Butler's first triple since 2012 delights A's teammates
To put things lightly, Oakland Athletics slugger Billy Butler isn't exactly known for his speed on the bases.
As a result, Butler's triple in the second inning of the A's win over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday afternoon delighted his teammates since that sort of thing doesn't happen very often. It was the fifth triple of Butler's career and his first since 2012 - and it required the assistance of Rockies left fielder Rafael Ynoa, who almost made the catch on the line drive. Instead, he tumbled into the left field wall, the ricochet (and Ynoa's slow recovery from the fall) allowing Butler to 'motor' over to third base.
As you'd imagine, his A's teammates had a bit of fun with the play. Said first baseman Ike Davis to MLB.com's Trevor Hass after the game:
A's starter Jesse Hahn, who benefited from Butler's triple and the run he eventually scored, told Hass he acted as a base coach from the dugout: "I was egging it on. I felt like [third-base coach Mike Gallego] over there, doing the whole wheel thing with my arm. That sparked us a little bit, got us going there."
For Butler, the triple was another hit in what was a strong offensive series for him, notable since his offensive stats have mostly been far below what the A's were hoping he'd provide when they signed him to a three-year deal prior to the season.
Cracked Butler when asked what went through his mind while burning around the base paths: "The only thing I thought about right after I got that triple was that it took away from my double total."
