I was disappointed that the Kansas City Royals lost the World Series, and now I’m kind of sad because it looks like they’ll be bidding farewell to one of the better hitters in team history.
Although it comes as no surprise, the team announced today that they will decline the $12.5 mil 2015 option on designated hitter Billy Butler. And as much as I like Butler, the move only make sense. $12,500,000 is a lot of money to pay anyone, let alone a guy who doesn’t play a position on the field and doesn’t hit very many home runs.
It’s still a little sad, though.
Before today’s move made him a free agent, he was the longest tenured player on the roster. I suppose there’s something to be said for that. And sure, his 2014 campaign left a lot to be desired, and yeah, he trails only George Brett when it comes to grounding into double plays (though Brett had 11,624 career plate appearances to Butler’s 4,811).
But Billy was really pretty decent for quite few years.
Drafted by Allard Baird as the 14th overall pick in 2004, the cherubic high school third baseman from Florida was expected to be a cornerstone player with middle-of-the-lineup thump. And although he never developed into a perennial 20+ HR guy, his ability to put the ball into gaps was well suited for Kauffman Stadium.
He hit 276 doubles, the sixth most in team history. His career .295 batting average is good for fourth and he’s sixth in RBI (628) and seventh in HR (127). His best year offensively was in 2012, when he hit .313 with 29 HR/107 RBI and garnered a 3.5 oWAR (Offensive Wins Above Replacement). This earned him an All-Star nod as well as a Silver Slugger award, the only time he received either accolade. Likely, these will be the last awards he ever wins as a Kansas City Royal.
In a conference call on Saturday, he stated that he wants to stay with the team. (But I mean, honestly—how often do you hear a professional athlete say otherwise?)
A return would mean a considerable pay cut; it’ll be interesting to see what the Royals would be willing to give him (provided there’s even interest) and whether he’d be willing to take it. As it stands, Kansas City doesn’t have anyone who can be an everyday DH and if the season started tomorrow (which would be SUPER weird), it’d probably be some sort of a platoon situation utilized to rest position players. (And do we really want to see Omar Infante as a DH all that often? I’m betting not.)
In the end, it seems likely that Billy has suited up as a Royal for the last time. He’ll probably get a much more economically sound, incentive-laden deal from another team. We will all politely applaud him when he returns to the K, and remember that time when he hit 29 home runs, or the time he stole a base in the playoffs. In a little over a decade, he’ll be inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame.
Life goes on. Sometimes it’s a bit depressing, sure, but that’s the nature of professional athletics.
Godspeed, Billy. You were a pretty good Royal.
Allow me to be the first to comment on this excellent column, Brandon…
Hey, it’s an 11:02 PM posting, who’s gonna beat me to the punch.
As you know, I’ve not been a baseball or Royals fan for several years. Didn’t have the time or interest, which probably makes me pretty normal considering the team’s record.
Speaking of which, I’m on record as being big time on the post season bandwagon this year. You and I kind of unexpectedly bonded during that Oakland game where exchanged all those texts.
So really, other than remembering the Home Run Derby controversy when the All Star Game hit KC and buying a bottle of Billy’s just-OK barbecue sauce a year ago, I don’t have much of a frame of reference.
I’ll tell you what though, he really got under my skin this past month, his stolen base and little dance, his clutch hits and the sentimental concept of hating to see this team of overachievers break up.
So maybe most ballplayers say the kinda stuff Butler has about staying in KC, but I for one will be really sad to see him go and hope the team is able to work something out to keep him.
To be honest, I don’t see myself watching practically ANY Royals game next year – it still takes too much time and there are too many other options. But if they take off I’ll obviously follow them more closely and try and help keep readers apprised of their off field exploits to the extent that I can.
Kansas City is in sore need of some local celebrities.
Thanks for putting it all into perspective for me.
again…lefty and hearne are wrong again.
Sorry this is part of baseball. Problem is that butler was unhappy being a
dh. Everyone except you two realized this. Of course we expect that of our
2″experts”.
Remember when hosmer got injured billy’s playing everyday caused him
to hit better. Playing the full game and playing the field makes a huge difference
in ahitters attitude.
After billy either flew out or grounded out he had 2 or 3 innings to wait
around the clubhouse thinking about his lack of hitting. That’s tough.
Many dh’s are usually older and for one reason or another can’t
play the strenuous 162 game schedule and they are used solely as
dh’s.
Billy is too young tobe spending 95% of the game on the bench waiting.
And since there’s rreally no place to put him in the field…and if you see
him you’d think he was overweight and out of shape and since
the royals infield is pretty well set and hosmer will probablybe
the starter til his contract comes up for first baseand because he
plays first better defensively than mr. butler.
As the most avid baseball fan on here…I say it’s good for billy.
Let him go where he will flourish and be the big star he was supposed
to be. Backup first basemen are a dime a dozen.
Home runs just don’t come at the k.
The teams morphed into one of speed and defense..
and 12 million can buy some pretty fast and effective hitters.
The patriots turn turn 25-30%of their roster over every year. It’s part of
baseball and other sports.
So put your crying towel away lefty…no more tears.
Hearne…the royals will probably break ratings records next year.
Attendance could reach the 2.5 million range. People will be proudly
wearing royals shirts again…..Halloween saw tons of kids wearing
royals baseball outfits.
Maybe we get lucky. Losing billy will not hurt this team. 90 feet from
tying the 7th game of the world series.
When the season starts…hopefully billy is either making 15 with another
team who needs him in a ballpark where he can hit 30 homers and drive
in 110 runs or he’s stuck on the bench waiting to bat dh.
And hearne…I really don’t think we need you giving us info on the
royals next year. You and glaze both proved to be the “clowns” of
this whole runby the team. You letting down on them early and late in the
season…and glaze showing his clown outfit as he changed opinions like
the Kansas wind.
Please…we don’t need either of you predicting or writing about the
royals.
Just follow Harley who again was proven right.
Just when you send glaze an email during 2015 remind himto
say ‘ITS OVER..ITS OVER…ITS OVER!!!!!!!!!
great TIMES…GREAT RUN….LETS GET SOMEONE WHO KNOWS
BASEBALL IN HERE.
maybe team up with a former writer because we’ve seen the worst
in sports reporting right right here go down the sh*tter.
And lefty crys too much.
Just follow my comments and maybe if kerowacky can make some sense
it what he says you’ve got the sports side covered.
thanks
your friend
Harley
“Country Breakfast” shoulda hit the weight room.
He really pissed a lot of folks off in my opinion, because he doesn’t work his craft.
Imagine if Pete Rose lived in Billy Butler’s body. Holy sh*t.
You get it Chuck, good luck to CB and hopefully he lands somewhere where they don’t have high expectations.
Actually, Billy slimmed down quite a bit especially after that horrid series in Boston…He selected to wear a baggy jersey but I see him all the time at Rye. He is always going to be a bit stocky but if you saw him running the bases towards the end of the year and post season, he has actually put some speed on show for us….It took a while for the team to rebound once Hosmer came back. Billy played great first base while carrying the team on his back..
Butler would have fit in well the expansion 1969 Kansas City Royals… in fact, though different eras and players, he reminds me of a somewhat more talented version the late Ed ‘Spanky’ Kirkpatrick.
http://www.vintagecardtraders.org/virtual/70topps_posters/70topps_posters-19.jpg
For those first three seasons 1969-1971 watched them, Royals teams that era were made up lunch-pail (full o’ BBQ) guys for the most part, one that got more polished/ less countrified as the early 70’s became mid to late, 1980 precursor if not ultimate reward that came 5 years hence.
The 1985 Royals Championship team was one more veteran than youngish the 2014 model, the former one built upon incremental steps forward. The current KC Royals arrow is pointing up similarly, Butler et al among the choices a clash he, shrewd GM and bookkeeper will have to circumvent or succumb…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMaE6toi4mk
If the right choices are made by all concerned, then more where this came from (link below) could present:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/11743096/29-reasons-care-1985-kansas-city-royals
Too, SAN FRANCISCO always takes odd numbered years off, so 2015, won’t be any GIANT impediment stand in KC’s way.