In 28 games pitched for the 1964 Pirates, including four starts, Butters had a 2–2 win–loss record and posted a 2.38 earned run average (ERA).

[3] En route to spring training with his young family in 1965, Butters suffered a severe whiplash injury in an automobile accident.

[3] A United States Army veteran, Butters had also spent baseball off-seasons working in admissions for his alma mater, Ohio Wesleyan.

In 1967, he joined Duke University as director of special events, then served three years (1968–1970) as head baseball coach before moving into administration.

During his two decades as head of Duke intercollegiate athletics, Butters supervised programs that won 40 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) team titles.