STATEMENT FROM BRETT BUTLER:

“After reading Mr. Plaschke’s article in Monday’s Los Angeles Times, I am wondering what his motives were in writing the Mike Piazza piece. In actuality, I feel he came under false pretenses of writing an article concerning my life after baseball.

“Mr. Plaschke phoned and requested permission to come to my home on his way to Vero Beach. In the cuorse of the two days he was with my family ad I, we talked about my tertiement. he talked to my childrn, my wife and my friends. Ninety seconds of our two-day conversation dealth with my thoughts on the Dodgers and Mike Piazza. Somehow, Mr. Plaschke’s article evolved into a controversial, three-page senseless display of journalism.

“I am confient that the reputation and charaxter I ahve displatd both on and off the field will outweigh these sensational comments which were made out of context.”

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Editor’s note. Bill Plaschke’s story on Brett Butler’s life after baseball accompanied the Piazza article in Monday’s editions of The Times.