By Joey Lachman
(From left to right: Stuart Sternberg, Brian Auld and Carol Jean "Soot" Zimmer look on as they honor the great Don Zimmer)
ST. PETERSBURG- Don Zimmer was a mythical figure in the game of baseball, a player, coach and advisor in his late career “Zim” did it all. A Pinellas County resident for over a half-century, he is a favorite in the hearts of baseball fans across America. He was a legend whose influence spans across generations, making his major league debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954 playing alongside the great Jackie Robinson. Zimmer was a senior advisor for the Rays for 11 years, the most time he spent with any of the 13 MLB organizations he was employed with. It was a heartfelt ceremony that was met with many moist eyes, but it cemented Zimmer in Ray's lore forever.
Many will remember Zimmer as the smiling face in the Ray's dugout, the coach that would put his arm around a struggling young player and seem to remind them of the fun of being a Major Leaguer. Zim certainly had fun throughout his career as a player, winning multiple world series titles and making the all-star team in 1961. Zimmer often noted that every paycheck he'd ever gotten came from baseball and that he never held a job in any other profession. He was always “one of the guys” from his playing career in the 50s to his last appearance on an MLB field for the Rays in 2014.
“Don Zimmer will forever be remembered fondly; he is Mr. Baseball. I remember going to White Sox games in the early 80s and you could see “the gerbil” they used to call him [Zimmer] there on the bench whether it was with the Rangers, the Yankees, whoever. You always saw Zim there on the top step, on his perch, God bless him” said Dominic Defillipo, a long-time baseball fan and St. Pete resident.
The Ray’s maiden inductee class included the aforementioned Zimmer along with MLB Hall of Famer Wade Boggs and team legend Carl Crawford. Fans filled the stadium for the pre-game ceremony and witnessed a piece of baseball history. The club also did a promotional giveaway of a Zim bear bobblehead to honor Don Zimmer.
(The Zim bear bobblehead giveaway and a crowded Tropicana Field)
The ceremony on Sunday afternoon was one that bonded the Tampa Bay Rays with Major League Baseball history, the most historic sport in our country. A sport that’s roots date back to the 1840s when many attribute the Union army hero Abner Doubleday with the creation of the game. Baseball has been there through the wars, injustice and pain our country has endured offering a place where people can come together and heal. From former president George Bush’s first pitch after 9/11 to the Red Sox “Boston Strong” patch after the 2013 marathon bombings, baseball heals.
Comments