Pelican's Bill Butler Receives Title of Carolina League Groundskeeper of the Year

The Carolina League announced on August 16 that Bill Butler, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans Head Groundskeeper, is the 1999 Carolina League Groundskeeper of the Year. The honor comes in this, the first season for the Pelicans. The general managers and field managers from each club in the league voted on the award.

When Butler joined the Pelicans in October of 1998, the drainage for the field had just begun to be put in place. Butler has overseen the construction and development of the field while keeping the field up to major league standards.

The 1999 season is Butler's ninth as a groundskeeper in baseball. He came to Myrtle Beach after working as the head groundskeeper for the Bowie (MD) Bay Sox in the Eastern League (Double-A). In addition, he has worked for the Spokane (WA) Indians of the Northwest League (Single-A). Butler worked as an assistant to turf guru George Toma while with the Kansas City Royals during the 1995 and 1996 seasons.

Bill Butler comments, "I'm very happy to receive this award. This is my ninth year in baseball and my first to receive this award. It is definitely something I do not take for granted. Credit for this award should be given to my assistant Brandon Sands ("Sandman"), too. He is out there with me on a daily basis working on the field. He was my assistant in Bowie last year. Many others have helped in game preparations."

Steve Malliet, General Manager said, "We are very fortunate to have Bill on our staff. In addition to the games, he has worked through the construction and many other events occurring at Coastal Federal Field. It's an impressive feat in a first year operation. We are glad to have him here in Myrtle Beach."

Congratulations for a job well done.