Dodgers honor fan favorite Turner in L.A. return
LOS ANGELES — Justin Turner returned to Dodger Stadium on Monday night for the first time since leaving the Dodgers in 2022 after a nine-year run as their gritty third baseman, which included a World Series championship.
“It was one of the best things that ever happened to my career, getting a chance to put on this uniform that so many great players have worn throughout the years and be on some teams that have done some historic things,” Turner said before the game. “It’s really something that I feel honored to be a part of.”
He’s now 39 years old and playing first base for the Seattle Mariners, who opened a three-game series against the NL West leaders.
Turner was greeted with a second standing ovation before his first at-bat in the second inning. He grounded out to third — his old position in L.A. — to end the inning and finished 1-for-3 in a 3-0 Mariners loss.
Turner’s wife, Kourtney, and son Bo, born on July 4, joined him behind home plate for a pregame ceremony. They watched video of his career highlights as a Dodger before the team presented Turner with a $10,000 check for his foundation as well as three framed photos of him in action.
With Turner’s walk-up music “Turn Down for What” blaring, he shared hugs with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and pitchers Clayton Kershaw and Joe Kelly, among others.
“What’s up, L.A.?” Turner said as the crowd stood and applauded. “I just want to say from the bottom of my heart, thank you guys so much for nine of the most incredible years of my life. You guys made this one of the most special times and I can’t say thank you enough.”
Turner and his wife, married in 2017 by former Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser, were high-profile civic contributors in Los Angeles, using their foundation to help homeless veterans, sick children and youth baseball organizations.
From the dugout, Turner would always shake hands with the military hero of the game who was introduced between innings and hand the person an autographed baseball.
During his time in L.A., Dodgers fans donned fake red beards in tribute to Turner.
“In my nine years here I don’t think there’s been a bigger fan favorite,” Roberts said. “Fans just really identified with him.”
After the 2013 season, Turner was non-tendered by the New York Mets and became a free agent. Shortly before spring training the next year, he found a new home in Los Angeles.
He initially failed his physical with the Dodgers and his guaranteed contract turned into an invitation to spring training as a non-roster invitee. Turner, a Long Beach native, walked into the clubhouse his first day and saw Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Kenley Jansen, Adrian Gonzalez, Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp and Hanley Ramírez.
“It was kind of a pinch-me moment, like do I belong in this room with all these people?” he recalled.
Turner made the team shortly before the club left for Australia to open the 2014 season Down Under against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Turner became a first-time All-Star in 2017, when he had six hits in 13 at-bats in the National League Division Series, including a winning home run in the ninth inning of Game 2 against the Chicago Cubs. Turner and Chris Taylor were co-MVPs of the NL Championship Series. Turner batted .333 with two homers and seven RBIs.
The Dodgers went on to lose the World Series to the Houston Astros, with Turner batting just .160.
In 2020, the Dodgers won the World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, with Turner blasting two home runs. He was pulled late in Game 6 because he had tested positive for COVID-19 but returned to the field to take celebratory photos with his teammates in violation of MLB rules. Turner later apologized.
After the 2022 season, the Dodgers declined his $16 million option for the upcoming season, making him a free agent. Turner played for Boston in 2023. Earlier this year, he signed with Toronto and was traded to Seattle last month.
“In my emotional side, I wish he was a Dodger forever,” Roberts said. “That’s just not the way sports works, but he’s always a Dodger to me and we’re going to be friends forever.”
“In my nine years here I don’t think there’s been a bigger fan favorite. Fans just really identified with him.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts on Justin Turner
Roberts became a first-time manager after the 2014 season and he credits Turner and Gonzalez with supporting him in front of the rest of the team, which engendered trust.
“For that I’ll always be indebted to those two guys in particular,” he said.
Turner is focused on helping the Mariners make a postseason run, but when his playing days are over he wouldn’t mind working for the Dodgers.
“Obviously if that opportunity presented itself it would be something that I really, really took into consideration,” he said.
Roberts endorsed Turner as a future big league manager.
“He’s probably the smartest player I’ve ever had, understanding all the facets of the game on the field, off the field, responsibility as a professional athlete,” he said. “Being a field manager is something that’s on his radar. He and the organization have a huge respect and admiration. It seems like a no-brainer for me.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The 151st running of the Kentucky Derby is set to deliver yet another exhilarating race to the finish. From the field to the favorite, here is everything to know about the first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown.
When is the 2025 Kentucky Derby?
The 2025 Kentucky Derby will take place Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
What time does the 2025 Kentucky Derby begin?
The post time for the 2025 Kentucky Derby is 6:57 p.m. ET.
How can fans watch?
Coverage of the 2025 Kentucky Derby begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Peacock will stream early coverage beginning at noon ET.
How many horses run in the Kentucky Derby?
Twenty horses have the chance to compete in the Kentucky Derby.
How do horses qualify for the Kentucky Derby?
To earn a spot in the starting gate of the Kentucky Derby, a horse must compete in a series of designated races from September through mid-April. Points are awarded to the top five finishers in each race. The 20 horses with the most points, or the horses who win their international series, earn a spot in the starting gate in Louisville on the first Saturday in May.
Who is the favorite in the 2025 Kentucky Derby?
Journalism, trained by Michael McCarthy, opened as the 3-1 favorite.
What are the post positions for the 2025 Kentucky Derby?
Post 1: Citizen Bull (20-1 morning line odds)
Post 2: Neoequos (30-1)
Post 3: Final Gambit (30-1)
Post 4: Rodriguez (12-1)
Post 5: American Promise (30-1)
Post 6: Admire Daytona (30-1)
Post 7: Luxor Cafe (15-1)
Post 8: Journalism (3-1)
Post 9: Burnham Square (12-1)
Post 10: Grande (20-1)
Post 11: Flying Mohawk (30-1)
Post 12: East Avenue (20-1)
Post 13: Publisher (20-1)
Post 14: Tiztastic (20-1)
Post 15: Render Judgment (30-1)
Post 16: Coal Battle (30-1)
Post 17: Sandman (6-1)
Post 18: Sovereignty (5-1)
Post 19: Chunk of Gold (30-1)
Post 20: Owen Almighty (30-1)
Alternate: Baeza
Which post has produced the most Kentucky Derby winners?
Post 5 has produced the most winners, with 10.
What three races make up horse racing’s Triple Crown?
The Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes are the three races needed to accomplish the Triple Crown.
Who won the 2024 Kentucky Derby?
Mystik Dan, trained by Kenny McPeek, won last year’s Kentucky Derby at 18-1 odds.
What is the purse for the 2025 Kentucky Derby?
Since 2024, $5 million in prize money has been guaranteed for the Kentucky Derby.
Check out the ESPN horse racing hub page for the latest news and notes ahead of the big race.
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Ryan S. Clark
Add Rick Tocchet to the list of available coaching options on the open market with the Vancouver Canucks announcing Tuesday that Tocchet left the team.
There had been a belief that Tocchet’s time with the Canucks could be coming to an end. Last week saw the discussion of Tocchet’s future with the franchise come under greater focus, with Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford saying they weren’t exercising their option on Tocchet’s contract before adding that they offered him a new, more lucrative deal to remain in Vancouver.
But now? Tocchet joins the list of sought-after coaching candidates and the Canucks become the eighth NHL team that will use this offseason to go through a coaching search.
“After a very long and thorough process, unfortunately Rick has decided to leave the Vancouver Canucks,” Rutherford said in a statement. “This is very disappointing news, but we respect Rick’s decision to move to a new chapter in his hockey career. We did everything in our power to keep him but at the end of the day, Rick felt he needed a change.”
In the same news conference in which Rutherford said the team offered Tocchet a new deal, he also said that Tocchet “may have his mind somewhere else” before adding that he felt Tocchet and his staff did “a good job coaching this team this year” as they did in their first full campaign.
Tocchet was a midseason hire during the 2022-23 season. His first full year in charge saw the Canucks win 50 games, finish with 109 points and win the Pacific Division. He led the Canucks to their first postseason appearance since the 2019-20 season and was a win away from advancing to the Western Conference finals.
Entering this season, the Canucks had most of their players from their playoff team. They started strong with a 15-8-5 record but encountered numerous on-ice and off-ice problems that would prove too large.
Among them was the friction between star forwards J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. The tension between Miller and Pettersson reached a stage in which Canucks captain Quinn Hughes publicly acknowledged there was an issue with Miller and Pettersson denying such issues.
Miller would be traded to the New York Rangers before the trade deadline, and the Canucks struggled to find someone who could replace his production. They would finish six points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.
Still, Tocchet had the support of Hughes, along with others within the organization who wanted him to stay.
As for what it all means going forward for both parties? Tocchet is among those who will join Mike Sullivan, who parted ways with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday after winning two Stanley Cups in 10 seasons, as one of the most attractive names for teams seeking a new bench boss.
Then there are the teams that need a coach. It’s a list that includes the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Seattle Kraken, plus the Penguins and now the Canucks.
“I’m choosing to move on from the Vancouver Canucks,” Tocchet said. “Family is a priority, and with my contract lapsing, this becomes an opportune time. While I don’t know where I’m headed, or exactly how this will play out for me over the near term, I feel like this is the right time for me to explore other opportunities around hockey.”
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