Misplaced Pages

Turner Ward

Article snapshot taken from[REDACTED] with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
American baseball player and coach (born 1965)

Baseball player
Turner Ward
Ward with the Columbus Clippers c. 1988
Outfielder
Born: (1965-04-11) April 11, 1965 (age 59)
Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Batted: SwitchThrew: Right
MLB debut
September 10, 1990, for the Cleveland Indians
Last MLB appearance
July 27, 2001, for the Philadelphia Phillies
MLB statistics
Batting average.251
Home runs39
Runs batted in219
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams
As player
As coach

Turner Max Ward (born April 11, 1965) is an American professional baseball coach and former outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Philadelphia Phillies from 1990 to 2001. He most recently served as the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals from 2023 to 2024.

Personal life

Turner Ward attended his first Major League Baseball game on September 10, 1973, alongside his older brother Wes and their father James. Ward later stated that watching Hank Aaron hit his 710th home run inspired him to pursue professional baseball.

Ward met his future wife Donna when both were teenagers. They married in 1988. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, published a book about her cancer-related experiences in 2020, and was in remission from 2022.

In 1999, Ward invested in the Diamond Players Club Clermont.

Ward was inducted into the Mobile Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.

Playing career

Cleveland Indians (1990–1991)

Ward was originally drafted by the New York Yankees in the 18th round of the 1986 Major League Baseball draft. On March 19, 1989, the Yankees traded Ward and Joel Skinner to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Mel Hall.

Ward made his Major League Baseball debut with the Indians on September 10, 1990, as he went 0–for–4 while playing in right field in a 6–2 loss to the Chicago White Sox. On September 12, Ward earned his first career hit off Steve Rosenberg of the White Sox. In his third career game on September 15, Ward went 3–for–5 with a triple, home run and six RBI in a 14–6 win over the Kansas City Royals. Ward hit his first career home run off Andy McGaffigan. Ward finished the season with a .348 batting average with one home run and 10 RBI in 14 games with Cleveland.

Ward began the 1991 season as the Indians starting right fielder, however, he got off to a slow start, batting .230 with no home runs and 5 RBI in 40 games. On June 27, the Indians traded Ward and Tom Candiotti to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Denis Boucher, Glenallen Hill, Mark Whiten, and cash.

Toronto Blue Jays (1991–1993)

Ward spent most of his time with the Toronto Blue Jays' Triple–A affiliate, the Syracuse Chiefs of the International League, however, he was a September call-up, and in eight games with Toronto, Ward hit .308 with no home runs and two RBI in 13 at–bats.

Ward once again saw very limited action in 1992 with Toronto, playing in 18 games, where he hit .345 with one home run and three RBI. He did not play in any playoff games as Toronto won the 1992 World Series.

During the 1993 season, Ward advocated for more playing time. As a result, he got into 72 games with the Blue Jays. However, he struggled offensively, batting .192 with four home runs and 28 RBI. He did not play in the postseason, as the Blue Jays repeated as champions by winning the 1993 World Series.

Milwaukee Brewers (1994–1996)

On November 24, 1993, Ward was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers off waivers.

Ward became an everyday player with the Milwaukee Brewers during the 1994 season, splitting his time between all three outfield positions with the club. He played in 102 games, batting .232 with nine home runs and 45 RBI before the season was cut short due to the 1994 MLB strike.

Ward saw his playing time decrease rapidly in 1995, as he played in only 44 games, batting .264 with four home runs and 16 RBI with the Brewers.

Ward began the 1996 season in a 1-for-20 slump. He played in 43 games, hitting only .179 with two home runs and 10 RBI. On November 1, the Brewers released Ward.

Pittsburgh Pirates (1997–1999)

Ward signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 22, 1997, and had a very productive season as the team's fourth outfielder, as he played in 71 games, batting .353 with seven home runs and 33 RBI.

On May 3, 1998, Ward broke through the right field wall at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh while chasing a fly ball. The spectacular catch that resulted was a staple of TV highlight shows for the rest of the year. Ward played in a career high 123 games during the season, batting .262 with nine home runs and 46 RBI.

Ward began the 1999 season with Pittsburgh, however, he struggled to a .209 batting average with no home runs and eight RBI in 49 games with the Pirates. After Ward finished his rehabilitation from a knee injury in the minor leagues, on August 11, the club released him.

Arizona Diamondbacks (1999–2000)

On August 18, 1999, Ward signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks, helping the club win the NL West with a .348 batting average with two home runs and seven RBI in 10 games. In the 1999 NLDS against the New York Mets, Ward played in three games, getting two at–bats, where he had a home run and three RBI, however, the D-Backs lost the series.

In 2000, Ward hit .173 with no home runs and four RBI with Arizona in 15 games. On October 5, he was released by the Diamondbacks organization.

Philadelphia Phillies (2001)

On December 20, 2000, Ward signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, and in the 2001 season, Ward played in 17 games with the club, batting .267 with no home runs and two RBI. On October 8, he was granted free agency, and subsequently retired from professional baseball.

Major league career (1990–2001)

Ward played in 12 seasons during his Major League Baseball career, appearing in 626 games, as he had a .251 batting average with 39 home runs and 219 RBI. Ward had 389 career hits, and stole 33 bases. Defensively, he recorded a .988 fielding percentage playing at all three outfield positions. He was a member of the 1992 and 1993 World Series champions, the Toronto Blue Jays.

Coaching career

State College Spikes

Ward managed the State College Spikes of the New York–Penn League in 2007, leading the club to a 36–39 record, as the club finished in third place in the Pinckney Division.

Mobile BayBears

Ward became the manager of the Mobile BayBears, the Arizona Diamondbacks' Double–A affiliate in the Southern League, in the 2011 season. Ward coached the BayBears for two seasons, 2011 and 2012, leading the team to two consecutive Southern League championships. For this accomplishment, Ward was inducted into the Southern League Hall of Fame in 2015.

Arizona Diamondbacks

In 2013, Ward became an assistant hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Notably, he was thrown out of the game during a massive brawl between the Diamondbacks and the Dodgers on June 11, 2013. He became full-time hitting coach in 2014, and left the team after the 2015 season.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Ward became the hitting coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016.

Cincinnati Reds

On November 6, 2018, Ward was named the new hitting coach of the Cincinnati Reds.

On October 1, 2019, the Cincinnati Reds announced that Ward would not be retained.

St. Louis Cardinals

On November 15, 2021, the St. Louis Cardinals hired Ward to be their assistant hitting coach. On November 6, 2022, the Cardinals announced the promotion of Ward to hitting coach. On October 4, 2024, Ward and the Cardinals parted ways.

References

  1. Denton, John (January 26, 2025). "Turner Ward in right place, right time for baseball history ... twice!". MLB.com. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  2. ^ "Turner Ward coaching Cardinals' hitters without mind being someplace else now that wife Donna is free of cancer". KSDK. March 28, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  3. Walsh, Devon (August 7, 2020). "Wife of local baseball star writes book about private cancer battle". WKRG. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  4. "WHO'S BACKING DIAMOND PLAYERS? SOME MAJOR LEAGUE TALENT". Orlando Sentinel. August 15, 1998. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  5. Hicks, Tommy. "Play defines Ward", the Press-Register, published April 16, 2007, accessed April 18, 2007.
  6. "The New York Yankees Sunday acquired outfielder Mel Hall..." United Press International. March 19, 1989. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  7. "Cleveland 14, Royals 6". United Press International. September 15, 1990. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  8. "Indians trade Candiotti to Jays". Tampa Bay Times. June 28, 1991. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  9. "INDIANS TRADE CANDIOTTI, WARD TO BLUE JAYS". Deseret News. June 27, 1991. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  10. "BASEBALL; 6-Player Deal Sends Candiotti to Jays". The New York Times. Associated Press. June 28, 1991. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  11. Holtzmann, Jerome. "MEET THE MOST SURPRISING OF THE SURPRISING BREWERS". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  12. "AROUND THE MAJOR LEAGUES". Washington Post. November 23, 1993. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  13. "Ward's Glove Takes Back Seat To His Suddenly Hot Bat". Wall Street Journal. April 25, 1996. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  14. ^ Reid, Jason (May 4, 1998). "Wall Is No Barrier for Ward on Catch". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  15. Mackey, Jason (December 3, 2023). "Turner Ward promised he'd run through a wall to make a catch for Pirates — and then actually did". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  16. "ROBINSON UNDERGOES PROSTATE SURGERY". Greensboro News and Record. August 11, 1999. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  17. "Bucs Edge Reds In Ninth". CBS News. August 12, 1999. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  18. "Transactions". The New York Times. December 21, 2000. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  19. "Spikes New Coaching Staff Includes Former Pirates Player". StateCollege.com. November 30, 2006. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  20. Hicks, Tommy (December 13, 2010). "Mobile native Turner Ward selected to manage BayBears in 2011". AL.com. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  21. "Turner Ward Named BayBears Manager". MILB.com. December 13, 2010. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  22. Inabinett, Mark (December 20, 2012). "Mobile memories run deep as Turner Ward leaves BayBears for Arizona Diamondbacks". AL.com. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  23. "Turner Ward Named to Southern League Hall of Fame". MILB.com. April 7, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  24. "Turner Ward promoted to Arizona". MILB.com. December 19, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  25. Blast from the past: Mark McGwire, Kirk Gibson, Matt Williams, Turner Ward, Don Mattingly involved in bench-clearing brawl Tuesday (video) | AL.com
  26. McCollough, Andy (March 5, 2016). "J.P. Howell and Turner Ward bury the hatchet over 2013 Dodgers-Diamondbacks brawl". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  27. Gilbert, Steve (November 1, 2013). "D-backs announce coaching moves, promotions". MLB.com. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  28. "Former Mobile BayBears managers will man coaching positions on Arizona Diamondbacks' staff". AL.com. October 16, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  29. Gleeman, Aaron (November 11, 2015). "Hitting coach Turner Ward leaves the Diamondbacks". NBC Sports.
  30. Piecoro, Nick (November 10, 2015). "Hitting coach Turner Ward leaving Diamondbacks". Arizona Republic. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  31. Weisman, Jon (December 17, 2015). "Dodgers name coaches for 2016". Dodgers.com. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  32. Jablonski, David (November 6, 2018). "Dodgers hitting coach takes same position with Reds". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  33. Gurnick, Ken (November 6, 2018). "Hitting coach Ward departs Dodgers for Reds". MLB.com. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  34. Fay, John (October 1, 2019). "Cincinnati Reds part ways with hitting coach Turner Ward; hire Driveline founder Kyle Boddy". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  35. "Cardinals name Ward assistant hitting coach to complete 2022 staff". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  36. "Cards set '23 coaching staff, with Holliday as bench coach". November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  37. "Turner Ward out as Cardinals hitting coach after struggles in 2024: sources". The New York Times. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  38. Denton, John (October 4, 2024). "Cardinals relieve hitting coach Turner of duties for 2025". MLB.com. Retrieved January 27, 2025.

External links

Preceded byDon Baylor Arizona Diamondbacks hitting coach
2013–2015 		Succeeded byDave Magadan
Preceded byMark McGwire Los Angeles Dodgers Hitting Coach
2016–2018 		Succeeded byRobert Van Scoyoc
Preceded byDon Long Cincinnati Reds hitting coach
2019 		Succeeded byAlan Zinter
Major League Baseball hitting coaches by team
American League
East
Central
West
National League
East
Central
West
Toronto Blue Jays 1992 World Series champions
2 Manuel Lee
4 Alfredo Griffin
5 Rance Mulliniks
9 John Olerud
10 Pat Borders (World Series MVP)
11 David Cone
12 Roberto Alomar (ALCS MVP)
14 Derek Bell
15 Pat Tabler
17 Kelly Gruber
22 Jimmy Key
23 Candy Maldonado
24 Turner Ward
25 Devon White
29 Joe Carter
30 Todd Stottlemyre
31 Duane Ward
32 Dave Winfield
33 Ed Sprague Jr.
36 David Wells
40 Mike Timlin
47 Jack Morris
48 Mark Eichhorn
50 Tom Henke
66 Juan Guzmán
Manager
43 Cito Gaston
Coaches
First Base Coach 3 Bob Bailor
Third Base Coach 7 Rich Hacker
Bullpen Coach 8 John Sullivan
Bench Coach 18 Gene Tenace
Hitting Coach 39 Larry Hisle
Pitching Coach 42 Galen Cisco
General Manager Pat Gillick
Regular season
American League Championship Series
Categories:
Turner Ward Add topic