Born in
West New Brighton, Staten Island, Turner began his baseball career as a paid player in the Buffalo Amateur Baseball League of the
Amateur Athletic Union. "Tuck" broke into the
National League with the
Philadelphia Phillies in 1893 at the age of 26, but as was a common practice in baseball at the time, Turner lied about his age, claiming to be only 20. In 1894, Turner was part of one of the greatest outfields in baseball history; Turner,
Billy Hamilton,
Sam Thompson, and
Ed Delahanty all batted over .400 on the year. Turner, with a .418 batting average, finished second in the league that season to
Hugh Duffy, who also happened to set the single-season batting average record of .440. The Phillies were unable to win the pennant, however, as the late 1890s were the peak of the powerful
Original Baltimore Orioles and
Boston Beaneaters. Turner had another great season in 1895, leading the league with a .411 batting average through August. By the tail end of 1895 and the beginning of 1896, Turner had lost his batting touch and was traded to St. Louis for
Duff Cooley. According to accounts in the defunct sports journal
The Sporting Life, Turner had contracted
malaria, suffering recurrent attacks in 1897 and 1898. On October 3, 1897, while playing for St. Louis, Turner accomplished a rare feat by hitting an
inside-the-park grand slam. Turner's .418 batting average in 1894 is ninth all-time in single-season batting average and also the highest in a single season for a switch hitter. From 1899 to 1901, Turner played with the Hartford Indians in the
Eastern League, replacing the legendary
Louis Sockalexis in the field his first season. Turner's post-majors career also included stops in the
Western League,
Connecticut League and
New England League. Turner was inducted into the
Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. His award was accepted by his grandson Richard Turner. ==See also==