Jim Souhan: Butera finds the perfect gift on Dad's big day -- again

On Father's Day, most kids buy their dad a tie. Drew Butera broke one.

Sunday began with three Buteras watching baseball from three different vantage points in two different cities, and ended as only Hallmark, Disney or baseball could have scripted it. One Butera phoned the good news to another as their son tried not to choke on a shaving cream pie.

Sal, a scout for the Toronto Blue Jays, was working a game in St. Louis. Gina, Sal's wife and Drew's mom, sat in the Target Field stands. Drew, the Twins catcher, began the game on the bench.

By late afternoon, Drew, the only son of a former Twin ever to make it to the big leagues with the team, would produce his only big-league walk-off hit on Father's Day. "I couldn't be more thrilled," Sal said.

Drew wasn't supposed to play Sunday, much less become complicit in the Twins' daily miracle. He entered in the eighth as a defensive replacement after Rene Rivera was removed for a pinch hitter.

Gina called Sal and began giving him updates. That personal broadcast ended when Drew hit a hard grounder that skipped off the third baseman's glove and scored Delmon Young from second with one out in the bottom of the ninth.

The Twins mobbed Drew, and his roommate, Luke Hughes, smashed shaving cream in his face. Once the Cardinals' game ended, Sal rushed to his computer and watched the replays.

Does Drew still need to buy him a socket wrench? "No," Sal said. "I think this will do."

Drew Butera, who at one point ranked behind Joe Mauer, Wilson Ramos and Jose Morales on the organizational depth chart, became a big-league fixture over the last two seasons because of his fielding and attitude -- and despite his hitting.

His big-league batting average is .185. With Mauer back on the active roster and Rivera serving as Francisco Liriano's caddy, Butera knows he can't count on finishing this or any week in the big leagues.

Then again, the Twins' season-long injury problems and recent roster permutations have led to some of the strangest lineups in franchise history. Brian Dinkelman has batted seventh. Tsuyoshi Nishioka has batted third.

Sunday, Rene Tosoni, Matt Tolbert and Butera delivered the Twins' biggest hits as they won for the 14th time in 16 games.

"To see him get that hit makes you feel good. I know it made him feel good."

Baseball's strange new custom calls for teammates to abuse anyone who delivers a game-winning hit. Butera rounded first, and Hughes jumped into his arms while others tried to punch him.

Then Butera stood near the dugout for a postgame interview, and Hughes smashed his face with a shaving cream pie.

"I had it coming," Butera said. "I kept getting everyone else.

"Luke better be ready, though. He's my roommate. I owe him one."

"I couldn't be more impressed."

Sal got the news by phone and then watched the hit on his computer. Late Sunday night, he planned to hear about it from Drew himself, one Twins catcher to another.