Sal Butera, baseball player, 1980-1988

Sal Butera

Born: 9/25/1952 in Richmond Hill, NY, USA

MLB Debut: 1980-04-10 | Final Game: 1988-09-26

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 190 lbs

Full name: Salvatore Philip Butera

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Biography

Sal Butera, born in 1952, was a professional baseball player who made his mark in the Major Leagues from 1980 to 1988. Primarily recognized as a position player, Butera played in 359 games throughout his career, where he established himself as a reliable backup catcher and utility player. He recorded a total of 182 hits, including 8 home runs, and drove in 76 runs, finishing his career with a batting average of .227. Despite not being known for his speed, as evidenced by his 0 stolen bases, Butera's contributions were significant in various roles on the teams he played for. Butera's career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, as the game was evolving with changes in player roles and strategies. While he may not have been a superstar, his dedication and versatility allowed him to carve out a niche for himself in the league. His playing style reflected the gritty, hard-nosed approach that characterized many players of the era, contributing to the teams' successes during his tenure. Sal Butera left an indelible mark on the clubs he represented, and his journey through Major League Baseball remains a testament to the value of perseverance and adaptability in professional sports.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
359 801 63 182 24 3 8 76 0 86 85 0.227 0.302 0.295 0.597 -2028.8

Career AVG .227 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 12.4% below league average.

Career OBP .302 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 6.8% below league average.

Career SLG .295 vs. league average .390 across their career seasons — 24.4% below league average.

Career OPS 0.597 vs. league average 0.714 across their career seasons — 16.4% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1980 MIN AL 34 85 4 23 1 0 0 2 0 3 6 0.271 .264 (+2%) .326 (-8%) .387 (-27%) .714 (-18%) -254.0
1981 MIN AL 62 167 13 40 7 1 0 18 0 22 14 0.240 .255 (-6%) .320 (+1%) .368 (-20%) .688 (-10%) -242.8
1982 MIN AL 54 126 9 32 2 0 0 8 0 17 12 0.254 .261 (-3%) .324 (+7%) .388 (-31%) .712 (-13%) -201.2
1983 DET AL 4 5 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.200 — — — — 0.0
1984 WSN NL 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1985 WSN NL 67 120 11 24 1 0 3 12 0 13 12 0.200 .257 (-22%) .323 (-13%) .390 (-28%) .714 (-21%) -421.5
1986 CIN NL 56 113 14 27 6 1 2 16 0 21 10 0.239 .257 (-7%) .325 (+9%) .395 (-8%) .720 (avg) 45.3
1987 CIN NL 5 11 1 2 0 0 1 2 0 1 6 0.182 — — — — 0.0
1987 MIN AL 51 111 7 19 5 0 1 12 0 7 16 0.171 .262 (-35%) .331 (-35%) .415 (-41%) .746 (-38%) 0.0
1988 TOR AL 23 60 3 14 2 1 1 6 0 1 9 0.233 .254 (-8%) .317 (-23%) .377 (-7%) .695 (-14%) -158.0

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2.0 0 0 0 1 1 0.00 0

Career ERA 0.00 vs. league average 3.93 across their career seasons — 100.0% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1985 WSN NL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0.00 — -
1986 CIN NL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 1 1 0.00 — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.667

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1987 ALCS MIN 1 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.667
1987 WS MIN 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 1 0 2 0 0 0
C 348 255 1382 149 35 16
P 2 0 0 0 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1980 MIN C 32 28 106 9 6 0
1981 MIN 1B 1 0 2 0 0 0
1981 MIN C 59 51 254 41 9 0
1982 MIN C 53 41 230 26 3 5
1983 DET C 4 1 12 1 1 0
1984 MON C 2 1 9 0 0 0
1985 MON C 66 40 227 20 4 5
1985 MON P 1 0 0 0 0 0
1986 CIN C 53 31 215 17 5 2
1986 CIN P 1 0 0 0 0 0
1987 CIN C 5 3 19 4 2 0
1987 MIN C 51 40 213 21 4 3
1988 TOR C 23 19 97 10 1 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 2
Catcher 348
First Base 1
Designated Hitter 3

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1987 CIN NL $62,500
1986 CIN NL $102,500
Total Career Earnings $165,000

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Suffolk County Community College Brentwood NY 1971, 1972