KC Star: Billy Butler in pursuit of dubious record

“Evidently fear is not a factor for you”

Butler credits his double plays this season to a variety of factors.

“It’s a bad combination,” he said. “You hit a lot of hard balls on the ground and you don’t run very well. It’s inevitable. My strikeouts are down, so I’m getting more contact so the odds are higher for that. It’s one of those things that’s going to happen. Double plays are part of the game.

“My production is there. You just can’t worry about it. I’ve never been able to run. It just hasn’t been part of my game.”

Butler grounded into 23 in 2008 and 20 last year. He is on pace for 34, two fewer than the all-time record set by Jim Rice. Despite the double plays, Butler has been productive, something not lost on Wathan.

“If you drive in the runs that he drives in, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “I’m sure you’re going to look at it as killing some rallies some times. But when you look at the overall picture, what he does overall, it’s no big deal.”