| Bob Turley | |
|---|---|
 Turley in 1959 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1930-09-19)September 19, 1930 Troy, Illinois, U.S. | |
| Died: March 30, 2013(2013-03-30) (aged 82) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 29, 1951, for the St. Louis Browns | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 21, 1963, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 101–85 |
| Earned run average | 3.64 |
| Strikeouts | 1,265 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Robert Lee Turley (September 19, 1930 – March 30, 2013), known as "Bullet Bob", was an American professionalbaseball player andfinancial planner. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) as apitcher from 1951 through 1963. After his retirement from baseball, he worked forPrimerica Financial Services.
Turley made his MLB debut with theSt. Louis Browns in 1951, and stayed with the team through their first season in Baltimore, when he appeared in his firstMLB All-Star Game. After the 1954 season, he was traded to theNew York Yankees. With the Yankees, Turley appeared in two more All-Star Games. He led theAmerican League in wins in 1958, and won theCy Young Award,World Series Most Valuable Player Award, andHickok Belt that year. He finished his playing career with theLos Angeles Angels andBoston Red Sox in 1963, and thencoached the Red Sox in 1964.
Turley began working in financial planning during the baseball offseason. In 1977, he cofounded withArthur L. Williams Jr. the company that would becomePrimerica. He also invested inreal estate, buying and selling 27 houses inFlorida.
Turley was born inTroy, Illinois.[1] He was raised inEast St. Louis, Illinois. He attendedEast St. Louis Senior High School in East St. Louis, and played for the school's baseball squad for three years. He was used as both a starter and reliever, becoming the staff'sace pitcher by the end of his senior season, in 1948. Turley won the team'ssportsmanship award that year.[2]
Bill DeWitt, thegeneral manager of theSt. Louis Browns, brought Turley toSportsman's Park for a tryout. Turley also attended a workout camp for theNew York Yankees, held inMaryville, Illinois. The day after he graduated from high school in 1948, Turley signed with the Browns as an amateurfree agent.[2] He received a $600signing bonus ($7,852 in current dollar terms).[3]
Turley made his professional debut that year inMinor League Baseball with theBelleville Stags of the Class DIllinois State League, pitching to a 9–3win–loss record.[2] He was promoted to theAberdeen Pheasants of the Class CNorthern League in 1949, and led the league in wins with 23, andstrikeouts with 205.[2][4] He split the 1950 season with theWichita Indians of the Class AWestern League and theSan Antonio Missions of the Class AATexas League. Turley led Wichita in the Western League playoffs.[5] In 1951, he played for San Antonio. He appeared in the Texas League'sAll-Star Game,[6] and was named the league'smost valuable player at the end of the season.[7] He struck out 22 batters in one game for San Antonio.[4]
Turley played his first game in the major leagues on September 29, 1951. He lost to theChicago White Sox. He did not pitch again in 1951, and after the season ended, he enlisted with theUnited States Army for two years.[7][8] Turley returned to the Browns in August 1953, and caught attention for his high strikeout rate.[9] Turley remained with the team after they moved toBaltimore,Maryland, to become theBaltimore Orioles in 1954. He earned $9,000 ($105,379 in current dollar terms) for the 1954 season.[10] He pitched the first game atMemorial Stadium, striking out nine in acomplete game.[11] Apower pitcher, Turley recorded many strikeouts, but did not have greatcontrol.[12][13] For the 1954 season, he led theAmerican League in strikeouts with 185, but also led the league with 181walks.[14] That year, he earned comparisons to fellow fireballerBob Feller,[13][15][16] and finished in third place in balloting for theHickok Belt, given to the professional athlete of the year.[17]
While playing for the Orioles, Turley obtained the nickname "Bullet Bob". ThemagazineLook wrote a story about Turley, and wanted to measure the velocity of hisfastball. They used abullet timer from theAberdeen Proving Grounds, which recorded a speed of 98 miles per hour (158 km/h) by the time it reached home plate.[3]
Casey Stengel, themanager of theNew York Yankees, sought to acquire Turley. The Yankees needed younger starting pitchers, as their rotation fell off due to the ages ofAllie Reynolds,Eddie Lopat,Johnny Sain,Tommy Byrne, andJim Konstanty.[18] In order to acquire the hitting the Orioles decided they needed to compete, they traded Turley to the Yankees after the 1954 season.[14][19] The Yankees received Turley,Billy Hunter,Don Larsen, andplayers to be named later, while the Orioles acquiredHarry Byrd,Jim McDonald,Willy Miranda,Hal Smith,Gus Triandos,Gene Woodling, and players to be named later. To complete the trade, the Yankees sentBill Miller,Kal Segrist,Don Leppert, and Ted Del Guercio to the Orioles, and the Orioles sentMike Blyzka,Darrell Johnson,Jim Fridley andDick Kryhoski to the Yankees. Comprising 17 players, this trade remains the largest in MLB history.[11][18][20][21]
Turley played for the Yankees from 1955 to 1962. In the 1955 season, Turleywon 17 games for the Yankees,[22] and recorded 210 strikeouts, second toHerb Score (245). But, he also led the league in walks with 177.[4][23] The Yankees won theAmerican League pennant, and advanced to the1955 World Series, where they faced theBrooklyn Dodgers. He pitched in Game Three of the1955 World Series,[24] losing toJohnny Podres. He also made tworelief appearances in the series, in Games Five and Seven, as the Dodgers defeated the Yankees four games to three.[25]
Turley had a disappointing season in 1956, with an 8–4 win–loss record and a 5.05earned run average (ERA).[22] However, the Yankees again won the American League pennant. Turley appeared in Games One and Two of the1956 World Series against the Dodgers as a relief pitcher. FacingClem Labine in Game Six, Turley pitched acomplete game, but the Yankees lost the game by a 1–0 score.[26] The Yankees defeated the Dodgers in Game Seven to win the series four games to three.[27]
In the 1957 season, Turley developed acurveball.[12] He finished the season with a 2.71 ERA, good for fourth-best in the American League.[28] The Yankees won the pennant again. In the1957 World Series against theMilwaukee Braves, Turley started Game Three, but was relieved by Larsen in the second inning.[29] He won his firstWorld Series game in Game Six, a complete game.[14] The Yankees lost the series to the Braves, four games to three.[29]
Fellow pitcherSal Maglie wrote during 1958 spring training that Turley "ha[d] started to step off the mound when things get a little shaky, take a couple of deep breaths and then go back to work." Maglie thought this helped with Turley's self-control, a characteristic Maglie considered one of the three most essential to a successful pitcher.[30]
By the 1958 season, Turley changed his delivery in an effort to improve his control, by using a no-wind uppitching position.[4][31] His best season came in 1958, when he won 21 games and lost seven, for an American League-leading .750winning percentage. He also led the American League with 19complete games, and finished with the sixth-best ERA (2.97). However, his 128 walks also led the league.[32] Turley started Game Two of the1958 World Series by allowing up a leadoff home run and lasting just one-third of an inning as the Yankees fell behind theMilwaukee Braves two games to none.[33] With the Yankees one game away from elimination, Turley threw a complete-game shutout in Game Five. He then recorded a 10th-inning save in Game Six.[33] A day later, in Game Seven, he relievedDon Larsen in the third inning and won his second game in three days, with6+2⁄3 innings of two-hit relief.[33] The Yankees became just the second team to recover from a 3–1 World Series deficit, and Turley was voted theWorld SeriesMost Valuable Player Award.[33] As a result of his 1958 season, Turley won theHickok Belt as top professional athlete of the year, receiving twice as many votes asJim Brown, the second-place finisher.[34] He also won theCy Young Award as the best pitcher in Major League Baseball, edgingWarren Spahn of the Braves by one vote, andLew Burdette of the Braves andBob Friend of thePittsburgh Pirates by two votes.[33][35] Turley finished second in theAmerican League Most Valuable Player Award voting, losing toJackie Jensen of theBoston Red Sox.[3][36] Additionally, he wonThe Sporting News'Player of the Year andPitcher of the Year Awards.[37]
Turley earned a $35,000 salary for the 1959 season, his highest as a baseball player.[38][39] The Yankees chose Turley to be theirOpening Day starting pitcher for the 1959 season, opposingTom Brewer of the Red Sox.[40] The Yankees won the game by a 3–2 score.[41] However, Turley's fastball began to lose its effectiveness. He increased the usage of hiscurveball to compensate.[31] Turley finished the year with an 8–11 win–loss record. In the 1960 season, Turley had a 9–3 win–loss record,[42] and his 3.27 ERA was the seventh best in the American League.[43] He started Game Two of the1960 World Series against the Pirates, earning the win. He also started the deciding Game Seven, which the Pirates won, taking the series.[44]
Turley suffered through discomfort in his right elbow during the 1961 season, which resulted in a 3–5 win–loss record and 5.75 ERA in only 15 games pitched.[45] New managerRalph Houk began to emphasize his younger pitchers, as he removed Turley from the starting rotation and used him as a relief pitcher.[46] Though the Yankees reached the1961 World Series, and defeated theCincinnati Reds four games to one, Turley did not make an appearance.[47] After seeking medical attention,[48] Turley was diagnosed withbone chips in his elbow. He underwent surgery in the offseason to remove the bone chips, and returned to the Yankees confident his performance would improve in 1962. He agreed to a salary cut, from $28,000 to $25,000.[49] However, the bone chips recurred during the 1962 season. As a result, his effectiveness was limited in 1962 as well.[50] On June 25, Turley started a game that lasted 22 innings, and a record seven hours, but was removed after recording only one out.[51] During the 1962 season, American League players elected Turley as their player representative, following Woodling's trade to the National League.[52][53] Over the season, Turley pitched to a 4.57 ERA in only 69 innings.[54] The Yankees defeated theSan Francisco Giants four games to three in the1962 World Series, but Turley was not an active participant.[55]
After the 1962 season, the Yankees sold Turley to theLos Angeles Angels for cash, in the first move made by new Yankees'general managerRoy Hamey, who sought to rebuild the Yankees pitching staff.[50] The move was conditional; the Angels could return Turley if they were not satisfied with him. The Angels chose to retain Turley at the start of the 1963 season.[56] Turley struggled, winning two games while losing seven, and the Angels released him in July.[57] A week later, he signed with theBoston Red Sox.[58] Turley retired after the 1963 season, with a 101–85 win–loss record and a 3.64 ERA in 12 seasons.[21]
After the 1963 season, Turley agreed to remain with the Red Sox as theirpitching coach, succeedingHarry Dorish.[59] Turley spent one season as the Red Sox' pitching coach,[31] and was released at the end of the year.[60] He attempted to make a comeback as a pitcher with theHouston Colt .45s in 1965,[61] but did not make the team. He then agreed to become the pitching coach for theRichmond Braves of theInternational League, a minor league team in theAtlanta Braves organization, in 1966,[62] but resigned before the start of the 1966 season.[63][64]
Turley got into the habit while on the bench of stealing signs when he saw the opposing pitcher throw. Using a system of whistling where be whistled if the next pitch was different from the last, he would attempt to help any Yankee who wanted the advice, withJohnny Blanchard andElston Howard being appreciative of the help whileMoose Skowron andYogi Berra did not care. In one instance,Jim Bunning of theDetroit Tigers noticed the system and pointed to Turley to stop or he would knock down the batter (which happened to be Mickey Mantle). When Turley whistled anyway, he threw a missile in the middle of the box that Mantle missed on, which led to the next batter in Berra pleading that he wasn't listening to whistles.[65] In 1961, even when he was on the injured list, he remained on the bench to do his system, andTony Kubek estimated thatMickey Mantle his fifty homeruns in part due to Turley, and Mantle once credited half of his home runs to Turley.[66]Roger Maris and his historic 61st home run was hit after the sign for the pitch was decoded by the third base coach, an acolyte of Turley's system.[67]
Turley moved from East St. Louis toLutherville, Maryland, in 1954, when the Browns moved to Baltimore. Though he played in Baltimore for one season, he remained in Lutherville for the remainder of his baseball career, and sent his children to the local public schools.[11]
.jpg)
Turley began working as afinancial planner in 1957, by sellinglife insurance.[38] He also operated a bowling alley inBel Air, Maryland, and an insurance firm in Baltimore.[11] In 1977, Turley joined withArthur L. Williams Jr. and five others to found A. L. Williams & Associates, an insurance company.[3][68] At A. L. Williams, agents advised clients to purchase term life insurance, rather than cash value life insurance, and invest the money they saved inmutual funds.[38] The company becamePrimerica Financial Services, and was later bought out byCitigroup in 1989.[38] He retired from the business in 2001, and sold half of his business to his son and the other half to Lynn Webb, a senior national sales director.[3]
Later in his life, Turley resided inBlue Ridge, Georgia, and had a winter home onMarco Island, Florida.[3][38] Turley's hobby wasreal estate. He bought and sold many homes on Marco Island, including a 13,500 square feet (1,250 m2) home he built that was locally referred to as "Turley Mansion" and "Turley Castle". In total, Turley and his wife bought and sold 27 houses on Marco Island and inNaples, Florida.[3]
Turley made an appearance onIt's News to Me, acurrent events-basedgame show hosted byWalter Cronkite.[69] He was mentioned in a song called "St. Louis Browns" bySkip Battin, who was thebass guitarist ofThe Byrds and the New Riders of the Purple Sage. In the lyrics, Battin describes Turley as a "no-hit pitcher" who "got too surly" and who was "traded...too early".[70]
Turley's uncle, Ralph, also played professional baseball. The Yankees signed Ralph Turley in 1949 when they meant to sign Bob, and released Ralph when they discovered he was the "wrong Turley".[2]Nik Turley, a Yankeesprospect, identified Bob Turley as a "distant relative".[71]
Turley lived inAlpharetta, Georgia, for the last two years of his life.[3] He died on March 30, 2013, inhospice care at Lenbrook, a retirement community inAtlanta at age 82 fromliver cancer.[11][38][72] Turley was cremated inDuluth, Georgia.[3]
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Boston Red Sox Pitching Coach 1964 | Succeeded by |
