The Los Angeles Dodgers held a special ceremony for employees to receive their 2020 World Series ring last week, and among the group included Jon SooHoo, Jorge Jarrín, Jaime Jarrín and Ned Colletti.
Each of the aforementioned individuals have long ties to the organization. Colletti of course served as the Dodgers general manager from 2006-14 and is responsible for drafting several of the players who are now stars on the roster and contributed to the championship.
Many would argue that one of Colletti’s best moves was signing Justin Turner to a Minor League contract in 2014 after he was non-tendered by the New York Mets and became a free agent.
Turner has since gone on to become one of the best third basemen in all of baseball, an important leadership figure in the clubhouse and a valued member of the community.
The 36-year-old took to Twitter to congratulate Colletti and thanked him for bringing him to the Dodgers:
Congratulations Ned, and thank you for bringing me to the @Dodgers!!! https://t.co/4ScCnvR0vQ
— Justin Turner (@redturn2) April 26, 2021
Since signing with the Dodgers over half a decade ago, Turner has appeared in more than 800 games across eight seasons and become a standout performer in the playoffs.
Turner re-signed with the Dodgers on a two-year contract that includes a team option for 2023 this past offseason, ensuring he’ll remain with the organization through at least his age-37 season.
Turner revealed that in addition to the Dodgers, the Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers expressed serious interest in signing him.
Turner credits Dodgers fans
After officially re-signing, Turner mentioned on the “Holding Kourt” podcast that Dodgers fans were a big reason for remaining with the team, and he reiterated that when speaking with media during Spring Training.
“The fans all offseason have been reaching out through social media, encouraging me to come back, expressing their desire for me to come back,” Turner said during camp. “The support has been unbelievably overwhelming.
“My wife and I take our dogs on walks through the neighborhood every night and there were people on the streets yelling, ‘You’ve got to sign back. You’ve got to come back.’ So when we announced it Saturday, the overwhelming response from the best fans in all of baseball was par for the course and that’s why I love them so much.”
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