This happened before the two standing ovations. It wasn’t in the video tribute. It was a completely different scene in a completely unremarkable moment that didn’t seem to matter.

But Justin Turner was more important than any other Dodger in the last decade, and the reason for that was what happened late Monday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.

Before the official celebration of Turner’s first game here in his nine-year tenure came to a tragic end, Turner himself threw a party.

With his Seattle Mariners cap on backwards and his red beard flowing, Turner walked among the several hundred fans standing in a cordoned-off area behind the home base and only a few spectators.

There, in the scorching heat, he spent nearly 30 minutes signing autographs and seemingly posing for photos with everyone.

He hugged. He laughed. He charmed. That was him. That was what the Dodgers were missing. That’s what they need to get back.

“The fans here live and breathe and cry and sweat Dodger Blue,” Turner said before the Dodgers’ 3-0 win over his newest team. “I think Tommy (Lasorda) said it best: Dodger Blue runs through the veins of every single fan in town. I can’t thank them enough for the support they’ve given me… they’ll always have a special place in my heart.”

That spot was in full view Monday when Turner came to town with his Mariners and was honored like a returning hero, two seasons after leaving town for the Boston Red Sox, six months after signing with the Toronto Blue Jays and later being traded to Seattle.

Yes, he’s bounced around a bit. Sure, he’s 39 and in the final innings of his career. As far as previous Dodgers homers go, this wasn’t the triumph of Corey Seager or Cody Bellinger.

But the love in the ovations and hugs from his teammates who greeted him at a pregame ceremony outside the home base expressed what the statistics could not.

JT is a Dodger. JT will always be a Dodger.

“I wish he was a Dodger forever,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “That’s just not how sports work. But to me, he’ll always be a Dodger.”

Did you hear that, Dodgers? Then make it happen. Bring Justin Turner home for good.

He obviously wants to play one more season, so they should sign him this winter and make sure he plays the season as a Dodger, a reserve infielder, and a veteran clubhouse player.

He signs a one-year contract, ends his career here and then stays here in some kind of leadership role.

He could be an assistant general manager, helping to identify and sign the kind of stingy players who resemble him. He could be a special advisor, getting the best out of high-flyers like himself.

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Or – and this seems too ideal – he could join the Dodgers’ coaching staff as a designated manager, someone who would strongly represent the organization should Roberts ever leave.

Roberts himself expressed his trust in Turner, saying: “He is probably the smartest player I’ve ever had. He understands all facets of the game, on the field and off the field. His responsibility as a professional athlete.”

Turner seems ready for a comeback. The Dodgers just have to ask him.

“I’m from Southern California, I think it’s a great place,” Turner said. “It’s a great place to play. Obviously, if that opportunity came up, that would be something I would really, really consider.”

He belongs here. He fits here. He was the most popular Dodger during the 2020 championship run and spent his time connecting with fans like no other player could.

With his unkempt red curls, backwards cap, and hanging jersey, he looked like the kind of Dodger diehard fans thought he was.

He doesn’t care about appearances, everything revolves around winning, he is filled with equal parts talkativeness and gratitude.

He was from here. He lives here. He understands it. He is eternally grateful for it.

“It was one of the best things that ever happened to me in my career. I got the chance to wear that uniform that so many great players have worn over the years and play on some teams that have done historic things,” he said. “It was really something that I was very honored to be a part of.”

Brought here by Ned Colletti as a castaway from the New York Mets before the 2014 season, he had to make the team on a non-guaranteed contract in his first spring training here, and he has never stopped appreciating the distance and depth of his journey.

Not only did he lead the Dodgers to the World Series with a walk-off home run against the Chicago Cubs in the 2017 National League Championship Series, he did so on the 29th anniversary of Kirk Gibson’s World Series home run.

Not only did he save the championship in 2020, but he did so with a diving tag in game seven of the NLCS against the Atlanta Braves.

In 86 postseason games, he hit 13 home runs with 42 RBIs and an OPS of .830. He was a key player not only on the field, but also in the locker room, where he and Adrián González paved the way for new manager Dave Roberts’ credibility. The dynasty would never have happened without Justin Turner’s bat, but also his voice.

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“Justin and Adrián González were two of my biggest allies and advocates for a first-time coach,” Roberts said. “They helped me gain the buy-in and trust of the players. I will always be indebted to those two guys in particular for that.”

Off the field, his foundation worked big miracles while he orchestrated small miracles. One of them came when the Dodgers honored a veteran at each home game. As the veterans left the field, Turner waited at the corner of the dugout to present them with an autographed baseball.

In his final act as a Dodger in the fall of 2022, Turner won the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award for community service. He wanted to stay here forever, and it really seemed like that was going to happen.

When the Dodgers declined his $16 million option after that season, a disagreement over his value arose, leading to him signing with the Red Sox. The Dodgers offered him a one-year contract worth $10 million, but he eventually signed a two-year, $21.7 million deal with Boston.

Turner was openly upset, telling then-Times reporter Jorge Castillo, “I never imagined wearing any other uniform. … I made it clear what I wanted. So I don’t know what happened, but it happened.”

In fact, the Dodgers used Turner’s money on JD Martinez, and it proved to be a fortunate decision as he hit 33 home runs with 103 RBIs.

It’s hard to argue with Turner about wanting more money. It’s also hard to argue with the Dodgers about wanting a younger bat with more power.

On Monday, Turner also seemed to have finally come to terms with the farewell and was eager to write a new chapter.

“What happened, happened,” he said. “I think it’s been pretty well documented how I felt at the time. But nothing has changed. I’m still very grateful for the nine years I spent here.”

It was a night that felt like an end. For the sake of Justin Turner and the city that loves him, we hope it’s just a beginning.

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.