Butler has blast with MLB side hustle at World Series

This story was excerpted from Martín Gallegos’ A’s Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

LOS ANGELES -- While the Dodgers and Blue Jays returned to Dodger Stadium for Games 3, 4 and 5 of the World Series last week, Athletics outfielder Lawrence Butler went to work.

Butler was enlisted by Major League Baseball as a correspondent for Games 3 and 4, providing player-first coverage and creating content across the suite of @MLB social media channels.

Among the highlights of Butler’s time in Los Angeles was an appearance at Guisados near the ballpark to surprise a cook with World Series tickets, as well as having fans at the game answer questions for Halloween candy.

He even tried his hand as a reporter. Before Game 3, Butler, the A’s 2025 Roberto Clemente nominee, attended the press conference where Mookie Betts was officially presented with the Clemente Award for ‘25. While sitting in the audience, Butler asked for the microphone and presented a question:

Butler: What’s up, Mook? Congratulations, you and your beautiful family. Even though I felt like I should have won. But, you got any advice for a young player in this game trying to get to where you’re at today?

Betts: It’s going to take a lot of work, which is obvious. But you really have to be in the right mental headspace all the time. Opportunities come and go. But you’ll miss them if you’re in a bad headspace. Upset, mad, whatever it is, you just have to stay in the right headspace, man. That’s one that’s calm. Be aware of what’s going on, but just live moment by moment, man. This year was the biggest teacher for me -- just to live moment by moment. Usually, when you do, a lot of moments come that you really don’t know. When it comes, you just have to be ready for it.

The next day, Butler conducted a postgame interview with Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement, his teammate with the A’s during Spring Training 2023, after Toronto’s Game 4 win.

It was a fun experience for Butler, though he’s looking forward to focusing the rest of his offseason on his recovery from surgery to repair the patellar tendon in his right knee, which he underwent shortly after the end of the regular season.

“I’m feeling good, moving around well,” said Butler, pointing to his right knee. “I’m going to be ready to go for Spring Training.”