Justin Turner is playing for the Tijuana Toros. Why he 'wouldn't trade it for anything'

"Justin Turner did not wear the correct jersey one day, and now he would pay for his sin. His teammates formed two lines, one facing the other. Turner snaked through the gauntlet, as his teammates playfully slapped and shoved him around. Turner is 41, an All-Star and World Series champion, one of the most beloved players in Dodgers history. Yet there he was on a gloomy Saturday afternoon in a 50-year-old stadium in Tijuana, subjecting himself to a mashup of a kangaroo court and a hazing ritual, three hours before he would play in a uniform with six advertisements on the jersey and four more on the pants."

""Justin doesn't have to be here," said former major leaguer Roberto Kelly, the manager of the Tijuana Toros. "He doesn't need this to continue his life." For the first time in 17 years, Turner is not playing in the major leagues. No team wanted him. In Tijuana, whether he decides to end his career here or elsewhere, he has nurtured a special bond with his son and emerged as an improbable tourist attraction for Dodgers fans."

"When Turner signed with the Toros, he wanted to make a video introducing himself to their fans. He drove 45 minutes from Studio City to East Los Angeles, to the only store he could find in L.A. that stocked Toros caps, then stood in line to buy some. "Are you buying these hats because Justin Turner just signed in Tijuana?" the clerk asked, without looking too closely at the customer. "Yes," Turner said, without letting on."

"When Turner went job hunting last winter, the top line of "41-year-old with a .602 OPS" carried the day, even if he was primarily a platoon player last season, with a .759 OPS against left-handers. He said he pursued a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training, then simply a minor league contract, where he could start the season at triple A and both he and the team could evaluate as the season went on."

Justin Turner participated in a hazing-like ritual in Tijuana after not wearing the correct jersey. Teammates formed two lines and playfully slapped and shoved him as he moved through the gauntlet. Turner, a 41-year-old All-Star and World Series champion, was in a 50-year-old stadium three hours before he would play in a uniform with multiple advertisements. For the first time in 17 years, he was not playing in Major League Baseball because no team wanted him. In Tijuana, he developed a bond with his son and became an unexpected tourist attraction for Dodgers fans. He also sought to connect with Toros fans by buying caps and introducing himself after signing.

Read at Los Angeles Times