Books and articles about Don Zimmer

Zimmer was leading the American Association with 23 HR and 63 RBI on July 7, 1953 when he was hit in the head by a Jim Kirk pitch. He was unconscious for almost two weeks, lost his speech for six, and dropped 44 lbs. Inserted in his head were four "buttons...like tapered corkscrews in a bottle," he explained. He returned in 1954 and was Brooklyn's second baseman in the 1955 World Series. He was doing well in 1956 when a pitch from the Reds' Hal Jeffcoat fractured his cheekbone and ended his season.

SHOPPING » Look for Don Zimmer books at BN.com » Look for Don Zimmer books at Amazon.com Your purchases keep BaseballLibrary.com online. Thank you!

RELATED LINKS » 1962: The Mets' First Win » "[Zimmer] could run like a deer. Did everything pretty good": Clyde Sukeforth Book Excerpts » The Perfect Yankee by Don Larsen with Mark Shaw » The Duke of Havana by Steve Fainaru and Ray Sαnchez » "The low point came when [Bill] Lee labeled the puffy-cheeked Zimmer 'the gerbil'": Jim Prime Ask The Experts » Who wore #23 before Don Mattingly? » What number will Don Zimmer wear for the 2001 season? Around the Web » Florida teams like Girardi from chicagosports.com » Don Zimmer from baseball-reference.com Jump directly to Library content from any website!

Built like a fireplug and nicknamed Popeye for his strength, the scrappy Zimmer came back again and was the Dodgers' starting shortstop in 1958, reaching career highs of 17 HR and 60 RBI. He lost the job to Maury Wills with a woeful 1959 season, spent his two busiest years with the 1960-61 Cubs, and was an original New York Met. He finished his playing career in Japan.

Zimmer managed in the minors and coached for the Expos and Padres before spending 1972 and 1973 as San Diego's manager. He was a Boston coach when named manager in mid-1976. In 1978, his Red Sox won 99 games, but lost the AL East title in a one-game playoff with the Yankees. He piloted the Rangers in 1981-82, coached for the Yankees, Cubs, and Giants, and was named Cubs manager by his high-school buddy, GM Jim Frey, for 1988. He won the division title, and AP Manager of the Year, in 1989 with unorthodox strategic moves (he likes the squeeze bunt with the bases loaded) and with lots of rookies and journeymen in his lineups. (ME)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » August 16, 1951: At Elmira, New York, minor-leaguer Don Zimmer marries Jean Carol Bauerle at home plate. Teammate Ed Roebuck is supposed to make it a double wedding, but opts for a church instead. » April 22, 1955: Though the Dodgers take a 3-0 lead into the 8th, their streak ends as the Braves' Max Surkont beats Johnny Podres 5-4. Don Zimmer is called out at home on a squeeze play by Jackie Robinson that would have tied the game. » June 23, 1956: Hal Jeffcoat of the Cincinnati Reds hits Dodger SS Don Zimmer in the face with a pitch, breaking his cheekbone. This is the second time that Zimmer suffers an injury that nearly ends his career, and he is out for the season. The Dodgers win 7-6. » March 5, 1958: Duke Snider, Johnny Podres, and Don Zimmer suffer minor injuries in an auto accident in Vero Beach, FL, as they try to beat a 12:30 A.M. curfew. This is the 3rd accident in two months involving Dodger players; Jim Gilliam and his family had an accident shortly after Roy Campanella's. » July 27, 1959: The Dodgers move into first place on Roger Craig's 2–0 win. Joe Pignatano and Don Zimmer hit solo home runs. A year ago on this date the Dodgers were in last place. » April 8, 1960: The Cubs get infielder Don Zimmer from the Dodgers in return for infielder John Goryl, OF Lee Handley, minor league P Ron Perranoski, and cash. Perranoski, 11–10 at Ft. Worth, will develop into the top reliever in the National League. » September 18, 1960: Don Zimmer, Ron Santo, and George Altman hit 6th-inning home runs as the Cubs beat the Dodgers 5–2 at Wrigley Field. Chicago's biggest home run threat, Ernie Banks, sets a record by drawing his 27th intentional walk of the year. » October 10, 1961: An expansion draft to stock the new National League clubs takes place in Cincinnati. Selecting 1st, Houston takes Giants SS Eddie Bressoud; the Mets take 31-year-old Giant C Hobie Landrith. Second choices are Bob Aspromonte (45s) and Elio Chacon. Other Houston selections include Bobby Shantz, Ken Johnson, Dick Farrell, and Bob Lillis. New York takes Roger Craig, Gil Hodges, Don Zimmer, Gus Bell, Jay Hook, among others. Also, Cards C Chris Cannizzaro, out much of this year due to an appendectomy. » May 6, 1962: The Mets acquire Vinegar Bend Mizell from the Pirates for Jim Marshall, then send Don Zimmer to Cincinnati for P Bob Miller and infielder Cliff Cook. » September 2, 1963: With the Senators ahead 5–3 on 4th-inning homers by Don Zimmer and Ed Brinkman, Nats starter Ed Hobaugh hits his only career home run in the same frame off Cleveland's Jerry Walker. The Tribe knocks out Hobaugh but the Senators hold on to win, 8–7. Hobaugh's homer comes on his last official at bat: in his one more plate appearance, he draws a walk. Hobaugh joins Buster Narum this year as the first pitchers to have more homers than wins in a year. It'll be matched this century by Dave Eiland in 1992. » June 13, 1964: 2B Bernie Allen of the Twins is hurt in a collision with Don Zimmer. He will be out until August 4th. » April 27, 1972: The Padres fire manager Preston Gomez and replace him with Don Zimmer. » April 29, 1972: Leading the Phillies 4–0, San Diego ace Steve Arlin loses a no hitter in 9th with two outs when manager Don Zimmer pulls his third baseman in close. Denny Doyle then bounces a ball over the third baseman's head. Arlin finishes with a one-hitter, beating Steve Carlton. Doyle also had the only hit to defeat the Reds Gary Nolan in 1971 and the only hit in a Nolan Ryan one-hitter in 1970. » June 15, 1978: Hours after the game, the Red Sox sell popular OF Bernie Carbo to the Indians, the last of what the press dubbed as "The Outlaws." Others reportedly out of favor with manager Don Zimmer and dealt off include Fergie Jenkins, Jim Willoughby, Rick Wise, and Reggie Cleveland. Sam Bowen is called up to take Carbo's place. » October 1, 1980: Don Zimmer is fired as manager of the Boston Red Sox. Johnny Pesky will finish the season as interim manager. » November 12, 1980: Don Zimmer is named manager of the Texas Rangers, becoming the 10th manager in the club's 9-year history. » July 28, 1982: After a 3–2 loss to the Brewers, Rangers manager Don Zimmer is fired and replaced by Darrell Johnson. During the 1976 season, Zimmer had replaced Johnson as manager of the Boston Red Sox. » July 24, 1983: In the memorable "Pine Tar Game" at Yankee Stadium, George Brett hits an apparent 2-run home run off Rich Gossage to give the Royals a 5–4 lead with two outs in the 9th inning, only to have it taken away when Yankees manager Billy Martin, at the urging of coach Don Zimmer, points out that the pine tar on Brett's bat handle exceeds the 17 inches allowed in the rules. As a result, Brett is called out for illegally batting the ball, giving New York a 4–3 victory. Brett goes ballistic a the Royals immediately protest, and American League President Lee MacPhail overrules his umpires for the first time saying that, while the rules should certainly be rewritten and clarified, the home run will stand and the game will be resumed from that point on August 18th. » May 27, 1984: At Chicago, the Reds edge the Cubs 4–3 in a contest protested by both clubs. Ron Cey belts a 3rd inning blow originally called a homer by umpire Steve Rippley. The Reds argue the call and, after an ump conference, the ruling is a foul. The Cubs then protest. The umps then huddle with Reds manager Vern Rapp and tell him that P Mario Soto is ejected from the game. Soto charges the field tackling Cubs coach Don Zimmer and then gets re-ejected. Both teams then file a protest. » June 12, 1986: The 5th-place Cubs (23-33) fire manager Jim Frey and 3B coach Don Zimmer. John Vukovich will manage for two games before new manager Gene Michael takes over. » November 11, 1987: Jim Frey, who managed the Cubs to the 1984 National League East title and spent last season as a broadcaster for the club, is named the club's director of baseball operations. His first major move will be to hire longtime friend Don Zimmer as manager on November 20th. » May 21, 1991: Manager Don Zimmer is fired by the Cubs and replaced by Jim Essian. » March 10, 1999: Yankees manager Joe Torre is diagnosed with prostate cancer. While he is undergoing treatment, the team will be run by coach Don Zimmer.