Butler's relationships with Kotsay, Rooker helping him grow in Year 2

BOSTON -- Two years ago, while playing for Double-A Midland, Lawrence Butler got a call from Athletics manager Mark Kotsay.

It wasn’t the call, the one telling Butler he’d been called up to the Majors, but rather a call to address some areas that Kotsay believed Butler needed to work on during a spell in which the then 22-year-old “wasn’t living up to” Kotsay’s standards.

“I think I surprised him,” Kotsay said, “that at the time, a Major League manager [was] reaching out to a Double-A kid, talking about the importance of the work ethic and what it would take to be a big leaguer, especially playing for me.”

The call marked the first of many productive conversations between the two and sparked a strong relationship that extends to the present day.

Fast forward two years, and Butler is nearing the end of what’s personally been an up-and-down sophomore season in the big leagues. From streaky stretches, to signing a seven-year extension with the Athletics, to becoming the first A’s player to record a 20-homer, 20-steal season since Coco Crisp in 2013.

Looking at only the numbers, it hasn’t been a standout year for Butler. After going 2-for-5 in Thursday’s 5-3 win over the Red Sox at Fenway Park, Butler is hitting .239 with a .723 OPS. But look beyond the numbers and you’ll see that Butler’s growth is undeniable.

Or you could ask his manager.

Two weeks into the second half, Kotsay noted how much of a difference he’d seen in Butler since the All-Star break in terms of dealing with failure. Butler is a player who has never shied away from showing emotion, but this year he’s been able to build off that emotion and, perhaps more importantly, know when to let go after failing.

“It's difficult just being good your whole life,” Butler said. “Going through the Minor Leagues, succeeding. Then you get to the big leagues, and it's just not the same success you might have had in previous years. So it's kind of tough for me at first to just accept that, I’m not gonna get a hit every time, things just aren't going to go your way every time.

“This is a good league, it’s the best league in the world. … So, sometimes, you’ve got to tip your hat to the other side. I feel like in the second half, I really kind of turned the page and just accepted moving forward after failure.”

Moving forward is in part what allowed Butler to reach a feat he fell just two stolen bases shy of last season. This year, he made sure there was no chance he’d repeat his fate, stealing three bags in one game against the Reds on Saturday to hit the 20-20 mark.

“Last year, me coming up two stolen bases short kind of pissed me off a little bit,” Butler said. “So this year I wanted to make sure that I got it. … I wanted to solidify and get it out of the way, stop thinking about it, so I can just continue to finish strong for the rest of the season.”

Butler credited Kotsay, Max Schuemann and Brent Rooker for helping him realize how to fight through the inevitable bad days in a 162-game regular season.

Though only a five-year veteran, Rooker is among the most experienced on the A’s roster and knows what it’s like to deal with the balance of success and failure. From being an anticipated top prospect, to a bench guy, to an everyday player and All-Star, Rooker has worn many hats throughout his career. It’s what makes him an easy player for teammates like Butler to turn to, something that Rooker takes pride in.

“Law is always very open,” Rooker said. “He's always asking questions. He's always wanting to learn and to grow. And I think that's one of the most important things you can be as a young player. And I think you've kind of seen the dividends of that paying off later in the season.”

You don’t have to look further than Thursday to see that payoff. In the finale of a three-game series against the Red Sox, Butler opened the game with a leadoff double off Brayan Bello to bump his September average to .314. One batter later, with baseball being the ever-poetic sport it is, he came around to score on Rooker’s 30th homer of the season.

Six innings later, Butler also stole his 21st bag.

“Some say Lawrence hasn't had a good year,” Kotsay said, “I'd say Lawrence has had a pretty darn good year.”