Billy Butler still feels kinda bad about Robinson Cano’s treatment in Home Run Derby
Most Royals fans likely can’t recall the final score* of the 2012 All-Star Game at Kauffman Stadium, but they certainly can remember the number of dingers hit by Robinson Cano in the Home Run Derby.
*The National League won 8-0
Cano, who was then with the Yankees, was in charge of choosing the American League participants for the derby. At one point, Cano said it made sense to have Butler, who had 16 homers at the break, compete in the event.
However, Cano ended up not picking Butler, and Royals fans were incensed. They booed Cano throughout his time at the plate in the competition* and he finished with no homers.
*Well, they cheered each time he made an out in the derby
Conversely, Royals fans gave Butler a huge ovation when he was announced ahead of the All-Star Game.
Butler recalled that All-Star Game during an interview with Ryan Lefebvre and Rex Hudler during Sunday’s Royals-Twins game.
“To see that stadium at that time in 2012, we had been through a lot of rough years,” Butler said. “Most of my career up to that point ... we were just trying to get to where we were the next few years after that. And to see that amount of people and the electricity and the emotion here, I was like, ‘These fans got it. We’ve just got to put it on the field.’ “
Butler noted that Major League Baseball changed the requirements for the Home Run Derby after the reaction from Royals fans.
“They implemented a rule now after me, they put a hometown guy in the Home Run Derby now because they don’t want to cause another riot like they did on Robinson Cano,” Butler said.
Lefebvre noted the different reactions from fans.
“I felt really excited about the fans doing that,” Butler said, “and I felt bad for what they were doing to Robinson, because you could see it was affecting him. ...
“He was hitting foul balls into the crowd. It was affecting him. That was purely based on the emotion from the crowd toward him. You don’t see that.”
Here is Butler’s interview: