John Butler

John Butler, born in 1879, was a professional baseball player whose career spanned from 1901 to 1907. Primarily known as a position player, Butler participated in a total of 44 games during his time in Major League Baseball. He garnered 16 hits throughout his career, resulting in a batting average of .134, a reflection of the challenging hitting conditions of the early 20th century, a time when the sport was heavily influenced by the Deadball Era. Despite not being a power hitter—evidenced by his lack of home runs—Butler contributed to his teams with 3 runs batted in and demonstrated speed on the basepaths, although he did not record any stolen bases. His playing career, while brief and marked by limited statistical success, encapsulated an era of transformation in baseball, as the game was evolving both in terms of athletic performance and the introduction of new strategies. Butler's legacy, though understated, is a testament to the myriad players who shaped the foundations of the game during its formative years.