:Jerry Turner (baseball)

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Jerry Turner

|position=Outfielder

|image=Jerry Turner (721582320) (cropped).jpg

|caption=Turner with the Orange County Flyers in 2007

|bats=Left

|throws=Left

|birth_date={{Birth date|1954|1|17}}

|birth_place=Texarkana, Arkansas, U.S.

|death_date={{Death date and age|2023|8|20|1954|1|17}}

|death_place=Lancaster, California, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=September 2

|debutyear=1974

|debutteam=San Diego Padres

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=June 17

|finalyear=1983

|finalteam=San Diego Padres

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.257

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=45

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=238

|teams=

San Diego Padres ({{mlby|1974}}–{{mlby|1981}})
Chicago White Sox ({{mlby|1981}})
Detroit Tigers ({{mlby|1982}})
San Diego Padres ({{mlby|1983}})

}}

John Webber "Jerry" Turner (January 17, 1954 – August 20, 2023) was an American professional baseball player, an outfielder who played in seven full seasons and parts of three others in the Major Leagues from 1974–1983, mostly with the San Diego Padres (1974–1981; 1983). Turner threw and batted left-handed, stood {{convert|5|ft|9|in|cm}} tall and weighed {{convert|180|lb}}.

Biography

Turner was born on January 17, 1954, in Texarkana, Arkansas. He grew up in Los Angeles, attended Venice High School,[http://www.lainformant.com/2011/05/venice-high-centennial-celebration-1911.html LA Informant] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110701132713/http://www.lainformant.com/2011/05/venice-high-centennial-celebration-1911.html |date=2011-07-01 }} and was selected by the Padres with their tenth pick in the 1972 Major League Baseball draft.

Turner was first called to the Majors in September 1974 after he batted .326 with 18 home runs, 68 runs batted in and 154 hits for the Double-A Alexandria Aces. The following season, he had another late season trial after batting .329 with 91 RBI for the Triple-A Hawaii Islanders. He then spent the next seven full seasons in the Majors, and was the Padres' regular left fielder in {{mlby|1976}} and {{mlby|1979}}. Turner also played ten games for the Chicago White Sox in {{mlby|1981}} and 85 games for the Detroit Tigers in {{mlby|1982}}.

In 733 MLB games, Turner had a .257 batting average with 448 hits, 222 runs, 238 RBIs, 73 doubles, nine triples, and 45 home runs.{{cite web |url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=turneje01 |title=Jerry Turner Baseball Stats |access-date=2008-06-23 |last= |first= |date= |publisher=}}

Jerry Turner died in Lancaster, California on August 20, 2023, at the age of 69.{{cite web |title=Jerry Turner |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=turneje01 |website=Baseball Almanac |access-date=8 September 2023}}