Tuck Turner

Infobox MLB retired
name=George A. "Tuck" Turner
position=Outfielder


bgcolor1=#dcdcdc
bgcolor2=#dcdcdc
textcolor1=black
textcolor2=black
birthdate=birth date|1873|2|13
city-state|New Brighton|New York
deathdate=death date and age|1945|7|16|1873|2|13
city-state|Staten Island|New York
bats=Both
throws=Left
debutdate=August 18
debutyear=1893
debutteam=Philadelphia Phillies
finaldate=June 10
finalyear=1898
finalteam=St. Louis Cardinals
stat1label=Batting average
stat2label=Runs scored
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat1value=.320
stat2value=294
stat3value=213
teams=
*Philadelphia Phillies (1893-1896)
*St. Louis Cardinals (1896-1898)
highlights=
*Finished second in 1894 with a batting average of .416, the ninth highest batting average

George A. "Tuck" Turner (b. February 13, 1873, d. July 16, 1945) was a 19th century Major League Baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals. Born in West New Brighton, New York, "Tuck" broke into the National League with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1893 at the age of 20. In 1894, Tuck was part of one of the great hitting outfields in baseball history with Billy Hamilton, Sam Thompson, Ed Delahanty, and Turner all hitting over .400 for the year. Tuck finished second that season with a .416 batting average to Hugh Duffy, who also happened to set the single-season record of .440. For those Phillies though a pennant wasn't to be as the late 1890s was the peak of the powerful Original Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Beaneaters.

Turner's best seasons were 1894 and 1895, with Tuck leading the league in hitting with a .411 batting average through August of 1895. [cite web|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/access/279436152.html?dids=279436152:279436152&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=AUG+01%2C+1895&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=BASEBALL+NOTES&pqatl=google|title=BASEBALL NOTES|date=08-01-95|publisher=The Washington Post|accessdate=] By the tail end of 1895 and the beginning of 1896, Turner had lost his batting touch and so was traded to St. Louis for Duff Cooley. Before reaching the majors, Turner was a paid player in the Buffalo Amateur Baseball League of the Amateur Athletic Union. [cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9F05E0D71039E433A25753C3A9679C94699ED7CF|title=CHAT FOR THE SPORTSMEN|date=01-30-98|publisher=The New York Times|accessdate=] From 1899 to 1903, Turner played with the Hartford Indians in the Eastern League, replacing legendary Louis Sockalexis in the field his first season, as well as the Toledo Mud Hens. [cite web|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courant/access/831068092.html?dids=831068092:831068092&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Jun+19%2C+1899&author=&pub=The+Hartford+Courant&desc=THE+NATIONAL+GAME&pqatl=google|title=THE NATIONAL GAME|date=06-19-99|publisher=The Hartford Courant|accessdate=] [cite web|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Jk4BAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1igDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2917,673438&dq=tuck+turner|title=Daily Mail And Empire-Jun 9, 1900|date=06-09-00|publisher=|accessdate=] [cite web|url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Tuck_Turner|title=Biographical Information|date=|publisher=Baseball Reference Bullpen|accessdate=] Turner's .416 batting average in 1894 is ninth all-time for Single-Season MLB Batting Average and also the highest in a single season ever for a switch hitter.

Turner grew up with Jack Taylor, a solid pitcher for the Phillies in the mid-1890s. Early 20th century Cleveland ballplayer Terry Turner frequently went by the nickname "Tuck." On October 3, 1897 while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, Tuck Turner accomplished a rare feat by hitting an inside-the-park grand slam.

ee also

External links

*
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C01E5DA1630E033A25756C1A9639C94659ED7CF Boxscore from Giants game against Amos Rusie]
* [http://www.mudhens.com/info/all_time_roster.asp?view=2&type=L&letter=T Toledo Mud Hens All Time Roster]

References