Rob Butler

Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=darkblue
bgcolor2=maroon
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white
name=Rob Butler
position=Outfield
bats=Left
throws=Left
debutdate=June 12
debutyear=1993
debutteam=Toronto Blue Jays
finaldate=July 10
finalyear=1999
finalteam=Toronto Blue Jays
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.243
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=0
stat3label=RBI
stat3value=21
teams=
*Toronto Blue Jays (1993-1994, 1999)
*Philadelphia Phillies (1997)
highlights=
*World Series Championship (1993)

Robert Frank John Butler (born April 10, 1970 in East York, Ontario) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies. He is also a former baseball player with the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball club of the Intercounty Baseball League.

Butler first signed with the Blue Jays as an amateur free agent on September 24, 1990.

On June 12, 1993, Butler made his major league debut with the Blue Jays, but he only played in 17 regular season games due to a hand injury he suffered when attempting to steal a base. In that short time, he had a .271 batting average with four doubles, two RBIs and 12 strikeouts. He also drew seven walks and went 2-for-4 stealing bases. When the Blue Jays reached the World Series, he went 1-for-2 with a with a pinch hit single. He went on to win the World Series championship with his hometown team making him the only Canadian player to have won a World Series with the Blue Jays.

In 1994, Butler played in 41 games for the Blue Jays, batting .176 with one triple and five RBIs. Much of his time was split between the Blue Jays and their AAA affiliate, the Syracuse Chiefs. On December 5, 1994 he was traded to Philadelphia Phillies.

With the Phillies organization, Butler spent much of it in their minor league system, but was called up in 1997, and played in only 43 games, batting .292 with nine doubles, one triple, and 13 RBIs.

On December 22, 1997, Butler signed with the Houston Astros and spent 1998 in their minor league system.

On December 23, 1998, returned to the Blue Jays as a free agent and appeared in only eight games with the Jays during the 1999 season. On July 10, 1999, Butler played his last game as a Major League Baseball player.

In 2001, Butler joined the Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball Club as their outfielder. He was also joined by his brother Rich Butler, and later by former Blue Jays pitcher Paul Spoljaric. For much of those years, Rob finished the season as the team's batting leader, and in 2002, he won the League championship with them. In 2005, Butler played his last game with the Leafs, announcing his retirement from the game.

In 2008, Butler has signed with the Ajax Spartans Senior baseball team of the EOBA.

External links

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/butlero01.shtml Rob Butler's stats]