04/24/24
June 05, 2014
Don Zimmer was truly a baseball man: Don Zimmer was married at home plate at Dunn Field in Elmira, N.Y., between games of a doubleheader on Aug. 16, 1951.
What more do you need to know?
It would be interesting to see which of Don Zimmer's jobs is foremost in your mind. For me, it was the 201 games he managed the Texas Rangers from 1981-82. He was fired by owner Eddie Chiles on a Monday but he made him stay on through Wednesday. That Dave Hostetler, Mickey Rivers, Charlie Hough team was 20 games under 500 after 96 games when he left. "You don't fire a man then tell him to go to work," Zimmer groused.
Zimmer married his high school sweetheart Soot in 1951 and they were still together.
posted by rcade at 10:39 AM on June 05, 2014
Don Zimmer was the manager of the Red Sox when I started watching baseball and going to games with my dad. I was surprised to see that he only managed the Sox for 4 years (though that was his longest run as a manager). In my mind, he was the only Sox manager during my youth (5th most games managed by a Red Sox manager).
Also, after looking at the list of Sox managers, Francona is the only guy who comes close to Joe Cronin (reaching back to the 30s and 40s) and he's not even that close.
posted by kokaku at 11:02 AM on June 05, 2014
Zimmer married his high school sweetheart Soot in 1951 and they were still together.
An interesting ceremony, it was...
posted by grum@work at 12:10 PM on June 05, 2014
It would be interesting to see which of Don Zimmer's jobs is foremost in your mind.
Apparently so: I couldn't believe the ticker on ESPN listed him as Cubs and Rangers manager and Yankees bench coach without a mention of his time with the Sox.
posted by yerfatma at 01:18 PM on June 05, 2014
Some guys over on baseballthinkfactory.org have pointed out that Zimmer seemed to be around when many important moments happened. He was in uniform (as a player, manager, or coach) for:
- all three perfect games thrown at Yankee Stadium
- the legendary Carlton Fisk and Buckey Dent home runs
- the Aaron Boone home run, and his "encounter" with Pedro Martinez
- the Jeffrey Maier game
- the only Brooklyn Dodgers World Series Championship
- the Pine Tar game
- the first night game at Wrigley Field
- the first Mets game ever
posted by grum@work at 02:14 PM on June 05, 2014
I remember vividly having a Don Zimmer baseball card as a kid in the 70's and thinking "wow, you can be pretty old and still play baseball."
The concept of manager didn't really register with me until a few years later.
Anyhow, one of Baseball's icons. How wonderful to get to spend your whole life doing what you love. Well done, sir, well done.
posted by Joey Michaels at 06:43 PM on June 05, 2014
And so "The Designated Gerbil" passes. Don Zimmer always said that Bill Lee was the only man whom he would not let into his home. This being the case, I would advise Bill Lee to invest in some nomex underwear, because Zimmer is in baseball heaven, and if Zimmer is true to his word, Bill Lee won't get in.
posted by Howard_T at 10:33 PM on June 05, 2014
I'll never forget the time he charged at Pedro Martinez in the 2004 ALCS like a raging bull and Petey judoed him to the ground.
.