The Crane Pool Forum

Mets manager from 1992 and part of 1993 Jeff Torborg is dead at 82.

I bet he's at the pearly gates hyping Bill Pecota.

The rare manager to get fired in-season only to see his team go on and win a championship without him.

That's a pretty crappy reflection on Jeff Torborg I left above. I'd hate for it to be the last.

1993, what a fucking year. Mets sucked, Torborg sucked and we lost Ma
Carter.... sorry Jeff, didn't mean to crap on your day. RIP, you did have a
good smile...I imagine former Mets heaven is a wonderful place.

I always thought "Jeff Torborg" sounded like the name of a guy who would've played in 1985, not 1965.

When virtual torches and pitchforks were brandished for various successors who lacked success — “he’s the worst manager the Mets ever had!” — I’d think how soon they’ve forgotten Jeff Torborg. I’m glad he’s being memorialized by those who knew him or experienced him in different contexts as a great guy or helpful manager (mainly for one uplifting White Sox year). I primarily remember booing his image on DiamondVision shortly before his dismissal.

I got a postcard from his wife once

Always worth remembering that Jeff's son Dale wrestled in Gene Simmons makeup as a KISS-authorized character called (naturally) "The Demon."



Later became a trainer with the Marlins while his dad was running the team.

He had started as a banjo-hitting firstbaseman in the Mets system before initially transitioning to the ring with a KISS-y-faced (or Baseball Fury-faced) character called MVP.



I like how MVP wears his dad's number

Back in 1993 I was working on a story about a local player who was having a cup of coffee with the Mets, and the team was playing in Cincinnati, which is not a horrible drive. I got to go in the Mets clubhouse for the short interview, and it was my first time in a Major League clubhouse while players were in it. I had some short but nice conversations with people and a longish one with Al Harazin, who went to University of Michigan, in the dugout during batting practice. Torborg was one of the nicest people I met that day, and I appreciated that he made a little bit of time for a nervous out-of-town reporter working on a story about a player who wouldn't be there very long.

Now you've got me guessing. Michiganders on the 1993 Mets include Jeff Kaiser and Mickey Weston, but neither was on his first time around.

One of the stories about his death had the headline:
"Catcher who caught perfect game dies at 83".
I guess they chose not to mention his managing.
RIP


Nice story, MMS
Later

It was Mickey. Let me get the date for you. It was in Cincy and think May. It was the first year they had the uniforms with the tail, and Jay Horwitz gave me a media guide with the new uniforms on the cover and we talked about them.

Looking at Baseball Almanac, I think this was the game: https://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-sc ... 9305280NYN

OE: It must have been Dallas Green! Looks like Torborg was fired just before that Reds series.

My memory had dimmed. Hard to believe that was 30 years ago!

Like Emily Litella says, "Never mind!"