Brian Butterfield wouldn’t name names.
But the former Orono High School three-sports star, who was fired as manager of the New York Yankees’ AAA affiliate Columbus Clippers two weeks ago, said he was “tremendously disappointed in some of the people in the organization.”
“This was mind-boggling,” said Butterfield, who had been with the Yankee organization for 19 years sandwiching a five-year stint with the National League’s Arizona Diamondbacks. “We were just 37 games into the season, I wasn’t provided with a lot of resources [quality players], and there was no forewarning that my job was in jeopardy.”
He was 12-25 as manager of the Clippers.
He managed the Tampa Yankees in the Class A Florida State League last year after spending the previous five years with the Diamondbacks. He had been Arizona’s third base coach. Earlier in his career, he had been New York’s first base coach.
Butterfield said he may have misjudged “some of the people who attracted me back to the Yankee organization.”
“I wasn’t put in position to win 100 games, but I felt I was the right person to help develop kids to get to the next level,” said Butterfield, who was told by Yankee vice president for baseball operations Mark Newman that his won-loss record cost him his job.
On the day he was fired, his stepson, former Husson College catcher-outfielder John McGlinn, had just arrived in Columbus to be the Clippers’ bullpen catcher.
“Johnny had driven 151/2 hours to get there,” said Butterfield, who took his stepson out to dinner.
They eventually headed back to their new home in Standish.
The 45-year-old Butterfield, who was the starting second baseman at the University of Maine for the one season he played there, has spent the past two weeks working on the house with John and his other stepson, Chris McGlinn.
“I’m enjoying my time with [wife] Jan and the kids,” said Butterfield, who had signed a one-year contract and will get paid through the year.
Jan Butterfield is a total image consultant for the LPGA Tour.
He isn’t pursuing a baseball job right now.
“I’m not going anywhere until somebody calls me with a real nice offer,” said Butterfield. “I’m in no hurry. There will be a point pretty soon when I will sit back and assess everything I want to do.”
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