Butch Huskey

Robert Leon "Butch" Huskey (born November 10, 1971), is an American former professional baseball player who played in the major leagues primarily as an outfielder in 1993 and from 1995 to 2000.

Huskey was raised in Anadarko, Oklahoma by his grandmother until she sent him at age 10 or 11 to live with his father, a police officer in Lawton, Oklahoma.

He lived there with five brothers and three sisters.

Because of his proximity to the Oklahoma City 89ers, he grew up a Texas Rangers fan.

Huskey attended Eisenhower High School in Lawton where he played football and was an All-State tight end.

He was offered a scholarship to play college football for Oklahoma.

Huskey was drafted by the New York Mets in the seventh round of the 1989 Major League Baseball Draft as a third baseman.

That year he was awarded the Doubleday Award for the Rookie level Gulf Coast Mets in Sarasota, 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 Columbia Mets of the South 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 with José Martínez, 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 the Houston Astros, with Darryl Kile on the mound, on the day Kile threw a no-hitter.

Huskey was again recalled on September 1, 1993, when rosters expanded.

He finished the season in the majors, batting .146 with no home runs, three runs batted in, and no stolen bases.

(The Columbia Mets did not become the Capital City Bombers until 1993)

Huskey played the entire 1994 campaign with the Norfolk Tides of the International League.

It was possible he would have been recalled again in September, but his hopes were dashed by the 1994 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 incumbent Bobby Bonilla to the Baltimore Orioles the previous season.

However, the unexpected play of shortstop Rey Ordóñez prompted Dallas Green to alter the infield alignment: Ordonez was awarded the starting shortstop position, with José Vizcaíno shifting to second base, and Jeff 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 as Carl Everett and Alex 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 baseman Rico 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 of Edgardo Alfonzo, who went on to have a breakout season.

Huskey once again found himself in right field, this time to platoon with the struggling Carl 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 to Mark McGwire.

One highlight of Huskey's 1997 season came on September 15, when he hit a home run off Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Matt Beech that landed in section 638 of Veterans Stadium.

He became only the third player to hit a ball into the stadium's 600 level, following Willie Stargell and Rubén Rivera.

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.

On November 11, 1998, the Mets re-acquired Bobby Bonilla, from the Los Angeles Dodgers, this time to play right field, in exchange for pitcher Mel Rojas.

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.