Former Colorado Rockies outfielder Butch Huskey, a powerful right-handed hitter who closed out his Major League career at Coors Field, died Friday at age 54.
The New York Mets, where he spent the bulk of his seven seasons, announced that Huskey passed away from a blood clot in his lung in his hometown of Lawton, Oklahoma.
Robert Leon “Butch” Huskey was born Nov. 10, 1971, in Anadarko, Oklahoma. Drafted by the Mets in the seventh round in 1989, he debuted in 1993 and became a fan favorite in New York, posting a career-best .287 average with 24 home runs and 81 RBIs in 1997.
He was one of the final players permitted to wear Jackie Robinson’s retired No. 42 under a grandfather clause, a number he proudly sported for most of his career.
Huskey’s Rockies chapter came late but left a mark. On July 15, 2000, the Twins traded him and Todd Walker to Colorado for Todd Sears and cash.
The Rockies, then in a pennant race under manager Buddy Bell, sought bench power. Huskey delivered.
In 45 games, mostly in left field, he hit .348/.432/.565 with four home runs and 18 RBIs in just 92 at-bats, producing a near-.999 OPS that thrived in the thin air of Coors Field.
Huskey also played some first base in Colorado.
He finished the season with the Rockies and made his final big-league appearance on Oct. 1, 2000. That year he wore No. 35 rather than 42. Huskey later played for Colorado’s Triple-A affiliate, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, in 2001, batting .323 with 19 homers before retiring.
Across 642 career games with the Mets, Mariners, Red Sox, Twins, and Rockies, Huskey hit .267 with 86 home runs and 336 RBIs. His brief Rockies tenure remains a bright spot for fans who remember the late-season spark he provided in 2000.
Huskey is survived by his wife, Kristy, son Bryce, and daughters Kennedy and Kyrbi.
The Rockies organization and the broader baseball community mourn the loss of a versatile, hard-hitting player who left his mark in purple and black during the final chapter of his big-league journey.
