In part twenty-eight of my almost 50 part series "Better Know An Oriole" (otherwise known as 2009 Orioles Retrospective), I take a look at infielder Justin Turner... THE FIGHTIN' CELTIC WARRIOR!
Turner came over to the O's from Cincinnati last off-season in the trade that sent Ramon Hernandez to the Reds. He played most of 2009 in Triple-A, posting a .300/.362/.388 line by keeping a decent walk rate (8.1%) and rarely striking out (just 9.6% of his at bats). He doesn't have much power to speak of, hitting only 2 home runs. The O's called Turner up at the end of the season to be a utility infielder. He got in a little time at second and third, hitting .167/.318/.167 in 22 plate appearances. I think it'll depend a lot on his fielding - which I have no idea about currently - as to whether Turner can carve out a career in the majors. He'll probably never be a starting option, but a quality defender at multiple positions who can get a bat on the ball will find work on a bench.
Photo by Marc Serota.
