Italian/American Father & Son Players: Sal & Drew Butera

Salvatore Philip Butera was born September 25, 1952 in Richmond Hill, Queens. His parents had emigrated from Italy, settling in Brooklyn then Queens, then moving to Long Island where Sal grew up playing ball in high school at Bohemia, NY.

He was drafted in 1972 by the Minnesota Twins as a catcher and would spend 8 years in the minors leagues. He didn’t hit for power & never batted above .278 in the minor leagues, but in 1980 he got the call up.

He began as the back up to Butch Wynegar & in 1981 saw most of the action behind the plate for the Twins. In 62 games (167) at bats he hit .240 with no HRs & 18 RBIs. He had a strong arm and nailed 54% of base runners attempting to steal, while posting a .970 fielding percentage.

But lack of power & hitting made him Tim Launders back up the following season. He was sent to Detroit & then Montreal playing in only seven games over the 1983 /1984 seasons. In 1985 he became former Met Mike Fitzgerald’s back up, and saw action in 67 games, hitting his first career HR but only batting .200. He also struggled behind the plate throwing out 17% of would be base stealers. That December he was Traded with Bill Gullickson to the Cincinnati Reds for John Stuper Jay Tibbs Dann Bilardello, & Andy McGaffigan.

He remained with the Reds until midway through 1987 when he was dealt back to Minnesota, just in time to win a World Series. He backed up Tim Launder again who was struggling himself at the plate, batting .191 on the season. Butera hit .171 in 51 games with the Twins, improving his defense to throwing out almost 30% of base stealers.

He got to catch a game in the ALCS, playing in Game #3 behind the plate at Tiger Stadium, getting two hits. In the World Series he went 0-1 as a pinch hitter. Sal finished his nine year career in Toronto in 1988, playing in 359 games, batting .227 with 182 hits, 8 HRs & 76 RBIs.

Retirement: In the early ninties he managed in the Astros organization, then returned to the Blue Jays as a bullpen coach in 1998. Since 2008 he has been a special assistant to the Blue Jays GM.

Sal’s son Andrew Edward Butera,was born on August 9, 1983 in Evansville, Illinois. He is known as Drew. He was too was a catcher just like dad, getting drafted by the New York Mets in the third round of the 2005 draft.

He spent the 2005 season with the Brooklyn Cyclones batting .217, getting promoted to AA the next season. In 2007 he was traded along with minor leaguer Dustin Martin to the Twins for Luis Castillo.

He didn’t hit much for average or power but defensively he threw out 45% of would be base stealers in his minor league career.

In 2010 he was promoted to the Twins big league club as Joey Mauers back up. At the big league level he still threw out over 40% of base stealers while hitting under .200. The Butera’s are the first father son combo to play for the Minnesota franchise.