Earl Turner
From BR Bullpen
Earl Edwin Turner
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 9", Weight 170 lb.
- Debut September 25, 1948
- Final Game July 19, 1950
- Born May 6, 1923 in Pittsfield, MA USA
- Died October 20, 1999 in Lee, MA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Catcher Earl Turner was signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent before the 1942 season. The nineteen year old was assigned to the Jacksonville Tars of the Class B South Atlantic League, appearing in 68 games and hitting at a .259 clip, when the Military Services called him up to serve in the United States Army during World War II.
Earl would arrive back to the pro baseball game and find he had been traded by the Giants to the Boston Braves, in an unknown transaction, but in time to catch 78 games for the 1946 Evansville Braves of the class B Three I League, and hit for a .290 average with four home runs. Before he got his feet set with the Braves they sent him to the Pittsburgh Pirates in another unknown transaction.
Turner would have a good solid year for the Albany Senators of the class A Eastern League in 1947, hitting at a .305 clip with six home runs and was behind the plate for 94 outings. He would spend until mid September with the pennant-winning Indianapolis Indians of the American Association in 1948, catch 85 games, hit a solid .313 and be chosen for the league's All-Star team before being called up to the the major league Pittsburgh Pirates in late September. Turner appeared in two games and had one at-bat with no hits, in his first trip to the show.
Right about this time Turner was in all probabilities thinking about investing in a motor home as the Pirates sent him back down to Indianapolis for the 1949 season where he went about his duties in a workmanlike manner, hitting for a .263 average with 12 round-trippers while catching 99 games. The 1950 Pirates, now owned by the wizard of baseball, Branch Rickey, brought Turner up at the start of the 1950 season and he appeared in 40 games, hit at a .243 average and finished out the year with the New Orleans Pelicans and the Indianapolis Indians hitting at a .283 clip.
Sending Earl down was a real smart move for the Pirates, helping them to a last place finish in the National League with a 57-96 record. Rickey's thinking was that Earl was an "old" 27 and he was building a new dynasty. This finished out Turners major league run with a .240 average in 42 games.
Earl went back to Indianapolis for the 1951 and '52 seasons, performing in his usual manner in '51, hitting .270 with 10 home runs and finished up his pro baseball career with the 1952 Indians, appearing in just 28 games. His minor league stat sheet shows that he spent eight seasons down under, hitting at a .281 average with 38 home runs in 566 games.
Turner passed away on October 20, 1999, at the age of 76, in Lee, MA.
[edit] Sources
