DODGERS NOTEBOOK : BUTLER STAKES SELF TO AUG. 26 COMEBACK.After his first swings since cancer was diagnosed in early May, Brett Butler Brett Butler can refer to different people:
``You tell Karros and Wallach,'' Butler said Wednesday night, ``Bugsy wants to have dinner that night. That Monday night in Montreal.'' That would be Aug. 26, when Butler intends to rejoin the Dodgers, after four months of cancer surgery and radiation treatments, along with, he said, ``spring training all over again for the next three weeks.'' In New Orleans New Orleans (ôr`lēənz –lənz, ôrlēnz`), city (2006 pop. 187,525), coextensive with Orleans parish, SE La., between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, 107 mi (172 km) by water from the river mouth; founded , where he is working out at a minor-league facility, Butler took about 25 swings, off live pitching, in a batting cage Noun 1. batting cage - a movable screen placed behind home base to catch balls during batting practice cage baseball equipment - equipment used in playing baseball . ``I felt a little weak,'' he said, ``but not bad.'' Today, he said, he will take his batting practice to the field. Butler's admittedly optimistic plan is to return to the Dodgers on Aug. 26 and to reclaim his position in the lineup by around Sept. 6. Asked if he thought that was possible, Butler said, ``Yeah, I do. I'll be more sure of it in a week or so. But right now, I'm pleasantly surprised. ``I've always believed I can do it. It's not an absolute, but every single day seems to get progressively better. So I'm more encouraged every day.'' Butler's right shoulder was damaged during surgery to remove lymph nodes Lymph nodes Small, bean-shaped masses of tissue scattered along the lymphatic system that act as filters and immune monitors, removing fluids, bacteria, or cancer cells that travel through the lymph system. and muscle tissue believed to be cancerous. He throws left-handed, but his bat speed and strength are an issue. Butler also is concerned about what he called ``plate safety,'' or his reaction time after four months away from the game. However, he is preparing for four or five weeks of baseball, not a season of baseball. ``We're not trying to get a full season,'' Butler said. ``We're trying to get a month-and-a-half. Can I pull this off? The answer is yes.'' If he does, there almost certainly will be a thick steak waiting for him at LeParis. Also: Dodgers right-hander Darren Hall Michael Darren Hall (born July 14, 1964, in Marysville, Ohio) was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers. Sources
CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Dodgers starter Ismael Valdes, winless in his past fo ur starts, delivers a pitch in the second inning. Associated Press |
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