In a somber announcement on Friday, the New York Mets shared the heartbreaking news of the passing of Butch Huskey, a cherished player and an unforgettable slugger in the team’s history. He was 54 years old.
The cause behind the Oklahoma native’s untimely death has not yet been disclosed, leaving fans and friends searching for answers.
“We are saddened to learn about the passing of former Met Butch Huskey,” expressed the Mets on their social media platforms, conveying the deep sense of loss felt within the baseball community.
Huskey holds a unique place in baseball history as one of the last men to sport the iconic No. 42 jersey following Major League Baseball’s decision in 1997 to honor Jackie Robinson by retiring the number across all teams. Given the special status of players like Huskey, who wore No. 42 at the time, he was granted a grandfather clause, allowing him to retain the number for several more beloved seasons.
Remarkably, Huskey was seen donning No. 42 on April 15, 1997, witnessing history firsthand alongside Jackie Robinson’s widow, as the monumental decision to retire the number was formally declared.
‘It was a great feeling [to get to continue] to wear that number,’ Huskey told MLB.com in 2022. ‘I also had [Robinson’s wife, Rachel] sign my jersey that I wore that day. I still have that jersey to this day. I’m ecstatic every year when I see everyone wearing No. 42. It puts a smile on my face. For the whole league to be wearing the jersey is amazing.’
Mo Vaughn, who also benefited from the grandfather clause, would later become the last player to wear the famed jersey for the Mets.
Huskey was among the last players to wear No. 42 after it was retired by MLB in 1997 to honor Jackie Robinson, who had integrated the game a half century earlier
A view from behind home plate displaying the art on the field in memory of Jackie Robinson during the Dodgers 5-2 win over the Mets in April of 1997. Huskey is at the plate wearing No 42
Jackie Robinson packs away his Dodger uniform, with the number 42 which he made famous, after the final game of the 1956 World Series
Huskey was a seventh-round pick out of Lawton, Oklahoma’s Eisenhower High School, where he was an All-State tight end on the football field. In fact, he was offered a scholarship to play for the home state Sooners, but instead went with the Mets’ offer and began his minor league career.
He wouldn’t reach the majors until 1993, and due in part to the 1994 MLB strike, he wouldn’t really get to enjoy life in the majors until 1995.
But things began to click for Huskey in 1996, when he finished with 15 home runs and a .278 average while platooning with the left-handed hitting Rico Brogna at first base.
He had his best offensive season in 1997, getting a career-high 505 plate appearances and finishing with 24 home runs and a .287 average. But Huskey was forced to play third that year, which did not go particularly well, and he was later shifted to right field and a reserve spot in favor of Edgardo Alfonzo.
Huskey would go from Seattle to Boston to Minnesota and Colorado over the next two years before leaving the game in 2001 as a member of the Rockies Triple-A affiliate.
Mets fans were crushed by the news and dealt with their grief by sharing some stories about Huskey.
Butch Huskey is seen with his former Seattle Mariners teammate, Ken Griffey Jr. in 2022
‘[In] 2000 my family and I (11 at the time) went to spring training,’ read a post from the popular Art But Make It Sports social media account. ‘[As] we were watching the players come through, Butch Huskey walked up to me and said “kid, hold this bat.”
‘I stood there while he went to talk to someone, and he came back two minutes later and said “what are you still doing here, that bat was for you to take,”‘ the post continued. ‘[Before] I could even process, he said “follow me” and proceeded to take me around Twins spring training to have every player sign the bat. core memory, rest in peace legend.’
Another Mets fan added: ‘One of those players you looked forward to getting his chance, enjoyed while he was doing his best for your team, and now and then looked back on fondly when his name crossed your mind. Thanks for the Met times, Butch.’