Inductees

Amid the champagne celebration after the Kansas City Royals won the American League pennant, Billy Butler stood off in a corner of the clubhouse, encircled by media and doused in suds by teammates.

“Being part of this organization for 10 years, to see us come from the bottom to the top and through rebuilding processes,” Butler said, “It means more to win here than anywhere else. This is where I come from. I was drafted here. I owe everything to this organization.”

It’s safe to call him the people’s champion, for Butler not only hit baseballs but also endeared himself to the fan base.

In 2011, he also was the winner of the 47^th annual Hutch Award, given to a major leaguer who best exemplifies the honor, courage and dedication of baseball great Fred Hutchinson both for on-field achievements and off-the-field work.

The Jacksonville, Fla., native was drafted out of high school in 2004, when the Royals selected him 14^th overall in the June amateur draft.

Butler broke into the big leagues on May 1, 2007 and spent the next eight seasons in Kansas City. He went on to finish with 127 home runs, 276 doubles and collected 628 RBI.

Along the way, the slugger made the 2012 All-Star Game – a season when he drove in 107 runs and hit 29 home runs, both career highs. A year later, Butler appeared in all 162 of Kansas City’s games as the Royals sowed the seeds to what would be a memorable 2014.

Years earlier when Butler and Gordon reached Double-A, fans could see the Royals might have something special in the works. In due time, owner David Glass ratcheted up investments in scouting and player development, bringing in general manager Dayton Moore in May 2006.

The efforts paid off as the Royals of 2013 won 86 regular-season games, just missing the playoffs, and the Royals of 2014 won 89 regular-season.

Butler anchored the lineup as the designated hitter.

His go-ahead sacrifice fly in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series pushed the Royals in front 2-1, ultimately the final score. The Royals completed a four-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles the next day to win their first pennant since 1985.