Jeff Torborg, a World Series winner and former manager of the Chicago White Sox, passed away on Sunday, Jan. 19, at the age of 83. The cause of death was not revealed.
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In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Chicago White Sox revealed that Torborg died in Westfield, New Jersey.
“Torborg was named the 1990 A.L. Manager of the Year after guiding the Sox to a 94-68 record that season,” the White Sox shared. “A 25-game improvement from the previous year.”
Former MLB catcher and Chicago White Sox manager Jeff Torborg passed away this morning in Westfield, N.J. He was 83 years old.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) January 20, 2025
Torborg was named the 1990 A.L. Manager of the Year after guiding the Sox to a 94-68 record that season, a 25-game improvement from the previous year. pic.twitter.com/cKpNNdLod7
He then had an 11-year managerial career with the then-Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, then-Montreal Expos, and then-Florida Marlins. He was a coach for the New York Yankees from 1979 to 1988.
According to ESPN, Torborg played 10 seasons in the MLB, the first seven with the Dodgers and the last three with the Angels. He hit .214 with eight homers and 101 RBIs in 574 games. As a manager, he went 634-718.
The former catcher was behind the plate for three no-hitters. The first was Koufax at the Los Angeles Dodgers for a perfect game against the Chicago Cubs in 1965. The second was in 1970 with Bill Singer for the Los Angeles Dodgers against Philadelphia. Finally, in 1973, the Angels caught the first of Nolan Ryan’s record seven no-hitters in the game against Kansas City.
Jeff Torborg Remembered By Chicago White Sox Legends
Meanwhile, some of the legends of the Chicago White Sox paid tribute to Jeff Torborg.
Former White Sox slugger Frank Thomas also paid tribute to Torborg.
“RIP Jeff Torborg!” Thomas wrote on X. “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. [They’re] such great people who I got to know over the years.”
“I am heartbroken,” former White Sox player and manager Ozzie Guillen then posted on X. “My mentor and my friend has passed away. Someone who truly understood me and gave me a chance to lead, to be a captain. So much of my way of managing and being in a clubhouse came from him.”
Jay Horwitz, an executive for the New York Mets and former media relations director, also spoke out about Torborg’s passing.
“Sure, we didn’t have great results when Jeff Torborg was our manager in 1992 and a month or so into the 1993 season,” Horwitz said. “But that didn’t keep me from feeling deep sadness when I heard that Jeff, 83, had passed away suddenly.”
Horwitz described Torborg as a gentleman who handled a difficult time with the New. York Mets “with grace and kindness.”
“Jeff never turned down any of my interview requests, even when times were tough,” Horwitz added. “The last time I saw him was a couple of years ago when they dedicated a field in his honor in his hometown of Westfield, NJ. He battled Parkinson’s Disease for the last 15 years but didn’t stop him from trying to help kids. He was a good, good man. R.I.P. Jeff.”