Focus on Sport/Getty Images
Former MLB player and manager Jeff Torborg died Sunday at the age of 83, according to MLB.com’s Brian Murphy.
Torborg was a catcher for 10 seasons, spending his first seven with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the last three with the California Angels. He retired as a career .214 hitter but established a reputation for his defense and ability to call games behind the plate.
Murphy noted that Torborg caught three no-hitters, making him one of 18 players in MLB history to do so. He was the catcher for Sandy Koufax’s perfect game in 1965, a performance in which the southpaw fanned 14 batters.
The Dodgers were also crowned world champions for the fourth time in 1965.
Torborg’s other no-hitters came with Bill Singer (1970) and Nolan Ryan (1973).
The respect he garnered as a tactician was evident by the fact he retired after the 1973 campaign and got his first manager job with the Cleveland Guardians in 1977, replacing Frank Robinson midway through the season.
Across 11 years in the dugout, Torborg won 634 games. The apex of his managerial career came in 1990, when the Chicago White Sox finished 94-68 and improved their record by 25 wins. Torborg’s work earned him the AL Manager of the Year.
That season was when White Sox legend Frank Thomas debuted, and the Hall of Famer honored Torborg on social media:
Frank Thomas @TheBigHurt_35
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. 🙏🏾
After Chicago, Torborg managed the New York Mets, Montreal Expos and Florida Marlins, and he was a coach for the New York Yankees from 1979-88.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
