Justin Turner, or JT as he is affectionately known by Dodger fans, is no longer with us as we all know. But I would like to give Justin his due. He was signed as a free agent by Dodgers GM Ned Colletti on Valentine’s Day in 2014. He had originally been drafted by the Reds and then traded to the Orioles in 2008 for Ramon Hernandez.
In 2010 the Mets picked him up off of waivers. He had only gotten into 17 games as an Oriole, and he was hoping for a much better opportunity with the Mets. Over parts of the next four seasons, he got into 301 games with New York. He hit .265 over those years without much power. After the 2013 season, the Mets did not offer him a contract, and he was a free agent.
The Dodgers were coming off of a successful return to prominence in 2013 when they won the west. But their bench was suspect, and Turner could play 2nd and 3rd, so at the time, he was considered more of a utility piece than a regular. Colletti, who was working under some pretty restrictive budget restraints under Frank McCourt, had new ownership now, allowing him a little more payroll flexibility. They had allowed him to make “The Trade” in 2013, bringing Adrian Gonzalez to the Dodgers. So, this free agent signing of Turner was not one of the more talked about signings.
But over the course of the next nine years, it would be very significant. In 2014, Turner would play all four infield positions at one time or another. He had a very good year at the plate, hitting .340/7/43 in 109 games. His OPS was .897, and his OPS+ was 155. He only had two at-bats in the playoff against the Cardinals. But he was rewarded at age 30 with a 2-year, 7.6-million-dollar contract.
Over the winter, he worked hard on his swing and basically changed to the now becoming very popular “lift theory.” He also instituted his leg kick. During spring training, he managed to secure the starting 3rd base job. Juan Uribe was slowing down, and JT took advantage of that. In May 2015, Uribe was shipped to the Braves along with Chris Withrow for Alberto Callaspo, Juan Jamie, Eric Stults, and Ian Thomas. JT was now the starting 3rd baseman.
In 126 games, JT went .294/16/60. His OPS was .861 and OPS+ 139. He hit .526 in the playoff series against the Mets. The Dodgers lost the series, but they were just beginning their string of NL West Championships, and Turner was a huge part of the success. He was a solid, if not a spectacular, defender. His power surge was impressive.
Now settled in as the starting third baseman, in 2016, Turner played the most games he had ever played in a season with 151 games. His BA dropped some with the added load, but he improved to 27 long balls and 90 RBIs. He hit .400 against DC in the NLDS and hit the first of his postseason homers. He dropped off against the Cubs to .200, but he did hit a homer in the series. He and the rest of the team enjoyed their 4th consecutive NL West title but wanted more in 2017. First-year manager Dave Roberts was happy with the way his team had performed.
In 2017, the Dodgers steamrolled the West and basically the entire National League. They finished with 104 wins, second only to the 1953 Brooklyn version of the team, who had 105. Turner clubbed 21 homers in 130 games and hit .322. He had just signed a 4-year deal that winter. They faced Arizona in the NLDS and swept them 3-0. Then they again faced the Cubs, who were the reigning World Champs. This time they rolled the Cubs in 5 games. The capper came when Kike Hernandez had the game of his life, hitting three bombs, including a grand slam in the third. JT hit .462 with a homer against the D-Backs, he hit .333 against the Cubs with two homers and 7 RBIs and was named the MVP. For the first time since 1988, the Dodgers went to the World Series.
I am not going to re-hash that bad memory. We all know the outcome and the outrage we all felt because the Astros cheated. JT would love to forget that series anyway. He hit a paltry .160 in the series with four hits in 31 at-bats. He did hit his 4th postseason homer.
In 2018, he was hit on the wrist in spring training and suffered a non-displaced fracture. He would not see action until May 15th. In 2017 an injury kept him out for almost a month. He and his wife were also heavily involved in the community, starting a charity that was funded by a golf tournament. He also missed some time after the All-Star game. He went on a tear in August and was named NL Player of the Month. He slashed .491/6/20. In 202 at-bats after the All-Star break, Turner hit .356 with 24 doubles, nine homers,
and an OPS of 1.066. He would finish the season at .312/14/52. He was nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award for community service.
He kept his hot bat going in the postseason with a .357 line against the Braves, the Brewers shut him down to a .241 average, but he hit his 7th postseason homer and drove in 3 runs. Bellinger was the series MVP. He hit well, .333 against the Red Sox, but the rest of the overmatched team did not. He had no homers or RBIs in the series. The team itself had been locked in a tight race all season with the Rockies and had to win game 163 in order to secure their 6th consecutive Western Division title.
JT’s health was better in 2019. He played in 135 games. Defensively he fell off a bit, and his -3 DRS, defensive runs saved, was the 13th lowest among 17 qualified third basemen. But his power stroke was there. He hit 27 homers again. He had three homers in a game on May 9th and drove in 6 against the Braves. He hit his 100th career homer on June 14th against Kyle Hendricks in a 5-3 win over the Cubs.
The 2019 Dodgers passed the team mark for wins with 106. They rolled the West easily for their 7th consecutive Division title. Turner went 6-24 in the NLDS with a couple of homers and five driven in. But the Dodgers lost a heartbreaker in game five at home in extra innings when Joe Kelly gave up a grand slam to former Dodger Howie Kendrick. DC went on to win the World Series. And another year passed with no World Championship.
So, the Dodgers got ready for another season. But 2020 would be unlike anything anyone had ever experienced in baseball or the nation, for that matter. Turner was entering the second year of his four-year deal. They reported to spring training, but all over the nation, people were getting sick and dying. A new virus was claimed to be the culprit, and suddenly people were told to stay home and not socialize. The pandemic was just beginning. In mid-March, MLB shut down the camps. No one had any idea if there would even be a season.
MLB worked on different scenarios as to how to handle the season if and when it started. Different lengths of seasons were discussed. There were complications as Toronto refused to let the Blue Jays play in their home stadium. They would end up playing their games in Buffalo, New York. Finally, it was decided that no fans would be allowed in attendance.
They would pipe in fan noise, and teams sold fans cardboard cutouts of themselves so the stadiums would not look empty. Announcers were not allowed in the ballpark. They would watch the games on monitors. They settled on a 60-game schedule, and no one would play outside of their respective areas. The Dodgers would play their NL West and AL West opponents. Spring training began anew on July 1st and was renamed summer camp.
There were a lot of conditions, expanded playoffs, and players able to opt out of playing. Pro-rated salaries and full-service time for the shortened season. Expanded rosters and taxi squads. Social distancing in the dugout and masks. Also, the ghost runner at second was installed so games would not go deep into the night. And all teams used a universal DH in both leagues.
The Dodgers had traded for Mookie Betts just before spring training, and they wasted no time locking up their new superstar. Coming off of a year where he hit .290, JT was ready to go out of the gate and relatively healthy. He would play 42 of the 60 games. He hit .307/4/23 as the Dodgers again won the West, #8 in a row. They dispatched Milwaukee in 2 games in the Wild Card round and took three straight from the Padres in the NLDS. All the postseason games after the Wild Card round were played in Arlington, Texas, at the Rangers’ new ballpark.
JT was 0-8 against Milwaukee. He then went 2-10 against SD, but he did drive in 3 runs. The Braves came in for the big series. The Dodgers lost the first two games and then rode an 11-run first inning to a 15-3 pasting of Atlanta. The Braves returned the favor the next day, crushing LA 10-2. Faced with elimination, they won game 5. Turner had a hit and scored a run in the 7-3 win. Things got really interesting in game 6. Seager and Turner homered off of Max Fried in the first, but it took some solid glove work and great pitching from Buehler and the bullpen to win the game and tie the series.
Game 7 was a very tight affair. Atlanta jumped out to a 2-0 lead after two innings. The Dodgers tied it in the bottom of the third with 2 of their own. JT was instrumental in keeping the game close when he and Will Smith turned a double play on a ball hit to Turner, he threw home, and the runner retreated towards third; Turner dived and tagged him out and then made it to third and tagged the runner there out also. The Braves went up 3-2 in the top of the 4th, and the game stayed that way until Kike Hernandez hit a game-tying PH homer in the bottom of the 6th inning. In the 7th, with two outs, Cody Bellinger took a Chris Martin pitch deep into the RF seats for what proved to be the game-winning run.
Julio Urias totally shut the Braves down in the last three innings for the win, and the Dodgers were in the World Series for the third time in four years. Their opponent was the Tampa Bay Rays. JT had a good series against the Braves, and his glove was instrumental in the win. Against the Rays, he would hit .320/2/2. Those two home runs would set the record for postseason homers by a Dodger. Corey Seager would tie that mark as he had a World Series to remember and was the MVP of both the NLCS and the World Series.
They finally got their rings, and you could tell at the ring ceremony how very happy Turner was just to help the team finally get the monkey off of their back. The 2020 season had brought challenges no other MLB teams had ever faced, and it could not have been easy for players plying their trade in empty ballparks. They had allowed 12,500 fans into the World Series games. Turner’s series was interrupted in the middle of game six as he tested positive for Covid-19. But he still joined his mates for the on-field celebration. Some fans still say the title is tinted and fake, but they all had the same chance to win, and I sincerely doubt that a fan of any other team would not accept the win. It is just a natural dislike for the Dodgers that many fans have. Success breeds discontent.
JT played 151 games in 2021. The Dodgers chased the Giants most of the year and ended up as the Wild Card team. JT, for once, did not play well in the postseason. His total line in 10 games was 4-38, and he drove in only one run. It was no small surprise to me that with Turner and most of the Dodger offense not hitting that they lost to the Braves in 6 games. They were down 3-1 again, but this time they could not come back. Even though they had won 106 games again, they were they did not have home field against the Braves, who won their division.
2022 would be a historic year for the Dodgers. They overcame injuries to key players, a really slow start by many of their regulars, including Turner, who had some minor injury issues. But their pitching staff was top-notch, and a couple of retreads were leading it. JT got hot after the All-Star break and was named player of the month in August. The Dodgers won 111 games and steamrolled the West. They beat San Diego in 14 of 19 games.
But they had a five-day layoff waiting for the winner of the Wild Card round. The Padres rolled the Mets in five games and came into Dodger Stadium for the showdown. The Dodgers managed to win game one, 5-2 behind Urias. But over the next three games, their offense would totally disappear. JT was one of the guilty parties. The Padres’ pitching just shut them down. They had a three-run lead in game 4, and it looked like they were going to send the series back to LA. But a 5-run seventh inning off of Yency Almonte sealed the loss. JT hit only .154 in the series. He had no RBIs.
Now the question was, will the Dodgers re-sign him? They took their time making the decision. They had nine players who were free agents, including Kershaw. They finally decided to buy out his option. There was still interest in having JT return, but not at the salary he had been paid. The Dodgers also wanted to get younger, and with rookie Miguel Vargas needing playing time, they decided to move on from JT as Vargas, at that point, was considered their new third baseman. JT had played only 62 games at third base in 22. Some felt his range was not what it was, and there was also talk of his bat slowing down and him not catching up to elite fastballs as he had in the past. For whatever reason, they pivoted to JD Martinez to be their DH, and Turner would eventually sign a two-year deal with the Sox that pays him 8.3 million this season with an additional 1 million in incentives. He has a player option for next season for 13.4 million with a 6.7 million dollar buyout.
I, for one, hope JT returns to the Dodger organization when he finally hangs them up as a player. I think he has a lot to offer any organization he is with. He is a local boy, so coming home again will appeal to him. I also think somewhere down the road, he would be an awesome choice to be a manager. His Dodger career as a player is over. I know some fans feel he should have been allowed to retire as a Dodger. Those things rarely happen in this day and age. But while he was here, we all loved what he brought to the Dodgers. A cast-off free agent who got a chance and shined. JT’s Dodger line after nine years with the team. .296/156/574. An OBP of .490. OPS .832 and an OPS + of 133. He had 1088 hits as a Dodger.
Loved him while he was here but it was time. Yet another casualty of the Bauer fiasco.
Not sure about that Johnny.
Bear: Great writeup. Rooting for this team for over 70 years I’ve had 3 favorite players. Duke Snider as a kid, Sandy Koufax as a young adult, and most recently, JT. Sorry to see him go, but hopeful he will return as a coach/Manager in the future. Thanks for giving us this historical picture of a great Dodger.
Thanks Jay. I really liked the fact that he was cut loose by the Mets and then became a fixture in LA. He did some great things, I remember his walk off homer in the playoffs. He and his wife were great in the community. Solid guy. Would love to see him rejoin the organization after he retires.
JT was one of my favorite Dodgers as well. Over the last 10+ years, it has been JT, CK, and Cody. It was sad to watch JT’s skills erode slowly and even sadder to see Cody become a trainwreck. I will root for both of them… except when they are playing the Dodgers.
Great write up, Bear! We are the same vintage, I might have you by a year or so … but the memories are wonderful to recall, and you are so meticulous with the details. I too, will miss JT, but will be rooting for him, Cody as well. One of the tougher obstacles to overcome in our game, is seeing the roster change so dramatically from year to year. It hasn’t always been that way, but now simply a fact of life … I don’t like it. Guess the grumpy old man syndrome might be setting in. I am very excited to see how the youngsters play this year, and look forward to experiencing it with “you all” here on Mark’s forum.
I am not certain whether players spent more of their careers with teams back in the good old days or not. I remember lots of my Dodger favorites getting traded or leaving: Lopes, Cey, Garvey, Sutton, Osteen, Fairly, Howard, Hodges, and a plethora of others… even Jackie (which I don’t remember).
Technically, Jackie was traded to the Giants. But he refused to report, and the trade was nullified. Hodges was a Dodger for 16 of his 18 years in the majors. Wheat was a Dodger for 18 of his 19 seasons. With free agency, there is little loyalty to the organization that signed the player. That Turner, who was picked up off of the trash heap spent 9 full seasons in LA is amazing. That just does not happen anymore.
I STILL have his walk off against the Cubs on my phone!
BEST of luck to you, Justin in whatever you do in 2023 and wherever you go post retirement. Dodgers fans pray it brings you back to the Dodgers.
A few years back I made a friend in Hong Kong who is a rabid Mets fan.
As soon as I told him i followed the Dodgers, he started kvetching about how the Mets cut JT loose. What a screwup.
JT’s arrival started a trend. Next the Dodgers managed to get Chris Taylor in a trade with the Mariners, and then they picked up Muncy from the A’s. They were all castoffs, more or less–and then they became all-stars.
There are a few other reasons to root for JT. He was a local kid, from Long Beach, who attended Cal State Fullerton. (Go Titans!) It was another Titan, Tim Wallach, who urged the Colletti to sign Turner after the Mets cut him loose. JT has credited Wallach for the recommendation.
In retrospect, given all of JT’s accomplishments since then, that he needed someone to put in a word for him. No doubt JT would have been picked up by some team–but the Wallach connection helped him come to the Dodgers. And maybe, just maybe, JT wouldn’t have blossomed with a different franchise.
Before the Dodgers picked up Freddie Freeman, AF was ignoring my advice to trade for Matt Chapman, in part because I thought it fitting that another Titan succeed JT at 3B.
Some of us are already grooming JT to succeed Roberts as manager.
That’s a fun thought. If so, he’d be the third Titan to manage a team, following Phil Nevin with the Angels and Mark Kotsay with the A’s.
When was the last time an elite player became a good manager?
Players like JT and Utley are executive types – not managers!
Define elite. Dusty Baker has been successful. If Mattingly wasn’t in Miami he would probably be more successful. I think it’s possible elite players don’t feel the need to stay in the game.
JT’s numbers may have “eroded” but they are still good. And, he projects a higher OPS than Muncy does this year. We’ll see about that, but, I don’t think he’s done. I believe he’ll easily earn his money in Boston.
The point is, there are not many.
Baker was not elite, but he was solid.
Mattingly was elite… as a player.
I do not think much of him as a manager because of the way he lost the Dodger Clubhouse, but that is my subjective opinion which is somewhat irrational, much like the Doc Bashers!
You can go down the list of successful managers, and most were not stars. In fact, only two managers who are in the hall, were better than average players. Joe Torre and Casey Stengel. Some, like Alston, had a cup of coffee in the majors. Alston had a sip because he had exactly one at bat. Baker and Mattingly were very good players, Mattingly would already be in the hall if injuries had not made the second half of his career very pedestrian, cause he, like Eric Davis, was a superstar for a six year stretch. There are other managers who never sniffed the majors and were pretty good.
Good question…. Off the top of my head, I’d say that Joe Torre was a damn good player and damn good manager. Dusty Baker also comes to mind–and he’s still at it. I think Frank Robinson, truly elite, had a reputation as a good manager… but I could be wrong about that.
Mattingly was a damn good player–elite for a few years–and is a crappy manager. (Why didn’t we get Dusty then? Maybe because Torre is so fond of “Donnie Baseball,” so-called.)
BTW, I wouldn’t classify JT as “elite.”
He’s was never a hot prospect, never a superstar, but a journeyman grinder whose work ethic enabled him to become a star and leader. All of those qualities could help him become a good manager.
It will be interesting to see if anyone really assumed JT’s leadership role. Not worried about it. In addition to established stars like Kershaw, Mookie and Freddie, both JDM and Rojas have been described as leaders…. And then, flying under the radar, Austin Barnes has been dubbed “captain.”
https://dodgerblue.com/trea-turner-dodgers-austin-barnes-captain-t-shirts/2022/07/03/
Players make so much money now, why would they put up with the hassle and frustration of being a manager?
It’s not always about the money. Sometimes you just have an itch, that needs to be scratched.
And we are guessing? speculating? hoping? that this itch exists?
I think it’s about the money.
I use this anecdote a lot Badger, and again it’s appropriate:
TV wizard Don Ohlmeyer, a far smarter man than I, once told me, “The answer to all your questions is: Money.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1994/02/11/a-dash-for-the-cash/6fa12f04-5d05-4eaf-ae7d-d8de5d74b64e/
Bluto,
Point!
Exactly. Some have made generational money. They’re out. I’m not sure how much money Dusty Baker made in his career, but I would guess he’s made more money managing than he did playing. I’m too lazy today to check that out so I wait to be corrected.
Free coffee
JT got old he could barely walk his legs are shot. Like Mike Piazza says you know when your done when your legs give out and you can’t react as fast as you use to. Your a hinder to the team. Sure you can hit the ball great but when you hit it can your run the bases. Tahts why you go and be a DH and tahts what JT is a DH. Now if teams didn’t have DH all the teams I am pretty sure he would have just retired after last year. But major league put in DH for all clubs now so he probable plays for another three years . For teams like the Royals, Reds, Pirates, Rockies, teams that need a veteran guy in the clubhouse but won’t be close to winning a world series. My guess is JT comes back to be a coach in the Dodgers organization a minor league roving instructor or manager and then all you people that miss him will be happy that he is back in dodger Blue. He gave us good years but his legs have out. That’s when you know your next year’s are numbered until you retire. Same goes for Bellinger if he doesn’t hit better he will be on teams like the Reds the royals the Rockies teams that have no shot at a world series. That’s the difference now. Players leave the dodgers where your a world series favorite every year. And now play for teams that just need base ball players who used to be stars.
Boston doesn’t think he is simply a DH. He is going to play some first base for them and spell Devers at third. The guy is 38 years old, damn right he has slowed down. Oh by the way, did you see some of the diving plays he made last year, ya can’t do that on bad wheels.
t’s amazing your ability to say so many bullshit in a single paragraph BRADLEY.
Dodgers News: Clayton Kershaw Will Not Be Pitching in the WBC After All
In a pretty sudden turn of events, Dodgers star LHP Clayton Kershaw announced at spring training that he will not be pitching in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, after all. In December, he excited the baseball world when he said he would be pitching in the games. However, now at spring training, he decided to bow out.
Kershaw announced at Dodgers camp on Friday that he had been taken off the World Baseball Classic roster, and declined to elaborate on the “disappointing” reason why. Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times, after a bit of digging, reported that Kershaw had an issue with getting insurance coverage for the event, due in large part to his recurring back issues.
That’s disappointing. It’s still by far the best US team that’s ever been assembled. But years from now it would have been cool to see Kersh and Trout playing on the same team. Might be the only way Trout will ever get a trophy that’s not an MVP or Silver Slugger.
I want the U.S. to win of course, but I would rather they did it without any Dodgers on the team.
I have not wanted Dodgers on the teams since Hanley screwed up his wrist diving for a ball in the WBC in a game at Chase Field.
I’m glad the reason he is not participating is because of health concerns.
Thank you JT for all the memories and magic moments. An even better man than a ballplayer! I will miss you. Kill it in Boston!
Well said Cassidy. You nailed it. Eyes got a little watery with that one
Scott Rolen is going to have the Cardinals logo on his HOF plaque. Fred McGriff is going in with no logo. I just checked and there are 57 people in the Hall who spent time with the Dodgers. This includes O’Malley and McPhail. Also 4 broadcasters from the Dodgers are in. Of the 57, 18 spent the majority of their careers with the Dodgers, Rangers signed Robbie Grossman.
Yippee! Happy to see that Edwin Rios has gotten himself a major league contract with the Cubs.
No terms have been announced as of yet, but at least he won’t have to go overseas to continue his career. Hopefully he gets a decent shot and shows what he’s capable of (except, of course, when they play the Dodgers).
One year one million dollars
Love that photo of JT diving for that tag. That doubleplay was a real turning point…
It brings to mine another great JT defensive moment that I’m sure many of remember: that time he deked a runner at 3rd base, making it seem that a throw (perhaps a pickoff?) got past him…. JT turned his back, and maybe uttered an expletive, and then took a couple of steps as if to chase the errant throw. The baserunner, having dived back to 3B, picked himself up and started home–but then realized JT had the ball in his glove. JT got the easy tag….. Such a heads-up bit of trickery.
In other news, Edwin Rios signed with the Cubs. Very happy to see the report, because I thought maybe the injuries ended his career. It’s a shame he was healthier with the Dodgers. So much power.
Also the Angels picked up Matt Moore for their BP. The Angels have a had a great winter in part they noaaaand have a real shot at the wild card. What are the odds for a real Freeway Series?
I had forgotten about the juke play. Glad to get reminded. That double play be etched in my memory forever, do believe was the defining moment in that title run
Never considered torre a great manager. Won in New York with big checkbook and greatest closer of all time. Not so much in LA. Good? Yes. Great? No. Will sure be different without Justin and Cody! I always thought he would be so much better than Bryce Harper(Cody). Defensively not close! Offensively, all the tools to be a triple crown threat every year, but not to be. Justin had all the intangibles you look for in a player. And a human being. Good luck to both of them! Take us to the promise land Doc!
Here’s a link to that great deke play by JT. Forgot the victim was Realmuto.
A thing of beauty….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-ZYN7gMYNA