.397.728
Majors86251305653722194443.223.280.351.631

Fielding
minor league fielding statistics not available

Butler Baseball Academy

As of 2016, Rich Butler and his brother Rob Butler are instructors at the based in Ajax, Ontario, Canada.
The academy offers: