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Former Chatham infielder Blake Butera named Washington Nationals manager
Blake Butera — who played infield for Chatham in 2013 and 2014 — was named manager of the Washington Nationals last week.
Butera notched 36 hits across 47 games and parts of two seasons for the A’s. He hit .357 in the Cape League playoffs. Butera is set to become the fifth former Chatham player to manage a Major League club, joining Jim Tracy, Joey Cora, Ray Montgomery, and John Schneider — who recently led Toronto to the American League pennant.
A native of Metairie, Louisiana, Butera played almost every night he was available for longtime Chatham manager John Schiffner, who called Butera ‘one of those baseball grinders.’
“He was always interested in why we did or didn’t do things,” Schiffner said. “He’s teaching the talent how to win ballgames and that comes from knowing the little nuances of the game.”
Schiffner recalled the middle of the 2014 season, when Butera suffered an injury. Most Cape League players, Schiffner said, would’ve booked the first flight home. Butera did, but when his hometown doctor’s prognosis was a week-long recovery, he returned to Chatham — and to the field — less than 10 days later.
“He was just that kind of kid,” Schiffner said. “That doesn’t happen a lot. Kids don’t do that anymore.”
Washington’s president of baseball operations, Paul Toboni — who hired Butera — told MLB.com that he recalls watching Butera’s 2013 playoff tear in Chatham as a Red Sox scout.
“I don’t have access to the Red Sox system anymore,” Toboni said. “But it’s funny. I actually remember watching him in the Cape.”
Now, at 33 years, 31 days old, Butera is the youngest person to hold the title of Major League manager since Minnesota’s Frank Quilici in 1972.
“He’s equipped to be a manager, he’s equipped to develop and he’s equipped to evaluate,” Schiffner said. “As soon as the guys on the team meet him they’ll go ‘oh, this guy’s a good guy. This is the type of guy you want to play for.’”
Butera spent two seasons in the minors after his career at Boston College, then transitioned to coaching in the Rays system where his playing career ended. He was a minor league coach and manager for five years, then became Tampa Bay’s assistant field coordinator in 2023 and senior director of player development in 2024.
Butera notched 36 hits across 47 games and parts of two seasons for the A’s. He hit .357 in the Cape League playoffs. Butera is set to become the fifth former Chatham player to manage a Major League club, joining Jim Tracy, Joey Cora, Ray Montgomery, and John Schneider — who recently led Toronto to the American League pennant.
A native of Metairie, Louisiana, Butera played almost every night he was available for longtime Chatham manager John Schiffner, who called Butera ‘one of those baseball grinders.’
“He was always interested in why we did or didn’t do things,” Schiffner said. “He’s teaching the talent how to win ballgames and that comes from knowing the little nuances of the game.”
Schiffner recalled the middle of the 2014 season, when Butera suffered an injury. Most Cape League players, Schiffner said, would’ve booked the first flight home. Butera did, but when his hometown doctor’s prognosis was a week-long recovery, he returned to Chatham — and to the field — less than 10 days later.
“He was just that kind of kid,” Schiffner said. “That doesn’t happen a lot. Kids don’t do that anymore.”
Washington’s president of baseball operations, Paul Toboni — who hired Butera — told MLB.com that he recalls watching Butera’s 2013 playoff tear in Chatham as a Red Sox scout.
“I don’t have access to the Red Sox system anymore,” Toboni said. “But it’s funny. I actually remember watching him in the Cape.”
Now, at 33 years, 31 days old, Butera is the youngest person to hold the title of Major League manager since Minnesota’s Frank Quilici in 1972.
“He’s equipped to be a manager, he’s equipped to develop and he’s equipped to evaluate,” Schiffner said. “As soon as the guys on the team meet him they’ll go ‘oh, this guy’s a good guy. This is the type of guy you want to play for.’”
Butera spent two seasons in the minors after his career at Boston College, then transitioned to coaching in the Rays system where his playing career ended. He was a minor league coach and manager for five years, then became Tampa Bay’s assistant field coordinator in 2023 and senior director of player development in 2024.
