Thomas Derrick Turnbow (born January 25, 1978) is an American former
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
right-handed
In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to it being stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply less subjecti ...
relief pitcher
In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue (medical), fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection (sports), ejection, or for other strategic ...
, who played in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) for the
Anaheim Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
and
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
.
Early career
Turnbow was born in
Union City, Tennessee
Union City is located in Obion County, Tennessee, United States. The 2020 census reported the population of the town as 11,170. It is the principal urban settlement of the surrounding micropolitan area, which includes Obion County and Fulton Count ...
, and played baseball at
Franklin High School, where he compiled a 30-4 record over four years. In his senior year, he posted a Franklin High single-season best 0.77
ERA
An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth.
Comp ...
. The school retired Turnbow's number (20) in 2001, and he is currently the only baseball player to have been awarded that honor. He was drafted in by the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
in the 5th round of the
Major League Baseball Draft
The first-year player draft is the primary mechanism of Major League Baseball (MLB) for assigning amateur baseball players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs to its teams. The draft order is determined based on a lo ...
. He was then acquired by the
Anaheim Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
in the
Rule 5 draft. In October , Turnbow became the first major league player to test positive for a banned steroid.
The positive test came during tryouts for USA Baseball's Olympic qualifying team. He did not face sanctions from Major League Baseball, because they did not begin testing for or penalizing steroid use until the season. He was banned for two years from international competition. He got out to a promising start in his career, even representing the Brewers at the 2006 MLB All-Star Game.
2004–2005
Claimed off waivers by the Milwaukee Brewers following the 2004 season, Turnbow worked with Brewers pitching coach Mike Maddux
Michael Ausley Maddux (born August 27, 1961) is an American professional baseball coach and former pitcher. He is the pitching coach for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for nine teams, over 15 seasons, and co ...
before the season to help control his fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. "Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thro ...
, which routinely clocked in at 97-98 mph. Turnbow became the Brewers' closer in April 2005 and finished the 2005 season with 39 saves, matching the team record set previously by Dan Kolb
Daniel Lee Kolb (born March 29, 1975) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Kolb has played for the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He bats and throws right-handed.
Career
Kolb was drafted ...
in 2004, and setting personal bests with a 1.74 ERA and 7-1 record in 67.1 innings pitched. Turnbow was rewarded with a three-year $6.5 million contract, which ran through and "bought out" his first two seasons of arbitration eligibility.
Turnbow picked up his first career save on April 24, 2005, at San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
. He finished the 2005 season with an ERA of 1.74, the second lowest among National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
relievers. He finished second, by just 3 points, behind Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
's Chad Cordero for the 2005 Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award
The Rolaids Relief Man Award was an annual Major League Baseball (MLB) award given from 1976 to 2012 to the top relief pitchers of the regular season, one in the American League (AL) and one in the National League (NL).
Relief pitchers enter th ...
.
2006 season
Before the season, Turnbow signed a three-year contract extension worth a guaranteed $6.5 million. In April , Turnbow made major league history since saves became an official statistic in 1969 by earning a save in each of the first four games of the season. In 2006, he was selected to his first All-Star team. Turnbow struggled with his command through the 2006 season, however, converting only 1 of 5 save opportunities and posting a 21.32 ERA in July 2006, and causing manager Ned Yost
Edgar Frederick Yost III (; born August 19, 1954) is a former Major League Baseball catcher and manager of the Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals. He played for the Brewers, Texas Rangers, and Montreal Expos.
Early life
Yost was born o ...
to remove Turnbow from the closer role in favor of Francisco Cordero
Francisco Javier Cordero (born May 11, 1975) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, Toronto Blue Jays, and Housto ...
.
2007 & 2008 seasons
Turnbow struggled throughout much of . In eight relief appearances with Milwaukee in , he accumulated an 0-1 record with one save and a 15.63 ERA (11 earned runs in 6 innings). On May 1, 2008, Turnbow was designated for assignment by the Brewers. He was given the choice of reporting to the minors, being claimed off waivers by another team, or becoming a free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
and thus forfeiting his $3.2 million salary. On May 9, Turnbow was outrighted to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds
The Nashville Sounds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the ci ...
. He joined the team on May 12. During his short tenure with the Sounds, Turnbow suffered a complete loss of command; in the 18 innings he pitched, he walked 41 batters and threw 10 wild pitch
In baseball, a wild pitch (WP) is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, or the batter (on an uncaught third stri ...
es. Turnbow finished the 2008 season without being on any minor league roster due to a slight labrum tear. He was granted free agency during the Brewers' brief playoff run.
2009 season
Just after the New Year, Turnbow signed with the Texas Rangers. Texas released him on May 1, 2009.
2010 season
On January 29, 2010, Turnbow agreed to a minor league contract with the Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The franc ...
with an invite to spring training. After only two appearances in the Grapefruit League, Turnbow injured his shoulder while throwing thus putting his comeback on hold.
On March 17, 2010, Turnbow was released by the Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The franc ...
and shortly thereafter announced his retirement from baseball.[
]
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Turnbow, Derrick
1978 births
Living people
Anaheim Angels players
Milwaukee Brewers players
Baseball players from Tennessee
Baseball players suspended for drug offenses
Major League Baseball pitchers
National League All-Stars
People from Franklin, Tennessee
Martinsville Phillies players
Piedmont Boll Weevils players
Arkansas Travelers players
Arizona League Angels players
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes players
Salt Lake Stingers players
Nashville Sounds players
Oklahoma City RedHawks players
People from Union City, Tennessee