Rich Butler

Richard Dwight Butler (born May 1, 1973) 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.

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

Batting

Fielding

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As of 2016, Rich Butler and his brother Rob Butler are instructors at the Butler Baseball Academy based in Ajax, Ontario, Canada.

The academy offers:

• professional baseball and softball instruction
• seasonal clinics and camps
• baseball and softball batting cages
• elite baseball programs for 12U, 13U, 14U, 16U