Butch Huskey, one of the last MLB players to wear No. 42, dies at 54

Butch Huskey, a former Major League Baseball player and the last individual to don jersey number 42 before its permanent retirement, has passed away at the age of 54. The New York Mets informed the public of his death, attributing it to a blood clot in his lung. In a statement released on Friday, the Mets expressed their sorrow over the loss of former Met Butch Huskey.

Born and raised in Anadarko, Oklahoma, Huskey continued to wear number 42 after Major League Baseball retired it in honor of Jackie Robinson in 1997. Players who wore the number at the time were granted permission to keep wearing it until they retired from the sport. Prior to wearing No. 42, Huskey wore No. 10 during his rookie year in 1993, No. 44 for the Boston Red Sox in 1998, and No. 35 during his time with the Colorado Rockies in 2000.

Huskey was selected by the Mets in the seventh round of the 1989 amateur draft. He spent parts of five seasons with the team, including a standout performance in 1997 when he hit 24 home runs and drove in 81 runs in 142 games. The Mets drafted him in 1989, and he also had stints with the Seattle Mariners and Minnesota Twins.

In his 642-career games, Huskey compiled a .267 batting average, 86 home runs, and 336 RBIs. The Mets interim manager, Andy Green, paid tribute to Huskey, expressing his condolences to his family and acknowledging the impact the player had on the team and the community.