Salvatore Philip Butera (born September 25, 1952) is an American former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catcher ...

. He was a major league scout for the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...

during the 2015 season.

Playing career

Signed by the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area ...

as an amateur free agent in 1972, Butera made his major league debut in an extra innings game against the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The t ...

on April 10, 1980. He struck out in his only at bat. Butera remained with the Twins as

Butch Wynegar Harold Delano "Butch" Wynegar Jr. (born March 14, 1956) is an American former professional baseball player and the current hitting coach for the Bradenton Marauders Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He played in Major Lea ...

's back-up until

Spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives estab ...

1983 when he was dealt to the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

. Injuries limited Butera to only four games with the Tigers, with most of his season being spent with their Triple-A affiliate, the Evansville Triplets. He was released at the end of the season. Butera spent the 1984 season with the

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They p ...

triple A American Association affiliate, the

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which opene ...

, and appeared in three games for the Expos following a September call-up. After the 1985 season, he was dealt to the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

with Bill Gullickson for Dann Bilardello,

Andy McGaffigan Andrew Joseph McGaffigan (born October 25, 1956) is a former professional baseball player who pitched in Major League Baseball from 1981 to 1991. Amateur career A native of West Palm Beach, Florida, McGaffigan attended Twin Lakes High School, P ...

John Stuper John Anton Stuper (born May 9, 1957) is a former baseball coach and former pitcher. He attended Point Park University before playing professionally from 1982–1985 for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds. He then served as the head ...

and Jay Tibbs. He was released by Cincinnati during the 1987 season, and was immediately re-signed by his original franchise, the

. Butera was a member of the Twins team that defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in the

1987 World Series The 1987 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1987 season. The 84th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Minnesota Twins and the Nat ...

. He was released, re-signed, and released again by the Twins during the 1987–1988 offseason, then was signed by the

, where he played in 23 more games. Sal Butera Ronald Reagan Steve Lombardozzi 1987 Twins (cropped)

Coaching and scouting career

Butera was the video replay and catching coach for the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2014 season. He became a major league scout for the 2015 season.

Honors

Sal was inducted into the

Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame The Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame is an American sports hall of fame based in Suffolk County on Long Island, New York. The non-profit was established during 1990 to honor outstanding people, living or deceased, who have gained prominence and made ...

on Long Island in the Baseball Category with the Class of 2002.

Personal

Sal and his wife have a son, Drew, born August 9, 1983, who also played for the

during his baseball career, and who is currently a member of the

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...

' coaching staff.

References

External links

, o
Retrosheet
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Pura Pelota
{{DEFAULTSORT:Butera, Sal 1952 births Living people Baseball coaches from New York (state) American sportspeople of Italian descent American expatriate baseball players in Canada Baseball players from New York (state) Cincinnati Reds players Detroit Tigers players Evansville Triplets players Fort Lauderdale Yankees players Gulf Coast White Sox players Indianapolis Indians players Lynchburg Twins players Major League Baseball catchers Minnesota Twins players Minor league baseball managers Montreal Expos players Orlando Juice players People from Richmond Hill, Queens Portland Beavers players Suffolk County Community College alumni Syracuse Chiefs players Tacoma Twins players Tigres de Aragua players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Toledo Mud Hens players Toronto Blue Jays coaches Toronto Blue Jays players Toronto Blue Jays scouts