| Chris Turner | |
|---|---|
| Catcher | |
| Born: (1969-03-23)March 23, 1969 (age 56) Bowling Green, Kentucky, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 27, 1993, for the California Angels | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 1, 2000, for the New York Yankees | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .237 |
| Home runs | 4 |
| Runs batted in | 36 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Christopher Wan Turner (born March 23, 1969) is an American former professionalbaseballcatcher. He previously played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theCalifornia Angels,Kansas City Royals,Cleveland Indians, andNew York Yankees between 1993 and 2000. While serving primarily as a backup catcher, he also played somefirst base,right field,left field, and saw time as adesignated hitter. He was a member of the Yankees'2000 World Series championship team.
A native ofBowling Green, Kentucky, Turner attendedWestern Kentucky University. In 1989 and 1990, he playedcollegiate summer baseball in theCape Cod Baseball League for theYarmouth-Dennis Red Sox.[1]
Drafted by theCalifornia Angels in the 7th round of the1991 MLB amateur draft, Turner would make his MLB debut with them on August 27, 1993. He played in 25 games that year as a backup catcher and hit .280 with one home run and 13 runs batted in, his best season. In 1994, he played in a career-high 58 games and hit .242 with one home run and 12 runs batted in before theMLB strike cancelled the remainder of the season in August. In 1995 he played in just five games, going 1-for-10 with an RBI.[2] The next season, he played in four games, going 1 for 5 with an RBI and a walk. In 1997, he played in 13 games, going 6-for-23 with a homer and two runs batted in. On October 10, 1997, he was granted free agency.[2] He signed with theMinnesota Twins on December 5, 1997, but was released on April 20, 1998.
Turner signed with theKansas City Royals on April 20, 1998, only hours after being released by the Twins. He played in four games for the Royals and went 0-for-9 with four strikeouts.[2] He was granted free agency on October 15.
Turner signed with theCleveland Indians on January 5, 1999. He played in just 12 games, going 4-for-21 with three runs, a steal, and a walk while recording eight strikeouts. On October 4, he was granted free agency.
Turner signed with theNew York Yankees on December 17, 1999, and was viewed as a temporary successor toJoe Girardi, who left as a free agent. He played in 37 games, his highest total since 1994 and the second highest of his career.[2] Turner appeared in his final game on October 1, 2000, with the Yankees and received aWorld Series ring when they defeated theNew York Mets in theSubway Series.
Turner was granted free agency on November 21, 2000. On January 4, 2001, he signed with thePhiladelphia Phillies but was released before the start of the season and subsequently retired.