Butch Benton
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1978-1985)
Butch Benton was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1978 to 1985 for the New York Mets, the Chicago Cubs, and the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 8 seasons. In 51 career games, he hit .162 with 16 hits and 10 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 190 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1978-09-14
- Last Game
- 1985-06-15
Full name: Alfred Lee Benton
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | 99 | 6 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 14 | .162 | .213 | .202 | .415 | -424 |
Career AVG .162 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 37.9% below league average.
Career OBP .213 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 34.3% below league average.
Career SLG .202 vs. league average .387 across their career seasons — 47.7% below league average.
Career OPS .415 vs. league average .711 across their career seasons — 41.6% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | NYN | NL | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1980 | NYN | NL | 12 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .048 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1982 | CHN | NL | 4 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .143 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1985 | CLE | AL | 31 | 67 | 5 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 9 | .179 | .257 (-30%) | .323 (-36%) | .390 (-39%) | .714 (-37%) | -423.7 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 51 | 99 | 6 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 14 | .162 | — | — | — | — | -424 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (51 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 27 | 46 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | .109 |
| Away | 24 | 53 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 5 | .208 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-06-15 | CLE | OAK | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-06-07 | CLE | SEA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-06-02 | CLE | TOR | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-05-29 | CLE | MIL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-05-28 | CLE | MIL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-05-27 | CLE | MIL | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-05-26 | CLE | TOR | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-05-24 | CLE | TOR | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-05-23 | CLE | TOR | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-05-18 | CLE | BOS | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 39 |
Butch Benton: the record in brief
September 14, 1978 and June 15, 1985 bracket Butch Benton's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The season rows list, in order, the New York Mets (1978 through 1980), the Chicago Cubs (1982), and the Cleveland Indians (1985). At 6'1" and 190 pounds, Benton is listed as a catcher. The bio says Benton batted and threw right-handed. The recorded birth is August 24, 1957, in Tampa, FL, USA. On the record, Butch Benton was born Alfred Lee Benton.
Benton finished with 16 hits from 99 at bats in 51 games, which works out to .162; the totals also include 10 RBI. The on-base percentage is .213 and the slugging percentage .202, for an OPS of .415. Benton's .162 average ran 37.9% below the .260 that the league posted over the same seasons. The OPS comparison is .415 to a league .711, 41.6% below average. Benton collected a career-high 12 hits in 1985. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .179 in 1985, did not top the league's .257.
Frequently Asked Questions about Butch Benton
- What years did Butch Benton play?
- Butch Benton played in Major League Baseball from 1978 to 1985.
- Was Butch Benton a pitcher?
- No. Butch Benton was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Butch Benton hit?
- Butch Benton hit 0 career home runs with 16 hits.
- What was Butch Benton's career batting average?
- Butch Benton batted .162 over his career, with 16 hits in 99 at bats.
- How many RBI did Butch Benton have?
- Butch Benton drove in 10 runs in his career.
- Is Butch Benton in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Butch Benton has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.