Beech Tree News Network

One Butler Countian’s dreams of starting this season in professional baseball’s major leagues have been put on hold, for now. Butler County High School Alumnus Keith Butler, a six-foot, 170-pound right-handed relief pitcher in the St. Louis Cardinal’s organization won’t begin the 2013 season in the big leagues, but he’s just a step away at the Cardinals’ Triple-A affiliate, the Memphis Redbirds.

 Butler had started spring training with the Cardinals with hopes of making the club’s opening day roster. Unfortunately for Butler and his fans inconsistency on the mound and a sky-high Earned Run Average pushed the Cards to option Butler to Memphis to open the season.  Butler made four appearances for the Cardinals in spring training. He pitched four innings, gave up seven hits and six earned runs, including a homer.  Butler also had four strikeouts. For his professional career—4 seasons—Butler has a 2.29 ERA in 149 appearances. He averages 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings, with 215 strikeouts in 171 innings pitched.

 Scouts have questioned Butler’s fastball recently, wondering if it is strong enough for a Major League closer. Butler’s heater tops out in the low 90’s, well short of the Major League’s elite closers who routinely hit speeds in excess of 95 mph. Scouts also report that Butler relies too much on his slider, and uses a slo-mo slder, not a fastball or curveball, as his ‘out’ pitch. Despite this Butler is projected to be an integral part of the Memphis bullpen, possibly in a set-up or closer role. His prospects to join the Cardinals hinge on his ability to learn better command of his pitches, and lowering his ERA. Butler’s best hopes of joining the Cardinals in 2013 would be as a middle-reliever or long-reliever.

 Butler was a standout at BCHS and had his jersey retired over the winter. He was drafted by the Cardinals as a relief pitcher in the 24th round of the 2009 baseball entry draft. He was 5-1 with a Texas League-leading 25 saves in 2012 with Double-A Springfield. His stats were strong enough to see Butler named to the Texas League All Star team for mid-season and post-season.

Story by Joe Morris, Beech Tree News.