Former Montreal Expos manager Jeff Torborg dies at 83

February 19, 2025

By Kevin Glew

Cooperstowners in Canada

Former Montreal Expos manager Jeff Torborg passed away on January 19 at the age of 83.

No cause of death has been released, but he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2010.

He died in Port Orange, Fla.

Though he caught three big league no-hitters and won the American League Manager of the Year award with the Chicago White Sox in 1990, Torborg is best known to Canadian baseball fans as the manager who replaced Felipe Alou in the Expos’ dugout in 2001.

Alou, who was in his 10th season as the Expos’ bench boss, was fired by new owner Jeffrey Loria on May 31, 2001 after the Expos got off to a 21-32 start.

“It was like firing the pope,” quipped Joe Kerrigan, former Expos pitching coach.

Torborg, who hadn’t managed since 1993, was a longtime friend of Loria and had been a guest catching instructor in Expos camp that spring.

“Felipe and I have been friends since 1964,” Torborg told the Montreal Gazette at the time. “I have tremendous admiration for him. It makes a day like this very difficult.”

Loria was not present at Torborg’s introductory press conference with the Expos, but his son-in-law David Samson, an executive vice-president with the club, was. He downplayed the role friendship played in the hiring. So, too, did Loria in a statement.

“Jeff Torborg understands that the pressure for this team to turn around starts tonight,” said Loria.

Unfortunately for Torborg, he didn’t fare much better than Alou that season, finishing with 47-62 record while fielding an Expos lineup that included Vladimir Guerrero, Jose Vidro, Orlando Cabrera and Brad Wilkerson.

Torborg’s tenure with the Expos was his fourth as a major league manager. He had previously piloted Cleveland (1977 to 1979), the White Sox (1989 to 1991) and the New York Mets (1992 and 1993). That came after a 10-year playing career, primarily as a backup catcher, split between the Los Angeles Dodgers (1964 to 1970) and California Angels (1971 to 1973).

Raised in New Jersey

Born in Plainfield, N.J. on November 26, 1941, Torborg was an outstanding multisport athlete at Westfield High School. He later developed into a standout catcher at Rutgers University.

In fact, the Dodgers were so impressed by his skills that they gave him a $100,000 signing bonus – a huge amount of money at the time – when they signed him on May 23, 1963.

He played just one season in the minors before making his big-league debut in 1964. The 6-foot, 195-pound catcher quickly garnered a reputation as a fine defender and excellent game-caller. Torborg was behind the plate for Sandy Koufax‘s perfect game on September 9, 1965.

Less than five years later, Torborg caught Dodgers right-hander Bill Singer‘s no-hitter on July 20, 1970.

Despite his defensive prowess, Torborg never became a starting catcher with the Dodgers and in the spring of 1971, his contract was sold to the Angels.

He continued to serve as a backup catcher and on May 15, 1973, he caught the first of seven no-hitters Nolan Ryan would throw in the big leagues.

According to MLB.com, Torborg is one of 18 catchers to have caught three major league no-hitters.

Starts coaching career

Torborg was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals after the 1973 season, but when he failed to make the Cardinals out of spring training, he decided to focus on a coaching career. He started his big-league coaching career as Cleveland’s bullpen coach in 1975. Two years later, he took over as the club’s manager, and in parts of three seasons, he registered a 157-201 record.

Torborg then became a respected coach with the Yankees for 10 seasons before the White Sox hired him as their new dugout boss in 1989. After a 69-win campaign in 1989, Torborg eased rookies Frank Thomas and Robin Ventura into the White Sox lineup and guided the team to 94 wins and a second-place finish in the American League West in 1990. That 25-win improvement earned Torborg the AL Manager of the Year award.

It inspired high expectations for the White Sox in 1991, but after the team finished 87-75, Torborg was let go.

Becomes broadcaster

Torborg then entered the world of broadcasting where he served as an analyst on CBS Radio’s World Series broadcasts, alongside Vin Scully, from 1995 to 1997. He also enjoyed a stretch as an analyst on Fox TV broadcasts from 1996 to 2000.

Hired by Loria to be Expos manager

While he was coaching with the Yankees, Torborg befriended Loria. So, when the Expos got off to a 21-32 start in 2001, Loria replaced the much-loved Alou with Torborg.

Torborg agreed to a three-year personal services contract with Loria (not with the Expos), and he brought his former White Sox shortstop Ozzie Guillén in as a first base coach.

Reporters asked Torborg what style of play they could expect to see from the Expos?

“I like the inside game, running, aggressiveness,” Torborg told the Montreal Gazette. “I demand hustle, hard-nosed play and hopefully smart play with it.”

One of the first changes Torborg implemented was moving Guerrero up to the third spot in the order from the clean-up position.

“I want my best hitter batting third,” Torborg told the Gazette. “I want him batting in the first inning.”

Unfortunately, Torborg never had much of a chance to succeed in Montreal. The fans booed him because he wasn’t Alou and the Expos were still dumping salaries. They parted with closer Ugueth Urbina and outfielder Milton Bradley at the trade deadline.

Torborg did manage to share some of his catching expertise with Michael Barrett, who later credited him as one of his most influential coaches.

But under Torborg, the Expos stumbled to a 68-94 record and another last-place finish in the National League East. And the Expos rounded out the season playing in front of some of the smallest crowds in major league history at Olympic Stadium.

“It certainly doesn’t boost the enthusiasm when nobody’s here,” Torborg told the Montreal Gazette in late September. “There’s no question the players feed off the crowd.”

Optimistic he would return to Montreal

Despite the dismal end to the season, Torborg thought he’d be back in Montreal in 2002. He and his wife, Suzie, had been shopping for a house in the city.

“We love it here, and we’ve been looking for a while,” he told the Gazette.

He also thought the Expos would fare better in 2002.

“People need to realize that we’re not that far [from being a competitor],” said Torborg. “We’ll improve the situation next season, assuming it goes as scheduled.”

Heads to Marlins with Loria

Well, things didn’t go as scheduled for Torborg.

Prior to the 2002 season, Loria sold the Expos to Major League Baseball and purchased the Florida Marlins. He brought Torborg with him to manage the Marlins.

“This is larger than the crowds we had in Montreal last year,” Torborg quipped to the media members at his introductory press conference with the Marlins.

Torborg would put together a 95-105 record in parts of two seasons as Marlins’ skipper. But after the team got off to a 16-22 start in 2003, he was replaced by Jack McKeon who piloted the Marlins to a World Series title.

That proved to be Torborg’s final gig as a manager. He finished his managerial career with a 634-718 record.

Returns to broadcast booth

Torborg returned to the Fox baseball broadcast booth in 2004 and 2005 and he spent his final season in the booth as part of the Atlanta Braves broadcast team in 2006.

In 2010, Torborg revealed that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

After he passed away last month, Guillén was one of the first to pay tribute to him.

“Jeff had a great impact on my professional career,” said Guillén in a statement released by the White Sox. “He gave me confidence and taught me a lot. Jeff put the White Sox on the map in the 1990s, and he taught that group of players to fight each day to get a win.”

Former White Sox third baseman Robin Ventura, who broke in under Torborg, added his condolences.

“It’s a sad day to lose a great man with such high character,” said Ventura. “He was a family man who ran his team like a family. I smile as I think of him in the dugout wearing his soccer cleats as he managed his team.”

According to the White Sox release, Torborg is survived by his wife Suzie; three children, Doug, Greg, and Dale; daughters-in-law Karen and Christi; four grandchildren, Alexis, Jeffrey, Kelly, and Sierra; and two great-grandchildren, Lane and Lee.