Butch Huskey, a popular outfielder for the New York Mets, has died at the age of 54. Medical personnel responded to his Oklahoma home on Friday morning following a call for chest pain, and he was later pronounced dead. A spokesperson for the Lawton Police Department confirmed that representatives from the Lawton Fire Department and Kirk’s Emergency Medical Service were dispatched to Huskey’s residence.
A representative for Kirk’s EMS stated that the call was received around 9:28 a.m. Huskey was transported to a nearby hospital and was alive at the time of transport. Mets vice president for alumni relations Jay Horwitz later confirmed that Huskey died due to a blood clot in his lungs.
"I just want to acknowledge this solemn day with the passing of Butch Huskey this morning," said Mets interim manager Andy Green. "Just want to send prayers and thoughts to his family. I know all of our Mets family is thinking of him and the people who love him today."
Huskey was selected by the Mets in the seventh round of the 1989 MLB draft and made his Major League debut in 1993. He played for the Mets for five seasons before concluding his career with the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, and Colorado Rockies.
A fan favorite in New York, Huskey posted a career batting average of .267. He is particularly remembered for wearing the No. 42, a tribute to Jackie Robinson. When Major League Baseball universally retired the number in 1997, Huskey was granted permission to continue wearing it for the remainder of his career. In 2024, Huskey reflected that being allowed to wear the number "meant the world to me." He was the second-to-last player to wear No. 42 for the Mets, followed only by Mo Vaughn.
Huskey is survived by his wife and three children.