RUTGERS HALL OF FAME JEFF TORBORG (1961-63)
GLEN GARDNER (1986-88)
Jeff Torborg was a 1963 All-American and set the school record for single-season batting average (.537) that year, which was the national leading average for 100 at bats and under. His .537 average was the highest ever recorded up to that time and since then, only a handful of college players have hit for a better average. His slugging percentage that year (1.032) is also a single-season standard. In 1963, he led the team with 21 RBIs and six home runs. A draft choice of the Los Angeles Dodgers, he played 10 seasons in the majors, seven with the Dodgers and three with the California Angels. He caught three no-hitters, a perfect game with Sandy Koufax and another no-hitter with Bill Singer of the Dodgers and Nolan Ryan of the Angels; and was the backstop in Don Drysdale’s record fifth-straight shutout in 1968. He was a successful manager with the Chicago White Sox, the Cleveland Indians, the New York Mets, the Montreal Expos and the Florida Marlins, winning the Baseball Writer’s Association, Associated Press, United Press International and The Sporting News Manager of the Year award. He led the Marlins to the 2003 World Series title. In his three-year career from 1961-63, the Westfield, N.J., native batted .390. His number (#10) was retired in 1992. He is second in RU career slugging percentage with a mark of .684. During his career, the Knights were 15-4-1, 14-4 and 11-5 for a three-year mark of 40-13-1 (.741 winning percentage).
Gardner, one of the most prolific hitters in Rutgers baseball history, was elected after a stellar three-year career (1986-88), which saw him earn two All-America awards as well as collect a host of offensive records. Gardner, one of New Jersey’s top all-time athletes, came to Rutgers from Immaculata High School, where he was a First Team All-State choice in both football and baseball. Following his freshman season, Gardner was named Freshman All-America by Baseball America. He was drafted after his sophomore season by the San Diego Padres in the 13th round of the Major League Baseball Amateur draft. He chose to stay at Rutgers for his junior season and that year set nine single-season offensive records and earned All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball. He was a threetime Atlantic 10 choice and a three-time New Jersey College Baseball Association honoree. Following his junior season, Gardner was drafted by the Atlanta Braves and he began a professional career in that organization. He ended his career as the Rutgers all-time leader in six offensive categories and ranked in the top 10 in four others.
CLASS OF 1994
PETE HALL (1960-62) CLASS OF 1995
Hall is one of a select group of Scarlet Knights to twice earn All-American honors (1961 and 1962) in baseball. During his three letter-winning years (1960-62), the Scarlet Knights were 40-14-1. The former third baseman still holds ninth place on the career batting average chart (.384) and fifth place on the career slugging percentage chart (.612) in the Scarlet Knight record book. Hall was a 1961 draft pick of the New York Yankees. He was the Upstream Award winner in 1962. In 1961, he led the team in hitting (.397), runs (21), hits (31), RBIs (30) and made just five errors while starting every game.
RAY VAN CLEEF (1949-51) CLASS OF 1996
Van Cleef was a two-time All-American, garnering first-team accolades from the American Association of College Baseball Coaches in 1950 and 1951. In the process, he became the first Eastern player to repeat as an All-American. A veteran of two NCAA Tournaments, he was the starting centerfielder on the 1950 Rutgers team which advanced to the College World Series. He batted .458 (11-24) in the series en route to MVP honors, while leading the Knights to a co-runner-up finish. Van Cleef batted .404 that season, his junior year, and followed it up with a .378 mark in 1951. He currently ranks third in career batting average at Rutgers. He set the Rutgers single season record for triples with seven in 1950 (mark is now third) and stands fifth in career triples with 13. Van Cleef is sixth in career slugging percentage with a .606 mark. The Scarlet Knights were 50-21-2 his three varsity years. He also won three letters in basketball and one in soccer.
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CLASS OF 1997
HARDING PETERSON (1948-50) CLASS OF 1997
Peterson, the backstop for the 1950 Rutgers College World Series team, was a second-team All-America selection by the American Baseball Coaches Association and a first-team District II choice that year, as well. Known for his defensive ability, Peterson made just two errors in 27 games in 1950 while hitting .276 (27-98), with 21 runs, 23 RBIs (second on team), four doubles and two triples. His best season as a collegian was in 1948, when he hit for a .312 average (10-32) with seven RBIs and three doubles. In his three varsity seasons, Peterson led his teams to a combined 57-16-2 record, highlighted by a third-place finish in the 1950 College World Series. Following his career at Rutgers, Peterson signed as free agent with Pittsburgh Pirates in 1950, but had his career interrupted by Korean War service. Following the war, Peterson played four years with Pirates until a broken arm in a home plate collision hastened his retirement. A well-respected baseball man, Peterson spent over 30 years with the Pirates, including stints as a player (four years), manager (nine years), farm director and scouting director. He was named VP for player personnel in 1976 and named executive VP in 1979 and is possibly best known for the trade of C Manny Sanguillen to the Oakland A’s for manager Chuck Tanner in 1976. His dealings helped bring the Pirates their World Series Championship in 1979. Peterson also spent two years with the Yankees and was a co-general manager in 1990 and two more years with San Diego as a scout.
