Drew the right thing: White Sox coach knew what to do with World Series ball

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Drew Butera felt like he did the right thing.

Not unlike Paul Konerko, who pocketed the final out of the 2005 World Series victory and later gave the ball to White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf at the championship parade, Butera couldn’t claim ownership of the ball he kept after catching a called third strike from Royals closer Wade Davis in Game 5 of the 2015 World Series.

Butera held on to it for much of the offseason and showed it to friends and family.

“It was the coolest thing in the world,” Butera told the Sun-Times Sunday, but he later gave it to the Royals Hall of Fame.

“The more I thought about it, and I told the stories and stuff, but it wasn’t me that won the World Series. It was the entire team and organization and that city which wrapped its arms around us and pushed us through some hard times as an organization. As much as I wanted to keep it, it didn’t belong to me.”

Butera doesn’t regret it 10 years later. He turned down $35,000 for the ball two days after the World Series. It would be worth much more today.

“But that’s not what it’s about. I’d have more regrets if I sold it,” he said.

Oddly enough, the 12th inning of Game 5 was the only one Butera played. Jarrod Dyson pinch ran for World Series MVP catcher Salvador Perez in the top of the inning, and Butera entered the game.

“The last pitch was a fastball in to Wilmer Flores said,” Butera said.

“I framed the pitch and the picture.”

Butera won’t experience a title as the Sox’ catchers coach this year – unless the Sox beat the 500-1 odds of them winning the World Series posted by assorted sportsbooks – but he would consider it a victory if important baby steps are taken in the direction of being a winning team again.

“You can sit there and say, ‘Man it stinks,’ and it was tough, no one wants to lose,” Butera said of 2024. “But a lot of positives came from it. We learned a lot about ourselves and our players. We’re headed in the right direction.”

 

Will Venable will be the third manager Butera works under with the Sox, after Pedro Grifol (fired) and Grady Sizemore (interim) oversaw 121 losses in 2024. Butera’s first impressions of Venable are "great."

“He brings a calm demeanor, he’s as sharp as a tack, really smart and engaged with everybody," Butera said. "He wants to be a part of every little thing.”

 

“There isn’t one specific list of ‘here is a great manager,’ ’’ Butera said. “Everybody has their own style, as long as they are connected, engaged and supportive, those are the main things. Guys are going to like playing for Will. He will keep [his coaches] on our toes, wanting to make us and our players better.”

 

Butera is the son of former major league catcher Sal Butera, who, because of his son’s size as a youth, saw golf in his future and not catching. But baseball was his first love as a child, and he had had a growth spurt and capitalized on living with a father/coach/mentor. The Mets drafted him out of Central Florida in the fifth round in 2005 and broke into the majors with the Twins in 2010. Butera played 12 seasons from 2010-21 for the Twins, Dodgers, Angels, Royals and Rockies. He is one of five to catch a no-hitter in both leagues, catching Francisco Liriano’s no-hitter for the Twins against the Sox in 2011 and Josh Beckett’s no-hitter for the Dodgers in 2014.

“I had the career I had because of my dad,” Butera said. “Yes, I had the talent and I worked my butt off to be there and stay there. But being around him, and knowing he was a phone call away if I needed something, and the experiences I had [growing up] in big league clubhouses was an advantage. I knew how to act, and what to do, knew about the little ins and outs of the game.”

And he knew what to do with that baseball.