When it was first reported and later confirmed that 38-year-old (now) free agent Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner had signed a two-year/$21.7M contract with the Boston Red Sox last Monday, it left an enormous cloud of sadness over Dodgers fans far and wide. Not only had they lost a very good baseball player who posted an excellent .296/.375/.490/.865 slash line with 156 home runs and 574 RBIs during his nine seasons in Dodger Blue, but they also lost one of their own – a Long Beach, CA native who himself grew up a Dodgers fan.

On Thursday evening, former Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti, the man who signed a then 29-year-old Turner on February 6, 2014, was a guest on SportsNet LA’s popular Access SportsNet: Dodgers, a show which he himself once co-hosted.

During the broadcast, show host John Hartung asked Colletti (via Zoom) what Turner meant not only to the Dodgers and his teammates, but also to Dodgers fans. Colletti’s answer was concise and very heartfelt:

“Justin Turner, I think from a player standpoint, teammate standpoint, dependable, a gamer, somebody you could always count on.  

“I think from the fan standpoint, really a historic player as you look at it, and one of their own, being from L.A.  

“And lastly, for the city of L.A., I think that J.T. and his wife Kourtney, they understood their position, they understood they could do positive things for this community, for this region, and they did.  

“And I think that is their ability to kind of figure out where their place was and how they could help people, sincerely help people, I think was as important as all the big hits and all the big plays he made.”

You are – and always will be – loved, JT.

Play Ball!

  *  *  *  *  *  *