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Saturday, July 31, 2021

Dave Turgeon has gained close connections over 30-plus years in game; Played, then coached

Dave Turgeon 1990 Fort Lauderdale Yankees card, Turgeon throwing ball

Dave Turgeon played in the minors, in Mexico and in Taiwan. He later coached in the minors and in college.

To his old college's website in 2020, Turgeon explained the experience of going through each season with his teammates and his players.

"You go through life in a very intense way for about six or seven months, and you are forever connected," Turgeon told DavidsonWildcats.com. "Baseball offers a ton of adversity, a ton of highs and lows, a ton of life. You go through a ton of family stuff, deaths, guys having their first kids, getting married, getting called up, getting released. There's so many life things that go on."

Turgeon's highs and lows as a player occurred entirely in the minors or elsewhere. They also occurred both as a position player and as a converted pitcher. He played over a decade. He topped out at AAA.

Turgeon's career began in 1987, taken by the Yankees in the 22nd round of the draft out of Davidson College.

Turgeon started with the Yankees at short-season Oneonta and at single-A Prince William as a first baseman. He hit .283 in 66 games. 

He moved to single-A Fort Lauderdale for 1988. He doubled and scored in an August game. He hit .254.

Turgeon played at Prince William for all of 1989, then Fort Lauderdale for most of 1990. He also saw 12 games at Albany-Colonie.

Turgeon then went overseas, and turned pitcher. He played in Holland in 1991 and then France in 1992. In 1993, he arrived in Taiwan, The Norwich Bulletin wrote.

"The Asian influence on my career, both as a player and coach, has had a large impact," Turgeon told The Bulletin in 2012. "(It’s) their work ethic, in general, they set the bar higher than we do. They're so fundamentally sound, and their attention to detail is very, very significant and I take a lot of that."

He went 11-9 for China Times, with a 2.68 ERA his first year there and 12-6, with a 4.80 ERA in his third.

Turgeon returned stateside for 1998 when he saw AAA Rochester with the Orioles for four outings. He also saw 10 back in Taiwan, with Brother. His last credited time came in 1999 in Mexico.

Turgeon soon turned manager and coach. He managed at rookie Burlington in 2000. He then soon went through Boston College, UConn, Duke and Virginia Tech. He joined the Pirates organization by 2011, as coach at single-A West Virginia.

For 2020, he was set to manage at AA Altoona, before the season's cancelation due to COVID.

"Everything that I've done to this point has prepared me to go up there and meet whatever challenges that I have there," Turgeon said, according to MiLB.com, upon being hired at Altoona. "Managing has always been one of the most enjoyable things because I love going through life with a group of guys for six months, through the ups and downs and come together as a team. That is one of my favorite things about player development."

Dave Turgeon 1990 Fort Lauderdale Yankees card, Turgeon throwing ball

1990 Minor League Tally 
Players/Coaches Featured:3,708
Made the Majors:1,257-33.9%
Never Made Majors:2,451-66.1%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:522
10+ Seasons in the Minors:309

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