Butch Huskey, a former Major League Baseball player who proudly represented Lawton, Oklahoma, on baseball’s biggest stage, has died at the age of 54, the New York Mets confirmed Friday.
Huskey, who grew up in Lawton and developed into a standout multi-sport athlete at Eisenhower High School, went from being a local sports standout to realizing his dream of playing professional baseball. His death has brought sadness to the Mets organization, former teammates, fans and members of the Lawton community who watched his career develop from its earliest days.
The Mets announced Huskey’s death in a social media statement, expressing their condolences while remembering his time with the organization.
“We are saddened to learn about the passing of former Met Butch Huskey,” the team said in its statement.
No cause of death has been publicly disclosed at this time.
Huskey’s journey to professional baseball began in his hometown of Lawton, where he established himself as an accomplished athlete at Eisenhower High School. Rather than concentrating on just one sport, he competed in multiple sports and earned a reputation for his athletic ability, versatility and competitive spirit.
That combination of talent and athleticism ultimately caught the attention of Major League scouts. In 1989, the New York Mets selected Huskey in the seventh round of the MLB Draft, giving the Lawton native an opportunity to pursue a professional baseball career.
For a young athlete from southwest Oklahoma, being selected by a Major League organization represented a significant accomplishment. Huskey entered the Mets’ system with the opportunity to develop his skills and work his way through the organization toward the major leagues.
His professional journey eventually led him to New York, where he became a member of the Mets and reached the highest level of professional baseball. His path from an Eisenhower Eagle in Lawton to a Major League player made his career particularly meaningful to his hometown.
Huskey was known as an athletic and versatile player, qualities that had been evident since his high school days. His ability to contribute in different ways helped him navigate the demands of professional baseball and earn an opportunity at the Major League level.
Although his career extended far beyond his hometown, Huskey remained connected to the legacy of being a Lawton native who reached the major leagues. His story represented an important achievement for local baseball and served as an example of how talent developed in a smaller Oklahoma community could eventually lead to the highest level of the sport.
The news of his death is expected to resonate particularly strongly in Lawton, where Huskey first established himself as a promising young athlete. Before he became associated with the Mets, he was known locally as an Eisenhower Eagle and a talented competitor across multiple sports.
His selection in the 1989 draft marked the beginning of a professional baseball journey that would eventually take him from Oklahoma to Major League Baseball. For those who followed his career, his progression was a source of hometown pride.
The Mets’ announcement did not provide additional details surrounding his passing, and a cause of death remains unknown.
Huskey’s death at 54 represents a significant loss for those who knew him personally and for the baseball communities in both New York and Oklahoma. His career will be remembered not only for his time in professional baseball but also for the journey that took him from a multi-sport high school athlete in Lawton to the Major Leagues.
For Eisenhower High School and the Lawton community, Huskey’s legacy extends beyond his professional statistics. He was one of their own a local athlete who successfully reached the highest level of America’s pastime after being drafted by the Mets.
The Mets’ statement serves as an early tribute to a former player whose connection to the organization and the game will remain part of his legacy. As tributes emerge from former teammates, friends, coaches and members of the Lawton community, more memories of Huskey’s life and baseball career are likely to follow.
For now, Huskey is being remembered as a Lawton native, an Eisenhower Eagle, a former New York Met and a professional athlete whose journey began in Oklahoma and carried him to Major League Baseball.
He was 54 years old.
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