KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The thing about being picked for the All-Star Game, according to Billy Butler, is it's permanent.
From that moment on, there will always be a qualifier next to your name, as in "Billy Butler, an All-Star in 2012 … ."
"It's just a great thing to have," Butler says. "It's like you're building your baseball resume. It will always be a part of your resume from now on. It doesn't matter if you get picked nine times or one time -- you'll always be an All-Star. That's what's pretty cool about it."
And that's one of the reasons Butler was thrilled to hear that Alex Gordon and Salvador Perez were picked for the 2013 All-Star Game.
"Those guys are so deserving," Butler says. "They can both hit and they both play great in the field. And now they will have that permanent recognition, so to speak. They will always be referred to as 'All-Star Alex Gordon' or 'All-Star Sal Perez.'
"They could have taken some other guys on this team, too, but I'm glad they got those two."
Butler fondly remembers his All-Star experience from 2012, when the game was played at Kauffman Stadium.
"I doubt I'll ever forget," he says. "That whole week was so emotional. I didn't know how emotional it would get. But then you have the fan reaction and all of that, and it was just so special.
"And again, when you sit back and look at it, it's something that will represent your career forever. We are obviously interested first in team goals. Wins and losses are what matters the most. But I'd be lying to you if I said the honor of being picked for an All-Star Game isn't pretty great.
"You just know so many guys are really good players in this game and they don't get that chance. I got that chance and now I'm really happy for Alex and Sal to get that chance. They won't forget it."
You can follow Jeffrey Flanagan on Twitter at @jflanagankc or email him at jeffreyflanagan6@gmail.com.
