‘A unique situation.’ Former Royals star Billy Butler gets new job as a hitting coach
For the first time since 2003, the Idaho Falls Chukars baseball team won’t be a Royals affiliate.
But the Chukars’ coaching staff for the 2021 season will have deep ties to the Royals.
Idaho Falls announced Monday that it had hired Billy Gardner Jr. as manager, Bob Milacki as pitching coach and Billy Butler was hitting coach.
Gardner was drafted by the Royals in 1987 and played two seasons in their minor-league system. He managed the Royals’ minor-league teams in the Carolina and California Leagues from 2003-05.
Milacki pitched for the Royals in 2004 and was with Triple-A Omaha the following season.
Most Royals fans know Butler, who was the 14th overall pick in the 2004 Draft. He made his big-league debut three seasons later and was an All-Star and Silver Slugger award winner during his career.
Butler also was part of the wave of players who turned around a floundering franchise and made it to the 2014 World Series. The Royals lost in seven games to the Giants, but Butler hit .333 against San Francisco.
Although he was only 30, Butler’s playing days came to an end in 2016 and he returned home to Idaho Falls, where he tore it up in a local softball league.
“I can hit the ball out of the park every time,” Butler told The Athletic’s Rustin Dodd in 2018.
Now Butler will try his hand at coaching, and he’s excited for the opportunity.
“This is kind of a unique situation because I get to live here, this is where I call home,” Butler said Monday in a news conference.
“I’m kind of involved in the community here and whatever I can bring to the table, hopefully I can help some of these kids get into affiliated baseball and get them signed, and that’s our job here. And hopefully we can make it a good transition for them and get them in some good organizations.”
Idaho Falls had been affiliated with the Royals from 2004-20, but this winter the Pioneer League got pushed out of the affiliated minor leagues and into one of several of Major League Baseball’s “Partner Leagues.” It was part of Minor League Baseball’s restructuring under MLB.
Butler praised the support for the Chukars in and around Idaho Falls.
“We do draw some good fans here in the Pioneer league for being one of the smaller towns as well, too,” Butler said. “So from everything I’ve seen, we’re gonna have good attendance.”
This story was originally published March 9, 2021 at 9:16 AM.
