"Though 1979 was an off year for the Yankees, their minor league system had perhaps its most productive year ever. All five farm clubs won league championships, and only a loss by Ft. Lauderdale in the Florida State League playoffs prevented a clean sweep of the regular season and postseason titles for Yankee minor leaguers. In the regular season, the clubs posted a combined .639 winning percentage, including a phenomenal .800 for the Rookie club at Paintsville.
A major part of the success of the Yankee farm system can be attributed to the late Jack Butterfield, who served as the Yankees' Vice-President, Player Development and Scouting before his untimely death last fall. Described as 'the epitome of what you would look for in a teacher of young men,' Butterfield will be sorely missed. The work he started, however, will be carried on by extremely capable people and it should not be long before some of the minor league stars become Yankees of the future."
-The New York Yankees Official 1980 Yearbook
YANKEES NAME AWARD FOR BUTTERFIELD
"The Yankees introduced a new award for outstanding performance by a Yankee minor leaguer. The Jack Butterfield Minor League Player of the Week Award will be presented each week during the season to a Yankee minor league player in recognition of fine performance. The award is named after the former Vice-President, Player Development and Scouting who died last fall.
In addition to the weekly award there will be an award presented monthly, and following the season, an award to the Yankee Minor League Player of the Year. Yankee fans can hear an interview with each week's winner every Saturday on Frank Messer's pre-game show on the Home of Champions Radio Network."
-New York Yankees 1980 Scorebook and Official Magazine
No comments:
Post a Comment