Former catcher Jeff Torborg, who won 1990 AL manager of the year with the Chicago White Sox and caught Sandy Koufax’s perfect game, passed away on Sunday. He was eighty-three.
On social media, the White Sox announced that Torborg passed away in Westfield, New Jersey, his hometown. There was no cause of death stated.
Koufax and the Los Angeles Dodgers won the perfect game against the Chicago Cubs in 1965, and Torborg was behind the plate for the first of three no-hitters. Torborg caught the first of Nolan Ryan’s record seven no-hitters in a game against Kansas City in 1973 after having the second in 1970 with Bill Singer for the Dodgers against Philadelphia.
Following his success at Rutgers University and Westfield High School, Torborg played in the major leagues for ten seasons, spending the final three with the Angels and the first seven with the Dodgers. In 574 games, he hit.214 with eight home runs and 101 RBIs.
His managerial career started with Cleveland (1977–79), followed by the White Sox (1989–91), the New York Mets (1992–93), Montreal (2000), and Florida (2002–03). In 1990, he led the White Sox to 94 wins and was named the AL manager of the year.
Torborg worked as a broadcaster for a while as well.