Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES, CA — The season is not yet over, and the Dodgers and their fans are still reeling from their early exit in the NLDS. However as much it hurts right now, some of the players are making sure the the Dodger faithful know how much they are appreciated. One such player is Dodger third baseman/DH Justin Tuner, who took to Facebook this week with a touching message for fans everywhere.
“Dear Dodger Fans,” the post began, “I really don’t know how to put into words all the emotions that I’ve felt over the last week, but I’m going to try. All of your emotion, pain, disappointment, sadness, tears, anger, what the F happened; I feel it all. As a Dodger who has been here for a lot of these endings, I feel like these words won’t ever be enough, and I understand that.”
The post was accompanied by various pictures of Turner taken from the 2022 season: one with him and Hanser Alberto, another with Mookie Betts, still another with some servicemen before a ballgame. Turner went on to write that he was just as much at a loss for words as everyone else to describe his feelings as he prepares for the second straight year to watch the World Series on TV, after playing in it three of the previous four years.
“There are no excuses, finger pointing or coulda woulda shouldas that will make this go away. For a team that had the season we had, this is gut-wrenching and hard to accept. And because we all feel the same way, I want to say thank you. Thank you for your passion, loving this team so much that it hurts so bad when we fall short. Thank you for your loyalty, even when we don’t get the results we want, I still see those LA hats being worn proudly around Los Angeles.”
Turner is among the many Dodgers whose future with the ballclub is uncertain. After a so-so start, Turner came on like gangbusters in the second half of the season, putting up a slash line of .319/.386/.503 after the All-Star break and was a huge part of the Dodgers surge to excellence in the final three months of the season, when they basically lapped the rest of the National League West.
However, he was one of the Dodgers who underperformed in the postseason (what there was of it), and for Turner it was the second straight year of lackluster results in October. This has led many to speculate on the future of the longtime heart and soul of the Dodgers’ lineup. After signing with the team after the 2020 season, Turner’s contract has a club option on it for next year, meaning the Dodgers may very well decide that it’s time to walk away from their aging star (Turner turns 38 next month). If this was indeed Turner’s swansong with the team, JT wanted to make sure that the fans knew where his heart lay.
Turner concluded his post like this: “But most of all, thank you for always showing up and showing love to your boys in blue. You all lead attendance at home and on the road again this year and were such a force of a fan base that they blocked our zip codes from buying playoff tickets down South. I pour my heart and soul (yes, gingers do have souls) into this team because I know all of you do too. Sorry to let you down this year but in the words of the late great Vin Scully, ‘But you know what — there will be a new day, and eventually a new year. And when the upcoming winter gives way to spring, rest assured it will be time for Dodger baseball.’ Love JT”
Whatever happens during the offseason, LA loves you right back, JT.
