Obituary: Alton “Al” Torregano, Baseball 1970-72

Nov. 3,1950 – Oct. 3, 2022

We regret to announce the passing of Alton Anthony Torregano, Jr., 71, of New Orleans, LA on October 3, 2022. Alton passed away at home from sudden cardiac arrest. Alton was predeceased by his father Alton Torregano Sr., and his mother Doris Faciane Torregano. He is survived by his wife, Kathy Lee Torregano, and sons Alton Torregano III (Nina) and Miles David Torregano (Candice); his grandsons Miles Torregano Jr., Chase Torregano, Xander Torregano, and Alton Torregano, IV.; his siblings Iris Smoot (Orange, d.) Errol Torregano, Sheila Torregano (George Augustin), Rhonda Clark (Warren), Barry Torregano (Danielle), and Sonya Williams (Donald); and his brother-in-law Eugene Lee, Jr. (Marion), as well as by a host of nieces, nephews and other family members. Most people who knew him well called him Torro. This was for two reasons – a convenient contraction of his last name, but primarily because it’s as appropriate as you can get for a young man who excelled at sports. Torro’s stellar baseball career began when he was a youngster at Sacred Heart Elementary School on Bayou Liberty Road in Slidell, and progressed as he played with the Slidell Creoles – a young man playing with and against seasoned adults. A 1969 graduate of St. Augustine High School he played basketball, football and baseball. He was twice selected all-district (5 AAA) as a catcher for St. Aug. Upon graduation, he attended the University of Southwestern Louisiana, now ULL, where he majored in finance. Continuing his baseball career at USL as a sophomore, Torro was named player of the year in 1971 in the old Gulf States Conference, and was selected to the 1972 all-Louisiana collegiate team for the third year in a row at the college level. He was the first player in the history of the Gulf States Conference to win the Triple Crown in batting. He was honored to play on the 18-player United States baseball team, in the Pan American games in Columbia, South America where the 1972 USA team won an Olympic Silver Medal. As an All Conference Freshman in 1970, he played in the National Baseball Congress Tournament in Wichita, Kansas, and was named to the all-star team that year. In the previous year, he was the only Louisiana player to be named to the USA team, having passed up a chance to play summer baseball in Anchorage, Alaska. The three-time All Conference catcher for USL was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers as its third draft pick in 1972. He played for the Dodgers organization in Daytona Beach, Florida and with the Ogden Dodgers, before opening his American Amicable Life Insurance Agency in New Orleans. True to his competitive nature, he became a top insurance agent, attaining Master General Agent status. When Torro put down the bat, he picked up a tennis racket becoming an amateur player, winning several local tournaments. When spotted enough strokes, he played a competitive round of golf as well. Torro married his high school sweetheart, Kathy Lee Torregano in 1972; the couple had two sons, Alton, III and Miles. He coached his sons, and coached and encouraged dozens of other baseball players at Milne Playground. He enjoyed dancing and was the life of the party. His avocation was picking and betting on racehorses. He will always be remembered for his enormous sense of humor, his bevy of jokes and animated story telling. His “Torro burgers” (minnie meat loaves) and spinach casserole are legendary. Torro never met a stranger and his friends come from all walks of life. To meet him was to remember him always. He was well loved and will sorely be missed by all who knew and loved him. A Mass of Christian Burial will be Celebrated at St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church, 7300 Crowder Blvd., New Orleans, Louisiana, on Saturday, October 15, 2022; Visitation to begin at 10:00 a.m., recitation of the Rosary at 10:30 a.m. and Mass at 11:30 a.m. Interment to follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery, 4000 Norman Mayer Avenue, NOLA 70122. Due to COVID-19, everyone attending is required to wear masks and adhere to social distancing.

This obituary was sent to the Athletic Network by Ed Doyle, a brief Baseball teammate of Torro at USL before devoting his athletics talents more completely to Football.
Please place Torregano in the Last Name Box, then click the Red Search Button on the right, then click on his name to view his profile which contains Fond Memories of Coach Bobby Banna.
Please click Photo Gallery > Baseball > then any of the years when Al played – 1970-72 for awesome photos and information about those championship years. Thanks.
Thanks to Ed for submitting Torro’s information to the Athletic Network. It is important that we remember our former athletes and their support groups.

Peace, Ed Dugas
athleticnetwork@louisiana.edu
Posted April 5, 2024