Former Mets Slugger Butch Huskey Dies at 54
Butch Huskey, a former Major League Baseball player for the New York Mets and several other teams, has died at the age of 54.
The Mets announced Huskey's passing on Friday, confirming that he had played seven seasons in MLB, with five of those seasons spent with the Mets. Huskey also played for the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, and Colorado Rockies.
In a unique tribute to Jackie Robinson, Huskey was one of the last players in MLB to wear the jersey number 42 after it was permanently retired in 1997. The Mets' seventh-round draft selection in 1989, Huskey started his MLB career in 1993 wearing number 10, but switched to number 42 in 1995 to honor Robinson.
"I never thought that I would ever see something like this in my life," Huskey told reporters after the announcement of the number's retirement. "For Major League Baseball to retire Jackie's number, that's the utmost reward I can say I've gotten in my life." Huskey had always wanted to pay tribute to Robinson, who he learned about in high school.
Huskey's career was marked by his versatility on the field, playing third base, first base, left field, and right field. He finished with a .267/.318/.442 slash average, with 86 home runs, 98 doubles, and 336 RBI. In 1997, Huskey had his best season with the Mets, hitting .287/.319/.435 with 24 home runs, 26 doubles, and 81 RBI.
The cause of Huskey's death was not shared in the Mets' announcement, but Jay Horwitz, the team's vice president of alumni relations, told The Athletic's Tyler Kepner that Huskey died from a blood clot in his lung. He was living in his hometown of Lawton, Oklahoma.
The news of Huskey's passing has been met with sadness from the baseball community, with the Mets releasing a statement on Twitter expressing their condolences. As the news continues to spread, fans and former teammates are remembering Huskey's legacy and the impact he had on the game.
Source: Yahoo Sports