Justin Turner still remembers Luke Lang. And because of him, Turner explains, he remembers a motto that still resonates with the All-Star third baseman.
Losing is not an option.
Turner met Luke when the boy was 7 years old, fresh out of the hospital after treatments for acute lymphoblastic leukemia and visiting Citi Field in 2013 to watch his hometown Mets take batting practice. Turner was in his final year with the Mets and stopped by alongside teammates Anthony Recker and John Buck to meet him. That’s when Luke uttered his memorable line. Later, Turner returned with a signed bat that was inscribed with that very same motto.
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“That’s always stuck with me,” Turner recalled in a Zoom call with reporters.
Turner has maintained his relationship with Luke and the Lang family to this day. He also keeps in touch with several other resilient individuals that he and his wife, Kourtney, have fostered through their work with the Justin Turner Foundation. The Dodgers infielder specializes in working with veterans as well as children and families battling life-threatening illnesses. The foundation has also worked to help the homeless and hungry through its work with The Dream Center in Los Angeles.
For Luke. pic.twitter.com/AzzbACo61A
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 25, 2019
It’s that work that made Turner this year’s winner of the Roberto Clemente Award, presented to the major-league player who best demonstrates extraordinary character and community involvement along with philanthropy and positive contributions on and off the field.
“Honestly, I think with the way the season ended and how everything went, this award actually was probably as far away from being on our mind as it could get,” Turner said, alluding Dodgers’ surprising loss in the NLDS after winning 111 games during the regular season. “When we got the phone call informing us, it was quite a surprise and obviously very exciting news for us. … (To) be recognized is something that is pretty special. And I know my wife and I are very, very proud of it.”
Turner, who was the Dodgers’ nominee five of the last six years, joins Steve Garvey in 1981 and Clayton Kershaw in 2012 as the only Dodgers ever to win the award.
Turner, 37, launched his foundation in 2016, which has since grown to include annual events such as the foundation’s golf tournament — “that kind of, like, set lightbulb off,” Turner said of the inaugural event. “Like, wow, this is amazing that our platform is capable of raising funds to support a cause that’s important to the city of LA.”
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He’s continued to work with children, including partnering with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to have kids design a pair of custom cleats that Turner wore in-game during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September.
“(It’s about) how we can inspire, (how) we can create these relationships and this bond with families who are going to the unthinkable,” Turner said. “(You) try to help get them through some of the tough times and help them through kicking cancer’s ass, which is obviously the ultimate goal for all these families.”
Pursuing these ends is something Turner said he wants to continue even as he faces an uncertain future with the Dodgers. Turner scuffled for much of this season before a second-half resurgence resuscitated his batting line, but the Dodgers hold a $16 million club option for 2023 with an affordable buyout of $2 million should they allow Turner to hit free agency.
Turner said he has yet to be informed of the Dodgers’ decision regarding his status. The Dodgers have up to five days following the completion of the World Series to finalize option decisions, none as consequential as the one surrounding the third baseman who is the longest-tenured position player on the roster.
But for the Long Beach native, who won a national title at Cal State Fullerton, the opportunity to impact a community so close to home remains a focus.
“It’s crazy looking back how kind of on all fronts, everything took off for me,” Turner said of arriving in Los Angeles in 2014. “Once I became a Dodger, I grew into an everyday role, I rehauled my swing and started performing better, slugging better. Off the field, got married to my wife, started the foundation and grown that to bigger than we ever thought it would be, honestly. Everything kind of in my life has really taken off since the day I put a Dodger uniform on. It’s very special to me.”
(Photo: Jay Biggerstaff / USA Today)