| Butch Huskey | |
|---|---|
| Outfielder | |
| Born: (1971-11-10)November 10, 1971 (age 54) Anadarko, Oklahoma, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 8, 1993, for the New York Mets | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 1, 2000, for the Colorado Rockies | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .267 |
| Home runs | 86 |
| Runs batted in | 336 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Robert Leon "Butch" Huskey (born November 10, 1971), is an American former professionalbaseball player who played inMajor League Baseball in 1993 and from 1995 to 2000, primarily as an outfielder for theNew York Mets.
Huskey was raised inAnadarko, Oklahoma by his grandmother until she sent him at age 10 or 11 to live with his father, a police officer inLawton, Oklahoma.[1] He lived there with five brothers and three sisters.[2] Because of his proximity to theOklahoma City 89ers, he grew up aTexas Rangers fan. Huskey attendedEisenhower High School in Lawton where he playedfootball and was an All-Statetight end. He was offered a scholarship to playcollege football for theOklahoma Sooners.[3]
Huskey was drafted by theNew York Mets in the seventh round of the1989 Major 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 (RBI), and four stolen bases in 54 games. Huskey won a second Doubleday Award following the 1991 season, this time playing for theColumbia Mets of theSouth Atlantic League as he posted a batting average of .287, with 26 home runs, 99 RBI, and 22 stolen bases. He won the award along withJosé Martínez, a right-handed pitcher.
Huskey won the award again in 1993, for theBinghamton Mets of theEastern League, posting a batting average of .251, with 25 home runs, 98 RBI, and 11 stolen bases. By this time, Huskey had been labeled a top prospect by the Mets. Because of this and an injury toBobby Bonilla, Huskey was promoted, debuting against theHouston Astros on September 8, asDarryl Kile threw a no-hitter against the Mets. Huskey struck out three times.[4][5][6] Huskey finished the season in the majors, batting .146 with no home runs and three runs batted in.[6]
Huskey played the entire 1994 campaign with theNorfolk Tides of theInternational League. He wasn't able to be recalled again in September, due to theplayers' strike. Huskey rebounded in 1995, winning a fourth and final Doubleday Award, this time along with right-handed pitcherJason 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 rewarded with aSeptember 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.[7]
In 1996, Huskey was primed to compete with backup infielderEdgardo Alfonzo for the starting position at third base for the New York Mets, following the trade of Bonilla to theBaltimore Orioles the previous season. However, the unexpected play of shortstopRey Ordóñez promptedDallas Green to alter the infield alignment: Ordonez was awarded the starting shortstop position, withJosé Vizcaíno shifting to second base, andJeff Kent shifting to third base. Huskey was moved to right field, a position he had only played once previously at the major league level.[8] Huskey struggled defensively in the outfield, soon finding himself being replaced by more athletic natural outfielders, such asCarl Everett andAlex Ochoa. However, Huskey soon found himself in a platoon role with first basemanRico Brogna, a left-handed hitter.[9][10] Huskey went on to be the Mets' regular first baseman that year, finishing with a .278 average, 15 home runs, 60 runs batted in, and one stolen base.[11]
1997 proved to be another tumultuous season for the young right-hander. With incumbent third basemanJeff 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.[12] Huskey once again found himself in right field, sharing time with the struggling Everett and Ochoa. 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.[13] Huskey was only 25 years old, and some scouts compared him toMark McGwire.[citation needed] 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 andRubén Rivera.[14]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.[15]
Huskey regressed offensively in 1998, posting a batting average of .252, with 13 home runs, 59 runs batted in, and seven stolen bases. Following the season, general managerSteve Phillips made several trades to re-make the Mets.[16] On November 11, the Mets re-acquiredBobby Bonilla, from theLos Angeles Dodgers, this time to play right field, in exchange for pitcherMel Rojas. On December 14, the Mets traded Huskey to theSeattle Mariners in exchange for pitcherLesli Brea.[17]
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.[18] Since Seattle had no playoff hopes at midseason, they traded Huskey to theBoston Red Sox on July 26, 1999 for pitcherRobert Ramsay.[19][20] Huskey served as a right-handed complement to Boston's left-handeddesignated hitter,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.
Huskey signed a one-year contract with theMinnesota Twins on January 27, 2000. As the Twins' everyday designated hitter, but he struggled offensively, hitting only five home runs in 215 at-bats. He was demoted in July. On July 15, he was traded withTodd Walker to theColorado Rockies in exchange forTodd Sears and cash.[21][22] The Rockies were in a pennant race and looking for power off of their bench. Huskey did not disappoint, hitting four home runs in only 92 at-bats while playing mostly left field.[23]
On January 26, 2001, Huskey signed a one-year contract with theCleveland Indians.[24] He failed to make the team in spring training and was released.[25] He played for the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate, theColorado Springs Sky Sox, in 2001, hitting .323 with 19 home runs.[26]
As a Met, Huskey started out his career in 1993 wearing number 10, and then wore the number 42 for the rest of his Met career from 1995 to 1998 when MLB retired the number in honor ofJackie Robinson on April 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 in 1999, then reverted to 42 with the Twins before finishing out his career with the Rockies wearing number 35.[27][28][11]
Huskey is mentioned in theYo La Tengo song "Moby Octopad" (from the 1997 albumI Can Hear the Heart Beating as One).[29]
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