Bill Butler
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1969-1977)
Bill Butler was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1977 for the Kansas City Royals, the Cleveland Guardians, and the Minnesota Twins, a span of 9 seasons. Across 134 career appearances, he went 23-35 with a 4.21 ERA and 408 strikeouts.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 210 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1969-04-09
- Last Game
- 1977-07-11
Full name: William Franklin Butler
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | KCA | AL | 9 | 10 | 34 | 29 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 193.2 | 174 | 84 | 91 | 156 | 3.90 | 3.61 (-8%) | 1270.1 |
| 1970 | KCA | AL | 4 | 12 | 25 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 140.2 | 117 | 59 | 87 | 75 | 3.77 | 3.89 (+3%) | -3988.1 |
| 1971 | KCA | AL | 1 | 2 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44.1 | 45 | 17 | 18 | 32 | 3.45 | 3.47 (+1%) | -572.2 |
| 1972 | CLE | AL | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.2 | 9 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 1.54 | 3.26 (+53%) | -522.7 |
| 1974 | MIN | AL | 4 | 6 | 26 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 98.2 | 91 | 45 | 56 | 79 | 4.10 | 3.63 (-13%) | -662.2 |
| 1975 | MIN | AL | 5 | 4 | 23 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 81.2 | 100 | 54 | 35 | 55 | 5.95 | 3.71 (-60%) | -1481.0 |
| 1977 | MIN | AL | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21.0 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 5 | 6.86 | 4.00 (-71%) | -1913.2 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 23 | 35 | 134 | 86 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 591.2 | 555 | 277 | 312 | 408 | 4.21 | — | -7,869 | ||
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.
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 | .051 | .118 | .051 | .169 | -686 |
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 .169 vs. league average .697 across their career seasons — 75.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | KCA | AL | 34 | 60 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 38 | .050 | .248 (-80%) | .320 (-62%) | .369 (-86%) | .689 (-75%) | -685.6 |
| 1970 | KCA | AL | 25 | 44 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 31 | .045 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1971 | KCA | AL | 14 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | .083 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1972 | CLE | AL | 6 | 1 | 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 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 134 | 117 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 79 | .051 | — | — | — | — | -686 | ||
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 (268 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 68 | 52 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | .077 |
| Away | 66 | 65 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | .031 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 68 | 300.1 | 276 | 140 | 157 | 190 | 4.20 |
| Away | 66 | 291.1 | 279 | 137 | 155 | 218 | 4.23 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-07-11 | MIN | LAA | — | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977-07-08 | MIN | SEA | — | 2.2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 1977-07-02 | MIN | CHW | — | 4.0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 1977-06-26 | MIN | CHW | — | 2.1 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1977-06-22 | MIN | TEX | — | 6.0 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977-06-18 | MIN | KCR | L | 6.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975-09-25 | MIN | KCR | W | 5.0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| 1975-09-21 | MIN | LAA | — | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975-09-14 | MIN | OAK | W | 5.1 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 1975-09-09 | MIN | TEX | — | 5.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 134 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Bill Butler (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Bill Butler: the record in brief
The profile opens with Bill Butler's first major league game on April 9, 1969; the last one listed came on July 11, 1977. By club, Butler's seasons break down as the Kansas City Royals (1969 through 1971), the Cleveland Indians (1972), and the Minnesota Twins (1974 to 1977). Butler is listed as a pitcher at 6'2" and 210 pounds. Butler batted and threw left-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is March 12, 1947, in Hyattsville, MD, USA. The given name on file is William Franklin Butler.
Across 134 games (86 starts), Butler recorded 23 wins against 35 losses with a 4.21 ERA. Butler had 408 strikeouts, 10 complete games, and 5 shutouts. The league ERA over Butler's seasons was 3.66, so the 4.21 figure ran 15.2% worse than average. Butler won 9 games in 1969, the most of any season listed. In 1970, one of the busiest seasons, Butler posted a 3.77 ERA; the league figure that year was 3.89.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bill Butler
- What years did Bill Butler play?
- Bill Butler played in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1977.
- Was Bill Butler a pitcher?
- Yes. Bill Butler pitched in the major leagues, recording 23 wins and 408 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Bill Butler hit?
- Bill Butler hit 0 career home runs with 6 hits.
- What teams did Bill Butler play for?
- Bill Butler played for 3 teams: the Kansas City Royals (1969–1971), the Cleveland Indians (1972), and the Minnesota Twins (1974–1975, 1977).
- What were Bill Butler's career stats?
- In 134 games, Bill Butler went 23-35 with a 4.21 ERA, 408 strikeouts, 591.2 innings pitched, and 1 saves.
- What position did Bill Butler play?
- Bill Butler played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Bill Butler and how much did he weigh?
- Bill Butler was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 210 pounds.
- What was Bill Butler's career ERA?
- Bill Butler finished with a 4.21 career ERA, going 23-35 with 408 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Bill Butler have?
- Bill Butler recorded 408 career strikeouts.
- Is Bill Butler in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bill Butler has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.