Jeff Torborg, a man whose baseball brain behind the plate made him a natural for managing and coaching, has sadly passed away at the age of 83, the White Sox confirmed on Sunday. While no cause of death was given, Torborg had been courageously dealing with Parkinson’s disease in recent years. It’s a tough loss for the Mets family, as Torborg now joins a growing roster of recently departed alumni, including Rickey Henderson, Jack DiLauro, Lenny Randle, Mark Bradley, and Felix Mantilla. That’s a lineup nobody wanted to see, but one that’s guaranteed to have a lot of great stories being swapped in the dugout upstairs.
Jeff Torborg was the kind of player you’d call a “workhorse”—the type who built his career on effort, smarts, and a commitment to the game rather than flashy talent. He spent 10 solid years as a defensive catcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers and California Angels, becoming the guy pitchers trusted to call the shots from behind the plate. His bat? Let’s just say it wasn’t the star of the show, but his glove and ability to guide a pitching staff more than made up for it.
Mostly a backup during his career, Torborg got his one turn in the starting spotlight during his final season with the Angels in 1973. Yet even as a second-stringer, he found himself at the heart of some of baseball’s biggest moments, including catching three no-hitters—a rare badge of honor for any catcher, let alone one who wasn’t always the first name penciled into the lineup card.
When he hung up his catcher’s mitt, Torborg didn’t walk away from the game. Instead, he doubled down, spending another 30 years in baseball as a manager, coach, and broadcaster. From his debut as a player in 1964 to his final days in the sport, Torborg gave more than four decades to baseball—a true workhorse who earned his place in the game’s long history through determination and dedication.
Jeff Torborg was born on November 26, 1941, in Plainfield, New Jersey, inheriting his father’s athletic genes. At Westfield High, he hit .379 his senior year, earning All-Union County honors and cementing himself as one of the area’s top hitters. Staying local for college, Torborg became a star at Rutgers University. By his senior year in 1963, he led the nation with a jaw-dropping .537 batting average, earning All-America honors and catching the attention of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers wasted no time, signing him to a $100,000 bonus contract—a serious payday back then. After starting in the minors at Albuquerque, Torborg made his MLB debut in 1964. Despite his light bat, he worked his way up to backup catcher by 1965. Reflecting on his early career, Torborg joked, “Walter Alston knew I couldn’t hit to save my life, but he still played me. I don’t know how he made it to the Hall of Fame with that kind of judgment.”
Jeff Torborg’s career behind the plate is highlighted by his knack for catching history—literally. On September 9, 1965, he was behind the dish for Sandy Koufax’s perfect game against the Cubs, a masterpiece featuring 14 strikeouts. Reflecting on the moment, Torborg admitted, “I was praying there at the last. I really wanted to catch that one.”
In 1970, he caught another gem, Bill Singer’s no-hitter against the Phillies. Torborg loved the cerebral side of the game, saying, “I’ve always gotten a thrill from doing something that doesn’t show up in the box score, like preventing a wild pitch.”
The pinnacle came on May 15, 1973, when Torborg guided Nolan Ryan through his first of seven career no-hitters, a dazzling 3-0 win over Kansas City. “Toward the end, we went with just the best pitch,” Torborg recalled. “Show the curve but go with the fastball. Nolan said, ‘I want to go with my best stuff.’” As of 2024, Torborg is one of only five catchers to snag no-hitters in both leagues.
Torborg spent nine seasons in the majors, including stints with the Dodgers, Angels, and a brief stop with the Cardinals. Though his .214 career average and eight home runs won’t turn heads, his .990 fielding percentage and knack for big moments made him invaluable. He called it a career in 1974, leaving behind a legacy as a catcher who helped immortalize some of baseball’s greatest feats.
Jeff Torborg didn’t waste any time after his playing days. Back in New Jersey, he earned a master’s degree in athletic administration from Montclair State College, writing a thesis on platooning in baseball—a topic he knew a thing or two about. Soon after, Frank Robinson, his old Angels teammate, hired him as a bullpen coach in Cleveland. In 1977, Torborg took over as the Tribe’s manager, becoming the classic “catcher-turned-skipper” story. Sadly, his stint was short-lived; after a string of losses and a managerial merry-go-round involving Bob Lemon, Torborg was out by 1979, with a 157-201 record.
Not one to sulk, Jeff quickly joined Billy Martin’s Yankees staff as a bullpen coach. Over nine seasons, he served under seven different managers, including Martin (four times!) and Lemon. The Yankees’ only real success during that stretch was their 1981 pennant—otherwise, it was a long, dry spell.
In 1988, the White Sox gave Torborg another shot. Things started rough (basement finish in 1989), but by 1990, his young squad, led by Frank Thomas and Robin Ventura, made waves, finishing second in the AL West. For his efforts, Torborg was named AL Manager of the Year. However, when the Mets came calling in 1992 with a big paycheck, he left Chicago—a move he later admitted was “the worst thing professionally.” Managing the Mets during their infamous “Worst Team Money Could Buy” era didn’t help; he was fired in May 1993. Reflecting on his time with the Mets, Howie Rose shared a bittersweet memory on Twitter after Torborg's passing: "Very sad to hear of the passing of former Mets manager Jeff Torborg. Extremely nice man with a good sense of humor. Upon seeing the busts of Mets Hall of Famers in Shea’s Diamond Club he said, ‘They should have one of me. I was the biggest bust they ever had!’ RIP."
Torborg turned to broadcasting, working World Series games alongside Vin Scully and later coaching stints with the Expos and Marlins. While his 2003 Marlins team started slowly under his watch, they exploded under Jack McKeon to win the World Series. Always classy, Torborg graciously praised McKeon, even while admitting he wished he’d been the one in the dugout.
Torborg’s lifetime managerial record (634-718) didn’t earn him a spot in Cooperstown, but his influence on the game and his players was undeniable. Off the field, Torborg faced Parkinson’s disease with his trademark humor, joking about his new "talent" for shaking paint cans.
On September 7, 2019, Torborg was honored in Westfield, New Jersey, when a youth baseball field was named after him. Fittingly, he threw the ceremonial first pitch to his grandson, Jeff. Always a teacher and mentor, Torborg left a legacy in baseball that goes far beyond wins and losses.
Jeff Torborg’s life in baseball was a masterclass in perseverance, humor, and heart. He was a catcher who caught history, a manager who weathered the ups and downs of the dugout, and a broadcaster who made the game come alive for fans. His career wasn’t defined by flashy stats or big headlines but by the relationships he built and the lives he touched. Whether he was guiding Sandy Koufax through a perfect game, catching Nolan Ryan’s fireballs, or cracking self-deprecating jokes about his Mets tenure, Torborg brought humanity to a game often obsessed with numbers. Now, as he joins the eternal dugout upstairs, we can only imagine the stories being swapped—and if there’s a heaven for catchers, you know Jeff’s already calling the perfect game. Rest easy, Jeff, and thanks for keeping us smiling all the way to the last out.