Jim Turner (baseball)

Jim Turner
Jim Turner
	Pitcher
	Born: August 6, 1903; Antioch, Tennessee, U.S.
	Died: November 29, 1998 (aged 95); Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
	Batted: Left Threw: Right
MLB debut
	April 30, 1937, for the Boston Bees
Last MLB appearance
	September 13, 1945, for the New York Yankees
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	69–60
Earned run average	3.22
Strikeouts	329
Teams
	Boston Bees (1937–1939); Cincinnati Reds (1940–1942); New York Yankees (1942–1945);
Career highlights and awards
	All-Star (1938); 8× World Series champion (1940, 1949–1953, 1956, 1958); NL ERA leader (1937);

James Riley Turner (August 6, 1903 – November 29, 1998) was an American pitcher and coach in Major League Baseball. As a member of the Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees, he was a member of nine World Series Championship teams between 1940 and 1959, two as a player and seven as a coach. Most notably, he was pitching coach for the Yankees under Casey Stengel from 1949 to 1959, during which time they won seven titles. Apart from his baseball career, Turner was a lifelong resident of Nashville, Tennessee.

Career[edit]

From 1937 through 1945, he played for the Boston Bees (1937–39), Cincinnati Reds (1940–42) and New York Yankees (1942–45). Turner's Major League career got off to a late start, as he did not reach the big leagues until he was 33 years old, after 14 seasons of minor league ball. He led the National League in earned run average and won 20 games in 1937 as a rookie with Boston. He surrendered a league-high 21 home runs in 1938. Because he worked for his family's dairy farm in the offseason in Antioch, Tennessee, he was known as "Milkman Jim" to his fans.

For his career, Turner compiled a 69–60 record in 231 games, with a 3.22 earned run average and 329 strikeouts.^[1] He was a member of two World Series championship teams, the 1940 Reds and the 1943 Yankees, as well as the 1942 Yankees team that won the American League pennant. In two postseason appearances, Turner was 0–1 with a 6.43 ERA and 4 strikeouts in 7 innings pitched.

Turner was a better than average hitting pitcher, posting a .218 batting average (87-for-399) with 32 runs, one home run and 22 RBI.

After his pitching career ended, Turner served the Yankees (1949–59; 1966–73) and Reds (1961–65) as their pitching coach, working for ten pennant-winning clubs over that 24-year span. He also managed the Beaumont Exporters (1946), Portland Beavers (1947–48) and Nashville Volunteers (1960).

Turner was criticized by Jim Bouton in his book, Ball Four. Bouton claimed Turner (his pitching coach with the Yankees from 1966 to 1968) was a front-runner, who only wanted to be associated with successful pitchers.

References[edit]

^ "Jim Turner". retrosheet.org. Retrieved August 8, 2019.

External links[edit]

Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
Jim Turner at Find a Grave

Sporting positions
Preceded by n/a Cot Deal	New York Yankees Pitching Coach 1949–1959 1966–1973	Succeeded by Eddie Lopat Whitey Ford
Preceded by Cot Deal	Cincinnati Reds Pitching Coach 1961–1965	Succeeded by Mel Harder

[1] "Jim Turner". retrosheet.org. Retrieved August 8, 2019.

[1]

v t e Cincinnati Reds 1940 World Series champions
3 Jimmie Wilson 4 Ernie Lombardi 6 Bill Baker 10 Frank McCormick (NL MVP) 11 Lonny Frey 12 Billy Myers 15 Lew Riggs 17 Eddie Joost 18 Billy Werber 19 Lefty Guise 20 Mike McCormick 21 Morrie Arnovich 22 Jimmy Ripple 23 Harry Craft 24 Ival Goodman 30 Paul Derringer 31 Bucky Walters 33 Johnny Vander Meer 34 Jim Turner 35 Whitey Moore 37 Milt Shoffner 39 Junior Thompson 40 Johnny Hutchings 41 Elmer Riddle 43 Joe Beggs
Manager 1 Bill McKechnie Coaches 2 Hank Gowdy 3 Jimmie Wilson
Regular season

v t e New York Yankees 1949 World Series champions
1 Snuffy Stirnweiss 5 Joe DiMaggio 6 Bobby Brown 7 Cliff Mapes 8 Yogi Berra 10 Phil Rizzuto 11 Joe Page 14 Gene Woodling 15 Tommy Henrich 17 Vic Raschi 22 Allie Reynolds 24 Billy Johnson 25 Hank Bauer 27 Johnny Lindell 28 Tommy Byrne 29 Charlie Silvera 30 Ed Lopat 36 Johnny Mize 38 Gus Niarhos 42 Jerry Coleman
Manager 37 Casey Stengel Coaches 2 Frankie Crosetti 31 Jim Turner 33 Bill Dickey
Regular season Dodgers–Yankees rivalry Subway Series

v t e New York Yankees 1950 World Series champions
5 Joe DiMaggio 6 Bobby Brown 7 Cliff Mapes 8 Yogi Berra 10 Phil Rizzuto (AL MVP) 11 Joe Page 12 Billy Martin 14 Gene Woodling 15 Tommy Henrich 17 Vic Raschi 19 Whitey Ford 21 Fred Sanford 22 Allie Reynolds 24 Billy Johnson 25 Hank Bauer 26 Tom Ferrick 28 Tommy Byrne 29 Charlie Silvera 30 Ed Lopat 32 Ralph Houk 35 Joe Ostrowski 36 Johnny Mize 38 Johnny Hopp 40 Jackie Jensen 41 Joe Collins 42 Jerry Coleman
Manager 37 Casey Stengel Coaches 2 Frankie Crosetti 31 Jim Turner 33 Bill Dickey
Regular season

v t e New York Yankees 1951 World Series champions
1 Billy Martin 5 Joe DiMaggio 6 Bobby Brown 7 Mickey Mantle 8 Yogi Berra (AL MVP) 10 Phil Rizzuto 11 Johnny Sain 12 Gil McDougald (AL ROY) 14 Gene Woodling 17 Vic Raschi 19 Spec Shea 20 Art Schallock 21 Bob Kuzava 22 Allie Reynolds 24 Stubby Overmire 25 Hank Bauer 28 Tom Morgan 29 Charlie Silvera 30 Ed Lopat 32 Ralph Houk 35 Joe Ostrowski 36 Johnny Mize 38 Johnny Hopp 40 Bobby Hogue 41 Joe Collins 42 Jerry Coleman
Manager 37 Casey Stengel Coaches 2 Frankie Crosetti 15 Tommy Henrich 31 Jim Turner 33 Bill Dickey
Regular season Giants–Yankees rivalry Subway Series

v t e New York Yankees 1952 World Series champions
1 Billy Martin 7 Mickey Mantle 8 Yogi Berra 9 Hank Bauer 10 Phil Rizzuto 11 Johnny Sain 12 Gil McDougald 14 Gene Woodling 17 Vic Raschi 18 Ray Scarborough 21 Bob Kuzava 22 Allie Reynolds 24 Tom Gorman 25 Irv Noren 29 Charlie Silvera 30 Ed Lopat 32 Ralph Houk 36 Johnny Mize 40 Ewell Blackwell 41 Joe Collins
Manager 37 Casey Stengel Coaches 2 Frankie Crosetti 31 Jim Turner 33 Bill Dickey
Regular season Dodgers–Yankees rivalry Subway Series

Career[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]