OAKLAND -- The last time the Royals and A's met, former Royal and current A's designated hitter Billy Butler was put in an awkward spot.
When the benches cleared more than once in that tension-filled series, Butler wasn't quite sure how to react. He wasn't about to leap in and start swinging at his old teammates, players he still calls friends. But he couldn't back down, either, and lose the trust of his new teammates.