Jeff Torborg was a longtime Major League Baseball player and manager who caught Sandy Koufax’s perfect game in 1965, and in 1990 was named American League Manager of the Year.
- Died: January 19, 2025 (Who else died on January 19?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 83.
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Jeff Torborg’s legacy
For some baseball fans, Torborg’s name is etched in their memory for being behind the plate when Sandy Koufax threw his perfect game in 1965. For others, it’s thanks to leading the Chicago White Sox to a dramatic turnaround in 1989 and ’90, earning him 1990 American League Manager of the Year honors. And for others, it’s simply because he was widely seen as a nice guy.
Torborg played baseball at Rutgers University, where he was named an All-American catcher. He signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers shortly after finishing college, making his major league debut in 1964. His entire 10-year playing career was spent in California, first for the Dodgers, and from 1971 to ’73, for the California Angels, largely in a backup role.
Torborg caught two of baseball’s most memorable moments during his career. He was behind the plate for Koufax’s perfect game in September 1965, considered one of the best baseball games ever thrown. In 1973, he caught Nolan Ryan’s first no-hitter, one of seven Ryan hurled over the course of his storied career.
After retiring as a player in 1973, Torborg transitioned into coaching, stepping up as manager of the Cleveland Indians in 1977. Over the next two decades, he managed a number of teams, including the Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, Montreal Expos, and the Florida Marlins. His tenure with the White Sox earned him accolades, thanks to helping the team improve by 25 wins from one year to the next. This performance won him a big contract offer to manage the New York Mets, but when the team faltered, he was fired in 1993 and went into broadcasting. He spent the 1990s with CBS Radio and Fox before a brief foray back into team management in the early 2000s.
Tributes to Jeff Torborg
Full obituary: Los Angeles Times
