by Cary Osborne
Justin Turner stopped himself mid-sentence. He used the wrong word. Then he corrected himself.
“This place was, is very special to me,” said the Mariners infielder.
Nine seasons a Dodger, a two-time All-Star, a 2020 World Series champion and the 2022 Major League Baseball Roberto Clemente Award winner, Turner is one of the most accomplished and popular Dodgers of this generation.
Monday marked his return to Dodger Stadium as a visitor for the first time since his tenure ended with the Dodgers after the 2022 season.
He played with the Boston Red Sox in 2022 and the Toronto Blue Jays this season until July 29 when he was traded to Seattle before the trade deadline. He is batting .247/.344/.359/.703 in 104 games this season with seven home runs and 40 RBI.
Turner said one of the first things he did after the deal was check Seattle’s schedule to see if they were playing the Dodgers in Los Angeles.
“It’s been on my mind since I became a Mariner,” Turner said. “Obviously looking forward to the day and getting back on the field to play in front of these fans.”
One of those fans is two months and 15 days old. He will see Turner play at Dodger Stadium for the first time in his life.
Bo Jordan Turner was born on July 4, and he and mom, Kourtney Turner, will be at Dodger Stadium.
“He’ll get his first taste of Chavez Ravine,” Turner said. “So I’m excited for that.”
Turner, a free agent after the 2022 season, looked to continue his playing career with the Dodgers. But LA ended up signing J.D. Martinez as its designated hitter and Max Muncy became the everyday third baseman.
Now 39 and in his second season away from Los Angeles, the Long Beach native and Cal State Fullerton alumnus still has great affection for the Dodger franchise, which signed him to a Minor League deal with an invite to Spring Training in 2014. But he says he tries not to look back.
“What happened, happened, and I think it was pretty well documented how I felt at the time,” Turner said. “Nothing’s changed. I’m still super grateful for my nine years that I spent here, and it also gave me an opportunity to go and play for some other historic franchises. … If I were still a Dodger, obviously I wouldn’t have had those opportunities.”
Key word — tries.
Turner started looking back the more questions that he has taken prior to Monday’s game.
He recalled fellow Fullerton alumnus and former Dodger player and coach Tim Wallach teaching him the third base position when he arrived.
Turner remembered his first day in Spring Training camp in 2014 and all the faces he saw. “It was sort of a pinch me moment. Like, do I belong in this room with all these people?”
He recalled all the walks from the elevator past MVP and Gold Glove Awards and World Series trophies to the Dodger clubhouse.
Turner’s final accomplishment as a Dodger was winning the 2022 Roberto Clemente Award — one of baseball’s most prestigious honors. The award is given annually to the player who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.
Turner’s altruistic contributions, along with his wife, help define his career as a Dodger. His community involvement, through the Justin Turner Foundation, has elevated the lives of homeless veterans, children and their families battling life-changing illnesses and people in need throughout Los Angeles.
“It was obviously probably one of the greatest things I’ve ever accomplished in this game, getting recognized for the work that Kourt and I did in the community and impacted people’s lives,” Turner said. “I don’t think it gets any better than that. Winning World Series, All-Star Games — all that stuff’s cool, but nothing comes close to that. And at the time, I had no idea that was going to be my last accolade as a Dodger.”
Turner said he was paying attention from afar to Matt Kemp Day on Aug. 11 when the former Dodger outfielder was celebrated and signed a one-day contract, retiring as a Dodger.
“I shot him a text and told him how sad that I wasn’t able to be there to celebrate with him,” Turner said.
The red-header longtime Dodger said it would be special if down the line a similar day happened for him.
The reTurner: Justin Turner comes back to Dodger Stadium for the first time as an opponent was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.