Brett Butler (baseball)
A speedy, gritty leadoff hitter who overcame throat cancer to return to the field and became a master of the bunt and the walk.
Born 1957 (age 69)·American baseball player·Birthday: June 15·Baby Boomers
Biography
Brett Butler played the game with the relentless energy of a gnat, a constant nuisance to opposing pitchers. Standing just 5'10", the center fielder carved out a 17-year career not with power, but with speed, a keen eye, and an unmatched ability to lay down a bunt. He was the quintessential leadoff man, twice leading the league in runs scored and triples, setting the table for power hitters on teams like the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers. His career nearly ended in 1996 when he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the throat. After aggressive treatment that cost him his salivary glands, Butler made a miraculous return to the Dodgers lineup just four months later, receiving a legendary standing ovation. His post-playing career has been dedicated to coaching, imparting the old-school, hard-nosed style that defined his play.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Brett was born in 1957, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brett Was Born
The biggest hits of 1957
#1 Movie
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Best Picture
The Bridge on the River Kwai
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Brett's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1957Born
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1962Started school
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1970Became a teenager
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Could drive
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1975Could vote
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Turned 21
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1987Turned 30
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 40
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 50
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 60
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 69 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Overcame throat cancer to return to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers just four months after diagnosis in 1996.
- Led the National League in runs scored in 1990 and 1991.
- Recorded 2,375 career hits and stole 558 bases.
- Selected as a National League All-Star in 1991 while with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- Finished his career with a .290 batting average and a .377 on-base percentage.
Did You Know?
He was known as one of the best bunters in baseball history, with 358 career bunt hits.
He drew over 1,000 career walks, showcasing his exceptional plate discipline.
He played for five different teams: Atlanta, Cleveland, San Francisco, Los Angeles (Dodgers), and New York (Mets).
After retirement, he managed the Reno Aces, the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“I'm not a home run hitter. I'm a guy who gets on base and makes things happen.”
