Being a proven winner at any level definitely is a plus to most organizations’ eyes. The Seattle Mariners saw that when they drafted Oak Creek (Wis.) High School pitching star Tony Butler in the third round of the 2006 amateur draft. This season, Butler, who led the Knights to three consecutive summer state baseball championships from 2003 to 2005, is playing his second professional season close to home as a member of the low Class-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

“Knowing that I’m pitching in Appleton, I’m going to have good support behind my back,” Butler said. “And when you feel more comfortable, then you feel more confident.”

So far, that theory worked well for the 6-7 lefty. In early April, Butler had a 1.42 ERA and seven strikeouts in 6.1 innings over two appearances. In his first start of the season against Beloit on April 17, Butler pitched five scoreless innings while notching five strikeouts and allowing just two hits.

Although Butler is having success against potential major-league batters these days, he still speaks wistfully of his time as a teen playing baseball and basketball in the Milwaukee suburb of Oak Creek.

Those highlights included the three consecutive state summer baseball tournaments the Knights won with Butler’s bat and arm. Butler holds Oak Creek single-season records for wins (11), ERA (0.71) and RBIs (50). He also set the record for strikeouts in a single game with 19.

The Knights first championship came with some help from a future professional battery. Butler started the championship game of the 2003 summer state tournament with catcher Tony Harper, currently in the Los Angeles Dodgers system, and pitched the Knights to victory.

Butler would go on to win two more state titles with Oak Creek as well as racking up the individual hardware. In 2005, his last year of high school ball, Butler was named the state, area, conference and district player of the year. Along with his pitching prowess in 2005, Butler also slugged eight home runs, four triples and hit .385.

Not everything was a shining success for Butler while at Oak Creek. A star basketball player, Butler went through his first losing experience in any sport when, as a freshman, the Knights went 4-17. But he says the experience made him mentally stronger to over and a better athlete.

“I had always been on winning teams and had been accustomed to winning,” Butler said. “Once we lost 17 of 21 games, it helped me out with the mental part of the game. When you lose games, it is not the end of the world. It was a learning experience, and it helps me overcome mistakes on the mound.”

Butler also is looking to overcome the stigma many Midwestern ballplayers have coming out of cold-weather climates. With athletes in warm-weather states like California, Texas and Florida having the opportunity to play year-round, Butler said it takes extra work for him and other Midwestern players to even get noticed.

“I think there is talent wherever you go, but [Harper] and I were at a disadvantage as Midwest kids,” Butler said. “The competition isn’t quite as good, so it says a lot for us to just get scouted. I think it says a lot for us that once we get the opportunity we make the most of it.”

Lance Painter, the Timber Rattlers’ pitching coach, can empathize with a player like Butler. Painter also came up in baseball through the “dairy state” as a prep star with Nicolet High School in Glendale and with the University of Wisconsin baseball team before spending parts of 10 seasons in the Major Leagues.

Painter said the most difficult part of the journey through the Midwest pipeline is over for Butler. “I don’t think once you get into the pro game you have to compensate for it [being from the Midwest],” he said. “It is difficult in the fact that unless you’re a kid like Tony that is highly touted throughout the state, scouts don’t get a lot of chances to see you. For every Tony Butler, there is another player that has the ability to do well. But he might live in Rhinelander, Wis., and just doesn’t get looked at.”

With the kind of mental makeup, a fastball in the 90s and a good change-up, Painter believes Butler can make some noise, no matter where he calls home.

“He is a kid that has some raw ability, so he is definitely an interesting prospect,” Painter added. “He has a decent feel for what he is trying to do on the mound, and he is only going to get stronger. Barring injury, he has a bright future.”