Lowell Senior Balances School, Minor Leagues

Each February over the past six years, when most Harvard students are busy deciding what classes to take for the spring semester, John Turlais has packed his bags, setting out to fulfill his and many other young men's dream--to play professional baseball.

In the spring of 1992 Turlais was given two opportunities of a lifetime--an acceptance to Harvard and a selection by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 10th round of the draft to play baseball for a living.

As one might expect, it was a life-altering decision.

"Essentially I didn't want to turn down either the Pirates and pro baseball or Harvard," Turlais says.

So he decided to do the only logical thing--both.

"Basically, I worked out a deal with the Pirates where I could leave the team early and come to Harvard every fall semester, and then go to spring training for them after I was done.

"The Pirates were really understanding about my situation. The only problem I had was finding a concentration that would fit, since I could only come to classes in the fall," Turlais says.

In the end Turlais decided on government and was placed on the eight-year plan to graduation--school in the fall and baseball in the spring until graduation, originally scheduled for 2000.

This year, however, a concussion--his fourth--forced him on a bit of a detour. Luckily, Turlais says, he suffers no ill effects from the injury, but it meant a change in what by then had become a regular routine.

Since he was unable to play the entire season due to injury, the Pirates suggested he complete another semester, so now, for the first time, Turlais finds himself at Harvard in the spring.

It did not always look like professional baseball was in Turlais' future. Although he starred for his high school team all four years, attending the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy did not exactly have the scouts knocking at his door.

"My high school wasn't exactly a breeding ground for ballplayers, so I had a lot of trouble getting recognition from scouts." Turlais says.

After someone anonymously placed his name on a noted list of players to watch, however, Turlais started to get the recognition he deserved. Many professional scouts could be seen attending his high school games, and soon word got out about the left-hand hitting, right-hand throwing catcher from Illinois.

After the Pirates made him their 10th-round pick in 1992, the lure of professional baseball made his decision to play fairly easy.

"As an 18-year-old, being able to play baseball for money is like a dream come true," Turlais says. "I played my first professional game two days after my graduation."

Turlais has spent his entire professional career in the minors, mostly in Double A. He played for the Pirates, then the Mets and Cubs, before returning to the Pirates organization. Throughout the years, however, Turlais has seen his share of players who have gone on to major league fame.

He has played with star shortstops Derek Jeter and Nomar Garciaparra, and caught knuckleballer Tim Wakefield and rookie phenom Kerry Wood before they were making their marks in the big leagues.

Wood in particular brings back memories for Turlais, for the hard-throwing Cubs righty--who now shares the Major League record for strikeouts in a game with 20--did not always have the command of his pitches that he does now.

"I remember catching Kerry Wood when his curveball didn't break, and he threw 100 mph fastballs 10 feet in front of the plate," Turlais says.

Although Turlais remembers these players in the days when they were anything but superstars, he is quick to give them the respect he feels they deserve.

"When you see these guys make it to the top, you look at them a little differently," Turlais says. "You admire them, because all of their hard work has paid off."

"Ironically, though, the people I really admire the most are the people that never make it. For example my manager with the Pirates never made it to the big leagues, and he was probably my biggest influence," he says.

Although his time playing ball has been memorable, Turlais says he loves it at Harvard as well.

One may think that making and keeping friendship would be difficult in his situation, but Turlais says he has had no problems.

"I spent the first four years with all of my classmates and friends," Turlais says. "And luckily they let my high school teammate Richard Lee, who took a couple of years off to go to Korea, enter the school, so everything worked out."

Turlais says he spends most of his time studying, but has learned that studying in the spring is not as easy as in the fall, and has spent many a sunny afternoon playing catch with Lee and roommate Kevin Krim '97.

Since Turlais attended Harvard for both the fall and spring semesters this year, he will now be a second semester senior in the fall. He is set to graduate a year ahead of schedule after completing his next semester.

He is unsure of his immediate future, however. After playing professionally for seven seasons, he now must decide whether he wants to continue playing, or move on and pursue a more conventional occupation.

"I have an offer to play AA ball with the Pirates on a team called the Carolina Mudcats this year, but I'm deciding whether to do that or do thesis research during the summer," Turlais says.

"I'm at a point in my life where I have to decide whether I want to continue playing. I now see people that I went to school with becoming lawyers or doctors."

If and when he chooses to leave baseball, Turlais will consider going to law school or starting his own business. Although he is now faced with these tough decisions, he feels fortunate to have been able to live out his dream.

"Playing professionally has been a great experience," Turlais says. "I'm very fortunate to have gotten this opportunity."