Butterfield finds new job with Arizona team

Brian Butterfield isn’t exactly sure what he’s going to be doing next baseball season.

But he does know he will be involved in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization because that is where former New York Yankee Buck Showalter has landed. Showalter signed a seven-year, $7 million contract on Wednesday to manage the new National League franchise when it begins play in 1998.

Showalter has told Butterfield that he will be part of his staff.

The former Orono High School three-sport star and University of Maine second baseman was Showalter’s first base coach with the Yankees the past two seasons.

“I’m excited. It’s going to be a great situation,” said the 37-year-old Butterfield. “Buck will be starting from the ground up and he will be allowed to do a lot of things.”

Following the draft next June, the Diamondbacks will put two Rookie League teams on the field in Phoenix and Lethbridge, Alberta.

“I don’t know if I’ll be on the field with those clubs or if I’ll be scouting. There are so many things to do to prepare for 1998,” said Butterfield. “I’m sure I’ll be busy. I’ve been on the field a lot so if I wind up scouting, it would be a nice change of pace and would broaden my horizons.”

Butterfield, who had been with the Yankee organization for 17 years, said he thinks the Diamondbacks could be competitive early in their existence just like the Colorado Rockies, who made the NL playoffs in their third year.

“The way free agency is now, you can get rich quick,” said Butterfield. “Colorado was able to get a good mixture of veteran players. Major leaguers like to play close to their homes and there are a lot of major leaguers from California and Arizona.”