Ultimate Mets Database - Memories of Brett Butler

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Memories of
Brett Butler

Brett Butler
Ultimate Mets Database popularity ranking: 271 of 1252 players

Brett Morgan Butler
Born: June 15, 1957 at Los Angeles, Cal.
Throws: Left Bats: Left
Height: 5.10 Weight: 161

Brett Butler was the most popular Ultimate Mets Database daily lookup on August 18, 2011, and January 17, 2022.

First Mets game: April 26, 1995
Last Mets game: August 9, 1995

Winner of National League Player of the Week award, July 23, 1995. (New York Mets)

Share your memories of Brett Butler

HERE IS WHAT OTHER METS FANS HAVE TO SAY:

Mr. Sparkle
This guy was some piece of work. He was a very good ball player who I actually wanted them to sign before they ended up with Vinny Coleman. That would have worked out instead of signing him when they did. When the Dodgers offered him only a one year contract and the Mets offered two he was so happy that the Mets showed him the wanted him he was looking like a great addition. But then when the Mets had a bad season, he whined and complained at how much he hated it here and wanted out. What a total jerk! And this supposed born again Christian was a complete hypocrate. He was the first player to black ball the replacement player on the Dodgers Mike Bush and treated the poor guy like garbage. He made the guy's life miserable and made sure the rest of the team turned a cold shoulder to him. Some Christian attitude Bret. He was a complete tool in my book.

MetWop
Mr. Sparkle, I couldn't have said it better myself. He made himself out to be a holier-than-thou Bible thumper, than black-balled a poor guy trying to make a living, in favor of his fellow greedy bastard baseball bretheren.

EG
March 18, 2001
Can't stand players who tout religion. My memory of him is when he hit a foul ball into the crowd that hit a small child in the head. Scarry stuff!

Joe Figliola
September 14, 2001
I remember Brett going on a month-long batting tear that brought him up to the .311 average he wound up with as a Met. I don't recall him complaining during his time with the Amazin's. I do, however, remember how angry I was over the way Butler treated Mike Busch right after he became a Dodger.Can you imagine how he would've reacted to Rick Reed and Benny Agbayani had he remained a Met?

a mets fan
March 10, 2002
Unfortunately, it didn't work out for three reasons:
Past his prime. Not as good as he was.
Didn't try hard.
Not a nice guy.

Larry Burns
May 29, 2002
Real spiritual guy! I guess in his view of the world, Jesus was a union member who hated scabs! Hypocrisy in any form is hard to swallow, but coming from good old Brett it is infuriating. He was a true "team leader." Let us remember though that this was the team that shot bleach at reporters, threw firecrackers at fans and treated everyone like they were an abused spouse. He led the likes of Vince Coleman, Brett Saberhagen and Bobby Bonilla. Only time where rooting against the Mets almost seemed like a noble thing to do. Complete JERK!

clubhouse report
May 30, 2002
While I agree that Butler did come across as sanctimonious let's set the record straight--Vince Coleman was long gone before Butler ever played for the Mets as were the firecracker and bleach incidents.

Larry Burns
February 5, 2003
Things like this drive me insane. Here is a hypocritical jerk who whine and complained while he was on the Mets and could not wait to get out. Then he actually treats replacement players like they have some comunicable disease. Real consistent for a born- again christian. So how do the Mets feel about being treated like barroom skanks---they make him a minor league instructor. Jeez this team would have made Mussolini a roving pitching instructor.

Shari
February 6, 2003
I have to agree with you Larry. I couldn't believe it when I heard the Mets were hiring Butler as a minor league instructor. They treat life-time solid players like Fonzie & Mookie like last week's garbage, but for people like Butler they roll out the red carpet. This team reminds me of women that get treated like dirt by their boyfriends & husbands & yet they treat these guys like gold, while dumping someone who was loyal & treated them like Queens. Then again I guess I'm in the same catagory because this team treats us fans like we are morons yet I follow them during the offseason as closely as I do during the regular season, never missing a game until I get fed up in May/early June, so I guess I break the mold there. This hiring of Brett Butler is nothing short of frustrating & infuriating.

Mr. Sparkle
February 6, 2003
The thought of him and his skunky hair as part of the Mets again sickens me.

flushing flash
February 7, 2003
All I can say is that with that replacement-hater Butler in camp, it's a good thing Rick Reed is no longer here.
Good thing for Butler, because one wrong word from him and Reed would split his face open like a watermelon.

Jim Go Mets!
June 16, 2005
When I lived in San Francisco Butler was on the Giants and I recall him saying something really, really stupid along the lines of: God will never let the Giants win the World Series because SF is such a sinful city. At the time I thought he was just a butthead. I've never met him, so maybe he's a wonderful human being, but everyone else's memories seem to indicate otherwise.

Jonathan Stern
June 26, 2005
I don't remember anything terrible about Brett Butler, though if the replacement players story is true, I find it tough to defend. What I recall is a veteran who played solid CF and batted leadoff for most of 1995, was booed when he struggled, then responded by saying, "I stink right now, so the fans are well within their rights to boo me." Pretty admirable, given the whining of recent Mets like Floyd and Cameron.
Butler stood up for his teammates against Dallas Green, warning the manager that he was psyching out the youngsters. Green did not want to talk about it, but he later on allowed Butler to leave a game early to be with his dying mother, an act of kindness which Butler acknowledged in his autobiography. Butler later fought cancer heroically.
Most curious was his harsh criticism of Mike Piazza just before the latter became a Met. Something about how Piazza was the ultimate Generation X ballplayer, spoiled and selfish. Butler later retracted the statement, saying that he was quoted off the record. Hmmm...
It appears that Butler was much like Gary Carter, except not as nice and full of cheer, and farther past his prime when he got here, a wholesome Born-again who played with enthusiasm but rubbed people the wrong way.
One of my stranger Shea memories took place in August, 1995, when I arrived at the park just in time for the start of the game to see Butler bat leadoff... for the Dodgers!

Josh
June 26, 2005
Brett Butler played very well in his short time with the Mets. But when the Mets fell out of contention they started trading players away. The Mets were playing the Dodgers at Shea, and Butler was traded to the Dodgers on Sunday morning before the game. Butler got three hits for LA to help the Dodgers win. The Mets could have at least waited until after the game to make the deal. Typical of the time.

Stu Baron
November 4, 2007
Actually, Josh, he was dealt back to the Dodgers on a Friday, just before the opener of a 3-game weekend series...

Jeff in Florida
November 4, 2007
As far as I remember it was Brett Butler who said the Giants 9-18 start was the work of "Satan"

Shane Lester
January 30, 2013
Not a Mets comment but I went to a Cubs-Dodgers game in the early 90's and somehow the guy I went with had pulled some strings and we got into Wrigley way before game time. I sat and watched the grounds crew work on the field only to be surprised to hear someone behind me say my name. When I turned around I nearly had a heart attack because the guy who said my name was Shawn Boskie of the Cubs, in uniform asking to speak with me. After a short talk he left and right behind him was Brett Butler, also wanting to speak to me. Somehow the guy who took me to the game arranged all this but it meant a lot to me that these two guys took time to speak to me. We talked about baseball but both of them guys spoke to me about life and being a good person. I'd like to thank them both for taking time out to speak to me all those years ago, they may not have been the greatest ball players ever but on that day those two made a difference to a troubled young man.

Alex
August 19, 2024
Not sure I endorse him for the Hall of Fame, but I know some "big Hall" types have considered his case. I'd say, historically, he's somewhat underrated, but maybe not a Hall of Famer.
His stint with New York was awesome, though—he had a .311 batting average and 21 steals...at 38 years old! Who is this guy, Rickey Henderson?
In 2022, he autographed three cards for me in just eight days through his home address.