"Perhaps the recent Yankee spring training session in Fort Lauderdale was the most important training camp in Bob Turley's career. The veteran fireballer had dropped off markedly since winning 21 games and capturing the Cy Young pitching award after the 1958 season. Last summer, for the first time in his career, Bob suffered from arm miseries. He was placed on the disabled list in July and submitted to surgery for the removal of bone chips in his right elbow, after the last World Series.
After carefully testing his once trusty right arm in spring drills, Bob indicated he was ready to help Ralph Houk's pitching staff with some degree of his old mastery. It will take time for Bob to develop pin-point control, but his arm is coming back strong and he is confident that he can help the Yankees.
In 1958, when he sparked the Yanks to their pennant drive and pitched the club to a World Series victory from a 3-1 deficit to the Braves, Bullet Bob was named winner of the Hickok Belt as Professional Athlete of the Year and was Sporting News Player of the Year. In 1,513 innings of big-league pitching up to this season, Bob has yielded the scanty total of 1,185 base hits or a per game average of only seven base hits.
Bob has not set any personal goals for 1962. 'I want to help the Yankees win another pennant and I think I can improve on my record of recent years,' Bob said just before the season opened."
-The New York Yankees Official 1962 Yearbook
Winner of Cy Young Award as top pitcher in the majors, 1958.
Named Major League Player of the Year by The Sporting News, 1958.
Winner of Hickok Belt as Top Professional Athlete, 1958.
-1962 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
"Bob Turley came to the Yankees in 1955 and had to earn a place on the club. He did better than that; in fact, he became one of the Bombers' outstanding hurlers. A sore arm and ensuing surgery, however, have him in the same spot this season and the strong-armed right-hander from Troy, Illinois, is out to prove himself capable and ready to regain his former spot with Ralph Houk's World Champions.
The 31-year-old moundsman broke into Organized Ball in 1948 with Belleville of the Illinois State League. He was 9-3 in his first season and had a fine year in 1949, winning 23 for Aberdeen of the Northern League. His 205 strikeouts were tops that season and he was up to Double A ball in 1950.
After he spent time in San Antonio (1950-1951) and Wichita (1950), the old St. Louis Browns called up their fireballing prospect. Turley lost his lone major league contest at the tail end of the '51 campaign and spent the next season in the Army.
Returning to St. Louis late in 1953, Bullet Bob posted a 2-6 record. The Browns' franchise transferred to Baltimore in 1954 and Turley was a star in his new surroundings. He had a 14-15 record and led the American League in strikeouts with 185. However, his control was faulty and he also was the bases-on-balls leader, issuing 181 passes.
In November of 1954, the Bombers obtained both Turley and Don Larsen from Baltimore. The Orioles received nine players for the two hurlers, including Gene Woodling, Gus Triandos, Willie Miranda and Harry Byrd.
Turley was 17-13 for New York in 1955, but once again was the softest touch for free passes, giving up 177. He fanned 210 batters and had a respectable 3.06 earned run average, forty points lower than his mark in Baltimore the previous year.
Bullet Bob had two disappointing seasons in 1956 and 1957, but in 1958 he was the pitcher the Yankees had hoped he would be when they dealt for him. He led the Junior Circuit in wins (21) and won and lost percentage (.750), posted a pair of victories in the World Series and was the recipient of the Hickock Belt as the professional athlete of the year.
The 214-pounder slipped to 8-11 in 1959, a year the Yankees didn't win the pennant. But he was 9-3 in 1960 and picked up a win over the Pirates in the World Series.
Last season, Bob was on the disabled list for most of the campaign after giving it his all in spite of constant arm pains. He submitted to surgery after the Series and spent the Winter getting back into shape.
Now a resident of Lutherville, Maryland, Turley is ready to prove that he can once again be one of the team's mound mainstays. He needs only six more wins to reach the century mark.
If his arm is okay, the Yankees will have one of the best mound staffs in baseball, for Bob Turley has the heart and is a big leaguer all the way."
-The 1962 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook
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