Jeff Torborg

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Torborg with the Yankees in 1982
Catcher
Born: Script error: No such module "person date".
Plainfield, New Jersey, U.S.
Died: Script error: No such module "person date".
Port Orange, Florida, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
May 10, 1964, for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Last MLB appearance
September 29, 1973, for the California Angels
MLB statistics
Batting average.214
Home runs8
Runs batted in101
Managerial record634–718
Winning %.469
Teams
As player
As manager
As coach
Career highlights and awards

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Jeffrey Allen Torborg (November 26, 1941 – January 19, 2025) was an American professional baseball catcher and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers and California Angels from 1964 to 1973. He managed the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, Montreal Expos, and Florida Marlins.

Playing career

Torborg grew up in Westfield, New Jersey, where he was the catcher on the Westfield High School baseball team.[1] He attended Rutgers University and played college baseball for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights from 1961 to 1963. In 1963, Torborg had a .537 batting average and was named an All-American.[2]

File:Jeff Torborg with the Dodgers, 1964 (cropped).jpg
Torborg with the Dodgers in 1964

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Torborg as an amateur free agent in 1963. After playing in the minor leagues in 1963, Torborg made the Dodgers' roster as their third-string catcher in 1964 behind John Roseboro and Doug Camilli. On September 9, 1965, Torborg caught Sandy Koufax's perfect game.[2] On July 20, 1970, he was the catcher receiving Bill Singer's no-hitter.[3][4]

On March 13, 1971, the Dodgers sold Torborg's contract to the California Angels. On May 15, 1973, Torborg also caught the first of Nolan Ryan's seven no-hitters, making Torborg only the second catcher to catch a no hitter in both leagues. Gus Triandos was the first having caught Hoyt Wilhelm no hitter with the AL's Orioles in 1958 and was behind the plate for Jim Bunning's perfect game with the NL's Phillies in 1964.[2] He was traded from the Angels to the St. Louis Cardinals for John Andrews at the Winter Meetings on December 6, 1973.[5] On March 25, 1974, he was released by the Cardinals.[2]

Coaching, managing, and broadcasting career

In 1977, Torborg became the bullpen coach of the Cleveland Indians. On June 19th, the Indians fired manager Frank Robinson and Torborg assumed the position.[6] Torborg's first two games as a major league manager came that day in a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers, with Cleveland defeating the Tigers in both games, 4-2 and 4-0. Torborg's Indians proceeded to win his first seven games as Cleveland manager, which also extended an Indians win streak to nine games before the team lost to Detroit 6-4 at Tiger Stadium on June 25th. Torborg held the position as Indians manager for three years, compiling a 157-201 record.

He was a coach on the New York Yankees from 1979 to 1988. In 1989, Torborg left the Yankees to become the manager of the Chicago White Sox.[7] A year after he took the helm, the White Sox won 94 games, which was a 25-game improvement from the team's 1989 season. For his efforts with the 1990 White Sox, Torborg won the American League Manager of the Year Award. Torborg stayed with the White Sox for one more year before moving to the New York Mets on a four-year deal of $1.7 million that dwarfed his previous deal of $250,000 a year.[8]

A year after leading the White Sox to an 87–75 (.537) win-loss record, Torborg's 1992 New York Mets posted a 70–92 (.432) record. After starting the 1993 season with a 13–25 (.342) record, the Mets fired Torborg and replaced him with Dallas Green.[9]

For the rest of the 1990s, Torborg worked as a sportscaster for the likes of CBS Radio and Fox. At CBS Radio, Torborg served as a color commentator for three World Series (1995–1997) alongside Vin Scully.[10] While at Fox, Torborg served as a color commentator from 1996–2000.[2]

Torborg returned to managing in May of 2001 to replace Montreal Expos manager Felipe Alou, on a three-year deal.[11] When Jeffrey Loria, who had owned the Expos, sold the team and bought the Florida Marlins in 2002, he brought Torborg to Florida with him to serve as manager. The team went 79–83 (.488) that year. After starting the 2003 season with a 16–22 (.421) record, the Marlins fired Torborg.[12] Jack McKeon was hired to replace him and led the team to a 2003 World Series victory. Torborg held no ill will for the firing, saying "there was no bitterness", and adding that he was "thrilled" that the team had gone on to win the World Series that year. Torborg also felt that there must have been a larger purpose at play, as he was in the right place at the right time in September. Instead of being with the Marlins, he was at his summer home in New Jersey painting his dock when he noticed a two year child had fallen into the water. Torborg was able to rescue the toddler, saving his life.[13]

Torborg returned to broadcasting for Fox. He served as the color commentator for Atlanta Braves games on FSN South and Turner South in 2006, where he was partnered with Bob Rathbun. Neither Torborg nor Rathbun was retained for the 2007 season.[14]

Personal life and death

Torborg was of Danish descent. His son, Dale, is a former professional wrestler and his daughter-in-law, Christi Wolf, is a bodybuilder and former professional wrestler.[15]

Torborg married Suzie Barber on June 6, 1963.[2] For more than 25 years, Torborg lived with his family in a home in Mountainside, New Jersey.[16]

Torborg later developed Parkinson's disease.[17] He died in Port Orange, Florida on January 19, 2025, at the age of 83.[18]

Managerial record

Team Year Regular season Postseason
Games Won Lost Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
CLE 1977 104 Template:WinLossPct 5th in AL East – – – –
CLE 1978 159 Template:WinLossPct 6th in AL East – – – –
CLE 1979 95 Template:WinLossPct fired – – – –
CLE total 358 Template:WinLossPct Template:WinLossPct
CWS 1989 161 Template:WinLossPct 7th in AL West – – – –
CWS 1990 162 Template:WinLossPct 2nd in AL West – – – –
CWS 1991 162 Template:WinLossPct 2nd in AL West – – – –
CWS total 485 Template:WinLossPct Template:WinLossPct
NYM 1992 162 Template:WinLossPct 5th in NL East – – – –
NYM 1993 38 Template:WinLossPct fired – – – –
NYM total 200 Template:WinLossPct Template:WinLossPct
MON 2001 109 Template:WinLossPct 5th in NL East – – – –
MON total 109 Template:WinLossPct Template:WinLossPct
FLA 2002 162 Template:WinLossPct 4th in NL East – – – –
FLA 2003 38 Template:WinLossPct fired – – – –
FLA total 200 Template:WinLossPct Template:WinLossPct
Total[19] 1352 Template:WinLossPct Template:WinLossPct

References

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  1. ^ Merkin, Scott. "Ozzie takes fine in stride" Script error: No such module "webarchive"., Major League Baseball, May 30, 2010. Accessed March 5, 2011. "Torborg was a three-year starting catcher at Westfield High School and an All-American at Rutgers."
  2. ^ a b c d e f Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Best, Jason. "Jeff Torborg – Society for American Baseball Research".
  3. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Jeff Torborg". baseballbiography.com. Retrieved July 1, 2009.
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Baseball Slate – May 2008 – Most No-Hitters Caught (As of 5–19–08)". Archived from the original on May 22, 2008.
  5. ^ Rappoport, Ken. "National League Tentatively Agrees to Move Padres to Washington, D.C." The Associated Press (AP), Friday, December 7, 1973. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  6. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."An Indian tomahawked - Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com".
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Capezzuto, Tom (February 12, 1989). "New Jersey Q & A: Jeff Torborg; Taking over the White Sox Helm". The New York Times.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."'INSECURE' TORBORG LEAVES SOX". Chicago Tribune. October 11, 1991. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Mets fire Torborg; name Dallas Green replacement - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Stewart, Larry (October 17, 1997). "With Scully and Torborg, Less Is More". Los Angeles Times.
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Expos replace manager Alou with Torborg". chron.com. May 31, 2001. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  12. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Torborg fired as Marlins skipper". The Star Banner. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Chass, Murray (March 7, 2004). "On Baseball; Simple Twist of Fate Changed Torborg's Life, and It Helped Save the Life of a Little Boy". The New York Times.
  14. ^ [1][dead link]
  15. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Skrbina, Paul (September 4, 2016). "Dale Torborg's journey: From baseball to pro wrestling and back". Chicago Tribune.
  16. ^ Vecsey, George. "Sports of The Times; Torborgs Aren't Selling The House" Script error: No such module "webarchive"., The New York Times, October 12, 1991. Accessed August 15, 2016. "They built the house. Well, not with their own hands, but they had it built for them, and that is nearly the same thing, after 26 years.... The home in Mountainside is not far from Westfield, the New Jersey town where Jeff Torborg was born."
  17. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."SCF Through the Mail Manager". Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
  18. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Former White Sox Manager Jeff Torborg passes away". MLB.com. January 19, 2025. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  19. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Jeff Torborg". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on August 31, 2017. Retrieved April 28, 2017.

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