Ryu Hyun-jin (36, Toronto)’s best friend, Justin Turner (39, Boston), who is well-known to Korean baseball fans, has suddenly become unreasonable at our age. But his bat is still hot.
Turner, who moved to Boston from the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead of this season, has a batting average of 0.267 (54 hits in 202 at-bats), 6 homers, 22 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.759 in 54 games as of the 1st (Korean time). He ranks third on the team in batting average and hits, tied for third in home runs, and fourth in RBI and OPS. Although it does not reach the performance of his heyday with the Dodgers, considering his age, his skills are still not very rusty.메이저사이트
In a recent interview with Star News in Phoenix Chase Field, Arizona, USA, Turner said, “Many players fail to get a chance and disappear due to release or injury. I was given an opportunity after I moved to , and fortunately, I was able to get more opportunities while achieving good results.”
Turner with the New York Mets. /Photo = Correspondent Lee Sang-hee
Born in California, USA, Turner was drafted by Cincinnati in the 7th round (204th overall) of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft and turned pro. After being traded to Baltimore, he made his major league debut in September 2009, but was released in May 2010 due to poor performance and moved back to the New York Mets. He played in 117 games in 2011 and showed potential by recording a batting average of 0.260, 4 homers and 51 RBIs, but after the 2013 season, he tasted the pain of being released again.
After signing a minor league contract with the Dodgers in February 2014 and participating in the major league spring camp as an invited player, Turner overcame despair with his skills and proudly made his name on the roster for the opening game of the major league that year. After that, he spent his heyday with the Dodgers for nine seasons until last year. During this time, he was selected as an All-Star twice and he was also selected as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2017 National League Championship Series (NLCS). In 2020, he had his best years, winning the World Series as well. This is the background that gave Turner the modifiers ‘Cinderella Story’ and ‘Turner Time’.
Turner in his heyday with the Dodgers. /Photo = Correspondent Lee Sang-hee
In that respect, the breakup between the Dodgers and Turner came as a shock to many fans. Regarding this, Turner said, “I respect the Dodgers’ decision and thank the Boston club for choosing me. I just have to keep working hard and doing well.”
When I told him, ‘I’m still more familiar with Dodger Blue than Boston’s red’, he said, “No. Red suits me well now.” I was able to adapt well,” he said, expressing satisfaction. Enrique Hernandez (32, Boston), who was by his side, helped with a smile, saying, “I did the best.” Hernandez also played with Hyunjin Ryu and Turner for the Dodgers from 2015 to 2020.
Ryu Hyun-jin (right) and Turner, who played together for the Dodgers in 2017. /AFPBBNews=News1
Turner welcomed the news that Ryu Hyun-jin is scheduled to return in mid-July. He said, “If we meet Ryu Hyun-jin at bat as the opposing team’s pitcher, it will be unfamiliar to each other, but we will do our best,” and “I expect Ryu Hyun-jin to give the best pitching.”
If Ryu Hyun-jin’s return goes as expected, the two are expected to have a two-hit confrontation in the games between Toronto and Boston on August 5-7 and September 16-18. In 2013, when he was with the Mets, Turner went 1-for-3 against Hyun-Jin Ryu of the Dodgers.
Turner did not forget to say thanks, “Thanks to my old colleague and good friend Ryu Hyun-jin, I have many Korean fans. I am always grateful to Korean fans for their constant support.”