How Cubs’ Justin Turner honors military members at Wrigley Field
CHICAGO — At each home game, the Cubs honor an active or retired service member after the first inning as their “Hero of the Game.”
On Tuesday, as United States Marine Corporal Kyler Wubs stood down the third base line and waved to acknowledge the 40,092 crowd at Wrigley Field, Cubs infielder Justin Turner strolled out of the third base dugout with a signed ball and handed it to Wubs, thanking him for his service.
It’s something Turner does for every “Hero of the Game”, making sure to honor them and offer a small token of appreciation.
“Most of those men and women who are protecting our country are just huge sports fans,” Turner said. “And I think it’s really cool to see all the videos of them overseas, watching games, watching football games, watching baseball games, rooting on their teams, having jerseys and flags and stuff.
“So for them to get a chance to come back here, watch America’s Pastime in person, get honored on the field – I figure the least I can do is to sign a ball for them and personally thank them for everything they do for our country.”
Turner started the practice when he was with the New York Mets from 2010 to 2013. They also honored a service member, and a pitcher or another bench player would run out and hand them a United States flag. When he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2014, he wanted to pay tribute those who were honored at Dodger Stadium.
“Started just signing the ball for them, shaking their hand, and then kind of personalized it, thanking them for their service,” Turner said. “And I’ve kind of done it everywhere I’ve been.”
Turner has made it a point to give back to veterans. His foundation, the Justin Turner Foundation, was founded in 2016 with his wife, Kourtney, and supports homeless veterans and helps children and families “battling life-altering illnesses and diseases and various youth baseball organizations.”
“Someone approached us and had interest in opening a men’s veteran home. We did it to raise money for it, and we decided to put on a golf tournament called the Justin Turner Golf Classic to raise money,” Turner said. “We put this tournament together in less than two months, and ended up raising, I don’t know, $85,000-$100,000 [and] got the program open, and it was an instant success.
“I think it took two or three days, and it filled all 25 beds. From that event, we were like, ‘This is awesome. We can impact more people by starting our own foundation and doing more events and raising more money.’ This will be our ninth Golf Classic this offseason. It’s been going great.”
In 2022, Turner’s work with his foundation helped him earn the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award, which is given to the MLB player who “best represents the game through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions on and off the field.”
Actions like showing support to a “Hero of the Game” showcase just how much it means to Turner to give back.
“I would say the biggest thing I’ve accomplished in this game is being honored to receive the Clemente Award and the impact that we’re making on our community,” Turner said. “These men and women and kids show up every single day and pack out this house and support us through and through.
“So I think we all have a responsibility to get back in the community and give back to them as much as we can.”
