- Butch Huskey
Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=#ff5731
bgcolor2=#003581
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white
name=Butch Huskey
caption=
position=Outfielder
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1971|11|10
debutdate=September 8
debutyear=1993
debutteam=New York Mets
finaldate=October 1
finalyear=2000
finalteam=Colorado Rockies
stat1label=AVG
stat1value=.267
stat2label=HR
stat2value=86
stat3label=RBI
stat3value=336
teams=
*New York Mets (1993, 1995-1998)
*Seattle Mariners (1999)
*Boston Red Sox (1999)
*Minnesota Twins (2000)
*Colorado Rockies (2000)
highlights=Robert Leon "Butch" Huskey (born
November 10 ,1971 inAnadarko, Oklahoma ), is a former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues primarily as an outfielder from 1993 and 1995-2000.Huskey was drafted by the
New York Mets in the seventh round of the 1989Major League Baseball Draft as a third baseman. That year he was awarded the Doubleday Award for the Rookie levelGulf Coast Mets inSarasota, Florida . Huskey posted a batting average of .263, with six home runs, 34 runs batted in, and four stolen bases in 54 games.Huskey won a second Doubleday Award following the 1991 season, this time playing for the
Capital City Bombers of theSouth Atlantic League as he posted a batting average of .287, with 26 home runs, 99 runs batted in, and 22 stolen bases. He won the award along withJose Martinez , a right-handed pitcher.Huskey won the award again in 1993, for the
Binghamton Mets of the Eastern League, posting a batting average of .251, with 25 home runs, 98 runs batted in, and 11 stolen bases. By this time, Huskey had been labeled a top prospect by the Mets. Because of this, in August, Huskey was recalled to debut against theHouston Astros , withDarryl Kile on the mound. Standing in to high expectations, Huskey was only as hapless as the rest of the lineup, as Darryl Kyle threw a no-hitter. Huskey was again recalled onSeptember 1 ,1993 , when rosters expanded. He finished the season in the majors, batting .146 with no home runs, three RBIs, and no stolen bases.Huskey played the entire 1994 campaign with the
Norfolk Tides of theInternational League . It was possible he would have been recalled again in September, but his hopes were dashed by the1994 Major League Baseball strike .Huskey rebounded in 1995, winning a fourth and final Doubleday Award, this time along with right-handed pitcher
Jason Isringhausen . Spending the season with Norfolk, he posted a batting average of .284, with 28 home runs, 87 runs batted in, and eight stolen bases. For his performance he was awarded with a September call-up, though he failed to impress at the big league level again, batting .189 with three home runs, 11 runs batted in, and one stolen base.In 1996, Huskey was primed to compete with backup infielder
Edgardo Alfonzo for the starting position at third base for the New York Mets, following the trade of incumbentBobby Bonilla to theBaltimore Orioles the previous season. However, the unexpected play of shortstopRey Ordonez promptedDallas Green to alter the infield alignment: Ordonez was awarded the starting shortstop position, withJose Vizcaino shifting to second base, andJeff Kent shifting to third base. To compensate both Huskey and eager Mets fans, he was awarded the starting right field job, a position he had only played once previously at the Major League level. Huskey struggled defensively in the outfield, soon finding himself being replaced by more athletic natural outfielders, such asCarl Everett andAlex Ochoa , as well as being berated on several radio talk shows for his excessive weight. However, Huskey soon found himself in a platoon role with first basemanRico Brogna , a left-handed hitter. Huskey went on to be the Mets' busiest first baseman that year, finishing with a .278 average, 15 home runs, 60 runs batted in, and one stolen base.1997 proved to be another tumultuous season for the young right-hander. With incumbent third baseman
Jeff Kent traded away, Huskey was awarded the opening day third baseman's job. However, Huskey again struggled defensively, and was benched in favor ofEdgardo Alfonzo , who went on to have a breakout season. Huskey once again found himself in right field, this time to platoon with the strugglingCarl Everett . This season proved to be his most successful, as he posted a batting average of .287, with 24 home runs, 81 runs batted in, and eight stolen bases. Huskey was only 25 years old, and some scouts compared him toMark McGwire . One highlight of Huskey's 1997 season came on September 15, when he hit a home run offPhiladelphia Phillies pitcherMatt Beech that landed in section 638 ofVeterans Stadium . He became only the third player to hit a ball into the stadium's 600 level, followingWillie Stargell andRuben Rivera .Jim Thome would be the only other player to reach the 600 level with a batted ball before the stadium closed following the 2003 season. [cite book |title=Veterans Stadium: Field of Memories |last=Westcott |first=Rich |year=2005 |publisher=Temple University Press |location=Philadelphia |isbn=1592134289 |pages=116 ]All hopes seemed lost following the 1998 season, as Huskey regressed offensively, posting a batting average of .252, with 13 home runs, 59 runs batted in, and seven stolen bases. Following the season General Manager
Steve Phillips announced that he would explore more options in right field. OnNovember 11 ,1998 , the Mets re-acquiredBobby Bonilla , from theLos Angeles Dodgers , this time to play right field, in exchange for pitcherMel Rojas . OnDecember 14 ,1998 , the Mets traded Butch Huskey to theSeattle Mariners in exchange for pitcherLeslie Brea .Huskey was expected to have a limited bench role with Seattle, but his bat (15 home runs in only 262 at-bats) earned him more and more playing time. While Seattle had no playoff hopes at midseason, several other teams still did, and were looking to bolster their rosters. One such team was the Boston Red Sox, who acquired Huskey on
July 26 ,1999 , in exchange forRob Ramsay . Huskey served as a right-handed complement to Boston's left-handed DH,Brian Daubach . Huskey performed well in Boston, hitting seven home runs down in the second half of the season in only 124 at-bats and helped the Red Sox to a wild card berth. Following the season, Huskey signed a one-year contract with theMinnesota Twins onJanuary 27 ,2000 .Huskey, now 28, was expected to have a breakout season in 2000 with Minnesota as the Twins' everyday DH, but he struggled offensively, hitting only five home runs in 215 at-bats. On
July 15 ,2000 he was traded withTodd Walker to theColorado Rockies in exchange forTodd Sears and cash. The Rockies were in a pennant race and looking for power off of their bench. Huskey didn't disappoint, hitting four home runs in only 92 at-bats while playing mostly left field.On
January 26 ,2001 , Huskey signed a one-year contract with theCleveland Indians but failed to make the team in Spring Training and subsequently retired at the age of 29, as his meteoric rise in New York, Seattle, and Boston was equaled by his sudden downfall in Minnesota. Most recently Huskey, now 35, participated in Mets' fantasy camps inPort St. Lucie, Florida prior to the 2006 season.Trivia
*As a Met, Huskey wore the number 42 when Major League Baseball retired the number in honor of
Jackie Robinson onApril 15 ,1997 in a game between the Mets andLos Angeles Dodgers atShea Stadium . Agrandfather clause enabled him to wear the number for the remainder of his career if he so chose; he changed his number to 44 with the Red Sox, then reverted to 42 with the Twins.Notes
External links
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/h/huskebu01.shtml Baseball Reference]
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