Thursday, November 12, 2015

The Day I Met Yankees Great Bob Turley

On this day in 1958 Yankees reigning World Series MVP Bob Turley wins the American League Cy Young award. Warren Spahn would take second place by one vote with Milwaukee this season. Turley posted a 2.97 ERA with a 21-7 record with the Yankees while winning two games in the World Series.

In an interesting side note I actually met Turley one time in Blue Ridge, Georgia when I was working for a construction/residential cleaning crew. We went in and did a clean at his house after he remodeled his basement. I did not originally know who he was, all his memorabilia and such was not up since the basement was being remodeled, until I went to pick up a check from him after the fact. I only spent five minutes tops with him and honestly I did not know who he was when he told me, all I knew was that he played for the Yankees. I shook his hand and never got the chance to speak with him again before he died in March of 2013.

It pays to know your history and that is why this blog posts so much of it. Learn from the past ladies and gents.

4 comments:

  1. Daniel, I must say I have never met the man but, I have seen him pitch many times. When they said he had a good fastball but was wild, I think they were underplaying him a lot. He had one hell of a fastball. Being wild as he was, NOBODY crowded the plate the guy would get wild a little more so if one were to dive...which no one did!

    I was hoping the Turley we had would be as good...but, not so much!

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    1. Turley, just by what I've read, was wild. Led the league multiple times in walks. One of the nicest people I ever met. He didn't act like Bob Turley the multiple World Series winner. He acted like the Bob Turley you've lived next to ever since you were a kid and all he did was work and take care of his family and children. Just a regular guy.

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    2. Big difference from many of the Ego driven players of today...not all but many of them. Back in the day most of the players had other jobs in the off season to help support the family!

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    3. BOB TURLEY....a young boys memory........
      I'll give you the first thought to cross my mind tonight. No reason why.

      I'm in Junior HS in 1960. It is late June, on a 90+ degree day on a Sunday afternoon.
      I am on what was called then...a major league baseball team. Not old enough for the big
      boys....the American Legion League...no matter.

      But, I am wearing a wool baseball uniform, just like the big guys. Yes, wool. And I'm ready to pass out.
      No one brought water back then, and the bench area was in direct sun. One could die
      before their first plate appearance. Some may have.

      All my friends are at the beach, and I'm in the back of some school, playing baseball
      against kids I've not seen since. And, There are no parents watching, including mine.
      What a hell hole.

      Charlie Rubenstien yells out..." Bob Turley threw a no hitter !"
      All on the bench yelled out in teenage glee. No high fives. No idea what we did.
      Turley did not throw a no hitter that day, and Charlie probably grew up to be an idiot.

      No reason why, but that is the first memory of Bob Turley, to fly past my cerebellum tonight.

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)