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Butler fitting in with Yanks, open to ’17 return
- Updated: September 21, 2016
ST. PETERSBURG — The thought of sitting out for the rest of the year crossed Billy Butler’s mind as the highway miles rolled past last week, traveling to his in-law’s home in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Without regular at-bats under his belt, the 10-year veteran was not sure if he was ready to help a team.
His cell phone buzzed as he reached the driveway, and it didn’t take long for Butler to be convinced that he wanted to be a Yankee. As Butler recalled on Wednesday, it was the excitement that he heard in the voices of manager Joe Girardi and general manager Brian Cashman that tipped his decision.
“I was honestly thinking about going home and getting ready for next season,” Butler said. “I wasn’t shutting it down for good, it was just getting ready for next year and seeing how the offseason played out. I slept on it for a night, talked it over with my wife [Katie], and I’m glad I waited.
“Joe was excited about it; Joe was the one that made the call, and I talked to Brian Cashman on the phone. He was telling me how Joe was really eager and really high on me. It’s been a great transition. I basically had to pack up my stuff and leave in about four or five hours, and it’s been better than I could even expect.”
Three weeks after a clubhouse altercation with teammate Danny Valencia that landed Butler on the seven-day concussion disabled …
