| REGISTER TO WIN | |
 |
SURPRISE, Ariz. | The ball shoots straight up into the Arizona sky, an infield pop-up, and Royals pitcher Luke Hochevar points his index finger to the clouds. Billy Butler comes in, sunglasses down, tracking as best he can.
Somewhere, skeptical Royals fans gasp.
Butler fights the sun, goes down to one knee, and makes the catch. He throws it around the horn like no big deal. It’s a small step, just a pop-up, but these are moments by which Butler will be judged.
“And I know that,” he says. “The questions are going to stop soon because they’re going to know if I can or can’t play (first base).”
On the list of spring-training priorities, figuring out Butler’s place in the field ranks toward the top. The kid can hit, nobody questions that. He’ll be in the middle of the lineup, expected to be a major run producer even as he begins his first full big-league season.
The bat has never been the issue with Butler. It’s been the glove. Drafted as a third baseman out of high school in 2004, Butler quickly moved to the outfield, first in right, then left. He won two batting titles in three full minor-league seasons, so the reasons to be patient on his defense were outweighed by the impact his bat could have for a big-league club starved for runs.
He made his big-league debut on May 1 as a left fielder and after making an error with a couple misplays in six games at left field, moved to first base. Time was sparse there, so Butler ended up as the designated hitter in 69 of the 92 games he played.
The Royals become better if Butler can at least be adequate at first base. Gives the lineup more flexibility, gives manager Trey Hillman the option of resting, say, Jose Guillen at DH without sacrificing offense.
“I think I’ll put up better offensive numbers playing at first,” Butler says. “It keeps me in the game more, keeps me loose, keeps me not getting tight. I won’t have to worry about getting locked in again every time I go up to the plate. I’ll already be locked in.”
Butler is only 21, too early in the eyes of many to be a full-time DH. That’s why the Royals want him to prove he can play in the field, too.
“Specifically,” Hillman says, “I’m watching Billy with his lateral movement and his ability to cover that 4-3 hole and down the line. The other guys are used to it more than Billy Butler is. We’ll see how far he can go. I’m hoping he gets challenged in that 4-3 hole, especially.”
•••
Whatever these challenges are, Butler is confident he can whip ’em. Heck, challenges? Out here? In the desert, on big-league-quality fields?
Shoot, challenges are playing first base in Dominican winter ball, hostile crowds, fields filled with holes and rocks. That’s what Butler did for 20 games in the winter league without incident.
“We’ve got a lot of Dominican guys on our team, so I don’t want to really bash on it,” he says. “But if you can play (defense) down there, you can be an All-Star here if you can be a good defender down there.”
Butler’s time in the Dominican was cut short by a tropical storm that wiped out the better part of a week’s games, and then his wedding in November.
But he thinks his time there made him better, that “I’m completely ready to go now,” and that playing winter ball was the best thing he could’ve done for his defensive skills.
Royals play intrasquad game
Join the discussion
Share your observations and experiences about news. Lively, open debate is the goal, but please refrain from personal attacks or comments that are racist, vulgar or otherwise inappropriate. If you see an inappropriate comment, please click the "Report as violation" link to notify a KansasCity.com editor. Thanks for your feedback.