Dr. Joseph S. Torg, 88, of Wayne, a sports medicine pioneer who served arsenic squad doc for aggregate Philadelphia teams and precocious jock safety, died Thursday, Dec. 15 astatine his location pursuing a chronic illness.
Dr. Torg was a squad doc for the Flyers, Sixers, and Eagles astatine antithetic times, and treated immoderate of their biggest stars, including Doug Collins and Billy Cunningham. Considered by galore a “father of sports medicine,” Dr. Torg was a fixture of Philadelphia newspapers’ sports pages, updating fans connected the wellness of their beloved players.
“He was a great, large doctor,” said Bill Baggett, the Baker League legend who remained adjacent with the doc aft his genu cognition successful the ‘70s.
Born Oct 25, 1934, successful Philadelphia, Dr. Torg played shot astatine Central High School earlier transferring to William Penn Charter School.
He went connected to survey astatine Haverford College, wherever helium continued to play shot and met his aboriginal wife, Barbara Groenendaal, done a unsighted date. He wed Groenendaal, a University of Pennsylvania varsity athlete, successful 1959. During their 63-year marriage, they had 3 children: Joseph, Elisabeth (Betsy), and Jay.
After graduating Haverford, Dr. Torg turned to Temple to prosecute a increasing involvement successful aesculapian care. He interrupted his grooming for a two-year stint with the U.S. Army Medical Corps successful Germany, and was honorably discharged with the fertile of Captain successful 1968, the aforesaid twelvemonth helium completed his residency.
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Dr. Torg dedicated his vocation to improving jock safety, archetypal astatine Temple, wherever helium co-founded the Temple University Center for Sports Medicine and Science, the archetypal of its benignant affiliated with an world institution, and past astatine University of Pennsylvania, wherever helium established 1 of the archetypal sports medicine fellowships.
“I springiness tremendous acknowledgment to him for establishing a field,” said Michael Ciccotti, manager of sports medicine astatine Rothman Orthopedic Institute. “He perfectly near his fingerprint connected the tract of sports medicine.”
Dr. Torg returned to Temple successful 2002, wherever helium remained progressive successful grooming doctors and advancing probe until the extremity of his life.
He was inducted into the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine Hall of Fame successful 2005, among the field’s astir prestigious honors.
A bequest of information and equity
It was Dr. Torg’s probe and advocacy that led precocious schoolhouse and assemblage shot associations successful 1976 to ban “spearing,” the signifier of utilizing the apical of the helmet to marque archetypal interaction successful a tackle.
The fig of precocious schoolhouse and assemblage shot players who suffered paralysis of each 4 limbs dropped by astir 50% the adjacent year and has continued declining ever since.
“He ne'er backed down,” said Ray Moyer, the manager of sports medicine astatine Temple University Hospital.
Dr. Torg popularized a trial to measure ACL injuries that helium learned from mentor John Lachman astatine Temple. Today, the Lachman trial is considered champion practice.
Torg was committed to making sports arsenic harmless and inclusive arsenic possible.
In the ‘70s, helium testified arsenic an expert witnesser successful a New Jersey case against Little League Baseball that girls were nary much apt than boys to get wounded playing baseball.
“Torg felt that each of this was ridiculous,” said Helene Pavlov, the erstwhile radiologist-in-chief astatine New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery and a longtime person and collaborator.
The younker sports league had agelong banned girls from playing, until the N.J. justice ordered the league to invited each children starting successful the 1974 season, sparking nationwide change.
Dr. Torg often said that his vocation was imaginable owed to his woman of 63 years, Barbara.
Their daughter, Betsy Torg, said via email that helium would affectionately telephone her “My Barbie Barb, my gal.”
He was happiest erstwhile their household spent clip unneurotic connected Long Beach Island, wherever the self-taught sailor could beryllium connected the water.
“We ever knew that if we ever needed enactment oregon guidance from him and our mother, we could number connected them,” his girl said. “And we did.”
Along with his woman and 3 children, Dr. Torg is survived by 7 grandchildren.
He was buried Dec. 27 astatine Arlington Cemetery successful Drexel Hill successful a backstage household ceremony.
A nationalist work to commemorate Dr. Torg’s beingness volition beryllium held astatine the William Penn Charter School, 3000 W. School House Lane, Philadelphia 19144 connected Saturday, Jan. 21. Details to travel astatine https://www.donohuefuneralhome.com/obituaries/joseph-torg-md.
Memorial donations may be made to The Joe Torg Endowed Scholarship Fund astatine Temple’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine, The Joe Torg OPC Scholarship Fund astatine William Penn Charter School, oregon to The John Lachman Orthopedic Research Fund.
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