Jeff Torborg, a catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers and California Angels and later manager of several teams, passed away. He was best known for catching Sandy Koufax’s perfect game in 1965 and being named Manager of the Year in 1990. He was 83 years old.
RIP Jeff Torborg! You were my first big league manager and I enjoyed playing for you. You gave me a chance to shine right away and I’m very thankful. God Bless the Torborg family. There such great people who I got to know over the years.
— Frank Thomas (@TheBigHurt_35) January 20, 2025
Jeff Torborg Has Passed Away
Torborg played for the Dodgers from 1964-70, earning a World Series ring in 1965, although he didn’t appear in that Series. He finished his career with the Angles from 1971-73. Never a regular player, he appeared in a career-high 102 games in his final season. For his career, he hit .214/.268/.265, 8 home runs, 101 RBI, and 57 OPS+. His defensive skills and intelligence kept him in the game for 10 seasons.
In 559 games, Torborg was worth eight Fielding Runs Above Average (FRAA), caught 36 percent of would-be base stealers, committed 32 errors, and was charged with 31 passed balls. However, those numbers are skewed by his later seasons when his play was beginning to decline. At his best, from 1966-70, he caught 45.7 percent of would-be base stealers, well above the major league average of 38.7 percent, and was worth 12 FRAA.
The No-Hitter Specialist
On September 9, 1965, Torborg caught Koufax’s perfect game against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium. It was Koufax’s fourth career no-hitter. The hard luck losing pitcher was Bob Hendley, who had a no-hitter of his own going until the seventh inning. Hendley pitched a one-hitter and lost, 1-0. The run scored on a walk, a sacrifice bunt, a stolen base, and catcher Chris Krug’s throwing error. The game was played in one hour and 43 minutes.
Torborg was behind the dish again on July 20, 1970, when the Dodgers’ Bill Singer tossed a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies in Los Angeles. In winning 5-0, Singer faced 29 batters. One was hit by a pitch and another reached base on an error.
Singer’s explanation to United Press International (UPI) was odd. He said that in the late innings, he kept repeating to himself, “I feel more and more relaxed.” He continued, “And you know, it kept me relaxed.”
It was the first no-hitter by a Dodgers pitcher since Koufax’s perfecto. Torborg is not mentioned in the wire service accounts of either of these games.
While with the Angels, Torborg caught Nolan Ryan’s first no-hitter on May 15, 1973. Ryan walked three batters in defeating the Kansas City Royals, 3-0, at Royals Stadium. At last, Torborg wasn’t passed over by the media. He was credited for his role and stood in awe of his young battery mate. “He’s thrown this hard before,” Torborg told UPI, “But you get to the point where it’s not humanly possible to throw any harder.”
“I Wasn’t Even Sure What We Were Arguing About”
Torborg took over as manager of the Cleveland Indians in the middle of the 1977 season. He lasted until he was fired after 95 games in 1979. At least one observer thought he was overqualified.
In his uproariously funny book, The Umpire Strikes Back, umpire Ron Luciano wrote of Torborg:
“He was simply too smart to be in baseball. He would come out and dispute a call and carefully explain to me that ‘the trajectory of the ball was such that in relationship to the wall there existed no possibility that a human being could move with such velocity as to retrieve the ball in sufficient time to put the runner out at second base.’
“’Yeah?’ I’d respond. ‘That so? Well, I once had my arm pulled out of the socket by Big Daddy Lipscomb!’ [Luciano had been an offensive lineman for the Detroit Lions but didn’t survive the exhibition season.] Talk about language problems – we had an argument one day that was so complex I wasn’t even sure what we were arguing about.”
Manager of the Year
Torborg got a second opportunity to manage with the Chicago White Sox in 1989. Inheriting a 71-90 team that finished fifth in the American League West Division in 1988, his White Sox finished 69-92 and dropped to last place. However, in 1990, the White Sox improved to 94-68, 25 ½ games better than in 1989, and earned Torborg AL Manager of the Year honors. The 1989 White Sox were the youngest team in the majors. Torborg credited patience and a positive attitude.
Torborg followed that up in 1990 with another second-place finish and an 87-75 record. He then jumped to the New York Mets, who offered a substantial raise over what he was earning with Chicago. Torborg should have passed on the Mets’ offer. The 1990 Mets had been known for their dysfunction and underachieving. Torborg promised an attitude adjustment in 1991, when the Mets also added outfielder Bobby Bonilla and pitcher Bret Saberhagen. Torborg told Associated Press, “Our guys don’t know what they’re in for yet. We’ll lead the league in meetings, that’s for sure.”
If anything, 1992 was worse. The chaotic season became the subject of a controversial book, The Worst Team Money Could Buy, by Bob Klapisch and John Harper. The star-laden team finished 72-90, in fifth place in the National League East Division. Torborg was fired after a 13-25 start in 1993. He had undistinguished managerial stints with the Montreal Expos in 2001 and the Florida Marlins in 2002-03. In between, there were coaching and broadcasting gigs. He finished with a 634-718 record as a manager.
Main Photo: © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
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