Bill Butler, baseball player, 1969-1977

Bill Butler

Born: 3/12/1947 in Hyattsville, MD, USA

MLB Debut: 1969-04-09 | Final Game: 1977-07-11

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 210 lbs

Full name: William Franklin Butler

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Biography

Bill Butler was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1969 to 1977. Born in 1947, Butler made his mark in the Major Leagues during a time when the game was evolving, transitioning from the deadball era to a more offensive focus. Over his career, he recorded a win-loss record of 23-35, showcasing his resilience and determination on the mound despite the challenges of competing in a rapidly changing league. Butler finished his tenure with a 4.21 earned run average (ERA) and accumulated a total of 408 strikeouts, indicating his ability to overpower hitters at times. Additionally, he registered one save, highlighting his versatility as a pitcher who could be relied upon in critical situations. While he may not have achieved the superstar status of some contemporaries, Butler's contributions to his teams were significant during a competitive era in baseball, and he remains a respected figure among those who appreciate the nuances of pitching in the game.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
23 35 134 86 10 5 1 591.7 555 277 65 312 408 4.21 0

Career ERA 4.21 vs. league average 3.66 across their career seasons — 15.2% worse 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
1969 KCR AL 9 10 34 29 5 4 0 193.7 174 84 91 156 3.90 3.61 (-8%) -
1970 KCR AL 4 12 25 25 2 1 0 140.7 117 59 87 75 3.77 3.89 (+3%) -
1971 KCR AL 1 2 14 6 0 0 0 44.3 45 17 18 32 3.45 3.47 (+1%) -
1972 CLE AL 0 0 6 2 0 0 0 11.7 9 2 10 6 1.54 3.26 (+53%) -524.0
1974 MIN AL 4 6 26 12 2 0 1 98.7 91 45 56 79 4.10 3.63 (-13%) -675.7
1975 MIN AL 5 4 23 8 1 0 0 81.7 100 54 35 55 5.95 3.71 (-60%) -1505.9
1977 MIN AL 0 1 6 4 0 0 0 21.0 19 16 15 5 6.86 4.00 (-71%) -1921.5

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
134 117 1 6 0 0 0 6 0 9 79 0.051 0.118 0.051 0.169 -728.8

Career AVG .051 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — 79.8% below league average.

Career OBP .118 vs. league average .322 across their career seasons — 63.3% below league average.

Career SLG .051 vs. league average .375 across their career seasons — 86.3% below league average.

Career OPS 0.169 vs. league average 0.697 across their career seasons — 75.7% 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
1969 KCR AL 34 60 1 3 0 0 0 3 0 5 38 0.050 .248 (-80%) .320 (-62%) .369 (-86%) .689 (-75%) -728.8
1970 KCR AL 25 44 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 4 31 0.045 — — — — 0.0
1971 KCR AL 14 12 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 10 0.083 — — — — 0.0
1972 CLE AL 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1974 MIN AL 26 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1975 MIN AL 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1977 MIN AL 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 134 86 12 55 5 2

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1969 KCA P 34 29 4 16 1 1
1970 KCA P 25 25 3 13 1 1
1971 KCA P 14 6 0 7 1 0
1972 CLE P 6 2 0 1 0 0
1974 MIN P 26 12 1 6 0 0
1975 MIN P 23 8 4 11 2 0
1977 MIN P 6 4 0 1 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 134