ESPN MLB

Brett Butler received two of 496 writers' votes cast last year in his only appearance on the Hall of Fame ballot, but he's still a favorite among baseball people who like their leadoff hitters to be more annoying than Internet spam. Butler was a skilled bunter and equally adept at fouling good pitches over the third-base dugout. Suddenly you looked up and he'd played 17 seasons and flared his way to 2,375 career hits.

If there's an active player in the Butler mold it might be Marlins outfielder Juan Pierre, who compensates for a so-so walk total by stealing bases, bunting for hits and playing with a passion that's contagious. Unless you're in the other dugout, in which case he drives you batty.

"The kid does it the way it's supposed to be done for a leadoff hitter," said Montreal hitting coach Tom McCraw. "You'd like to break his (expletive) neck when he's in another uniform, but you have to admire the way he plays the game."

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